Drawing inspiration from the rich culture and history of Korea, imaginative artisans, designers, chefs, and other modern tastemakers are creating new travel experiences found only in Seoul. Get to know this sophisticated capital city in a different and more meaningful way through these eight unique activities.
Gourmet Artisan Desserts
Seasonal fruits and vegetables spark the culinary creativity of pastry chef Justin Lee, who pairs handcrafted desserts and drinks at his JL Dessert Bar.
Dessert is elevated from afterthought to art form at JL Dessert Bar in the culturally diverse Yongsan district. Chef-owner Justin Lee uses fresh, colorful, and, often, surprising locally seasonal ingredients—such as plump Korean pears, avocados, cherry tomatoes, and Korean ginger—in his dessert masterpieces. Lee modeled his plated dessert-paired drink concept after fine-dining tasting menus. His house specialty is a feast for the senses: a six-course, sweet-and-savory dessert menu with suggested beverage pairings.
The artfully designed Korean desserts at Dongbyung Sangryoun tempt the taste buds and honor centuries-old traditions.
To sample artful interpretations of more traditional Korean desserts like rice cakes and honey cookies, visit Dongbyung Sangryoun dessert café in Seongbuk-dong. Chef-owner Park Kyung-mi, a master of Joseon Dynasty royal cuisine, regularly incorporates novel ingredients, including braised bellflower root, pine nuts, and makgeolli (unfiltered Korean rice wine), bringing new flavors and textures to centuries-old recipes.
Modern Hanbok Fashion
To create her modern hanbok styles, fashion designer Kim Min Jeong uses a variety of fabrics in a vivid kaleidoscope of colors.
Forward-thinking Seoul fashion designer Kim Min Jeong is transforming hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) into trendsetting ready-to-wear, special occasion attire, and haute couture.
Unlike conventional hanbok, which is primarily made of heavy silk in hues reflecting the social and marital status of the wearer, Kim’s wedding and modern lifestyle brand, Hanbok Lynn, features lighter fabrics in a rainbow of colors, including cotton candy pink, cool slate, and mint green.
Each Hanbok Lynn design reinterprets the charm and elegance of traditional hanbok—short, bolero-like wrap jacket (jeogori)paired with either pants (baji) for men or a full skirt (chima) for women—by incorporating imaginative flourishes like ruffles, striped sleeves, and off-the-shoulder tops. The modern makeover is inspiring a new generation to embrace the timeless beauty of hanbok.
Modern Interpretations of Tea Ceremonies
At ALTDIF Tea Bar, the tea samplings conducted over five courses promise a tantalizing mix of warm and chilled concoctions that captivate the eye.
In the small ALTDIF Tea Bar nestled in Hongdae, tea infuser Eun Bin marries the past and the present by adding an unexpectedly delightful and contemporary spin to age-old tea customs. With a blend of contemporary aesthetics and thoughtfully developed themes, the café provides a unique tea tasting experience that fuses the traditional ceremony with elements of performance art. In a two-hour immersive journey that accommodates up to seven tea enthusiasts, a tea connoisseur navigates participants through a sensory adventure which involves narrative elements, complementary snacks, and a finale of five distinctive tea blends, served both steaming or chilled.
Each five-course session carries an enchanting theme, such as tarot card readings or the beloved tale of Alice in Wonderland. The teas, or tisanes – herbal infusions made by steeping herbs, spices, fruits, or flowers in water – align with the chosen theme and bear inventive names. A case in point is a newly introduced blend of chamomile, peppermint, and pineapple which proudly goes by the name 'Space Odditea'. As guests relish their respective beverages, the tea connoisseur relates the story that inspired each concoction.
Korea Wine Culture
Sommelier Choi Jung Won handpicks the regional Korean wines featured at Le Cabaret Cité, located inside THE PLAZA Seoul.
Traditionally known only for makgeolli, a fermented rice wine dating back some 2,000 years, modern Korean wine culture is blossoming thanks to native fruits. A growing crop of inventive vintners is looking beyond cultivated grapes to produce varietals made from Korean-grown apples, peaches, wild grapes, plums, kiwi, raspberries, persimmon, and omija, a fragrant five-flavored berry.
Fresh, sweet, and fragrant Korean wines, such as the sparkling, white Cheongsu by Grand Coteau, pair naturally with traditionally spicy and salty Korean dishes. Wine aficionados can savor sommelier-curated courses and dinners showcasing Korean varietals at Le Cabaret Cité. The gourmet, Asian-French dining destination is located inside THE PLAZA Seoul, a stylish, boutique hotel in the historic heart of the city. If you're looking to explore more local experiences like this one, you can find a variety of other unique Seoul hotels at seoulhotelspage.com. Le Cabaret Cité’s impressive, 200-label wine list includes several regional Korean wines available by the glass or bottle.
Handmade Hanji Paper
Hanji, the handmade Korean paper valued for its strength and flexibility, is also called Baek Ji, or “hundred paper,” due to the traditional paper-making process said to involve 99 touches by the maker and one final touch by the user.
Artisans and designers are breathing new life into hanji,fine-quality Korean paper made from the bark of a paper mulberry tree. To help preserve the thousand-year-old craft of hanji-making, the Hanji Culture and Industry Center (HCIC) in Seoul is promoting awareness of the paper’s strength, durability, and versatility.
Historically, hanjiwas used for art, calligraphy, as wallpaper, and to make traditional craft items, such as folding fans and umbrellas. Today, hanjimakers are incorporating new colors and patterns, and artists are reimagining how to use the paper, including to make clothing. The HCIC, the world’s first cultural complex devoted to hanji, features some 400 different handcrafted hanji products, regional hanjisamples to see and touch, and hands-on hanjiworkshops.
Traditional Hansik Cuisine
Co-owner-chef Cho Hee-sook expertly plates tradition-inspired dishes at her award-winning Hansikgonggan restaurant.
An enlightening helping of history accompanies the fare at Gyuban and Hansikgonggan, two hansik(traditional Korean cuisine) hotspots run by acclaimed female chefs. Gyuban owner-chef Kim Ji Young served as culinary director of Immortal Classic,a Korean television drama chronicling a fictional female royal chef’s quest to become a royal doctor. Hansikgonggan’s co-owner-chef Cho Hee-sook, known as the godmother of Korean cuisine, is legendary for passing down hansik traditions to young chefs.
At Gyuban, Kim scours vintage cookbooks and royal court records to recreate centuries-old royal recipes for traditional menu items such as kimchi (fermented cabbage) and pork marinated in doenjang(soybean paste). Hansikgonggan, named one of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2020 and 2021, merges past and present in tradition-inspired dishes like blended rice-and-pine nut porridge topped with abalone, scallop, shiitake mushroom, and shrimp.
Holistic Spa Treatments
In high-energy Seoul, maintaining mind-body wellness means making time for holistic spa treatments inspired by Korean nature and ancient traditions. SPA 1899, named for the year the Korean Ginseng Corporation was founded, specializes in red ginseng-infused rituals and therapies, including a hydro spa and body mask. Red ginseng, a uniquely Korean product thought to promote both inner and outer beauty, is often called “Asia’s immunity booster” for its purported health benefits.
Seoul’s ultra-modern Sulwhasoo flagship store houses an anti-aging spa specializing in holistic skin treatments.
Red and white ginseng serums, oils, creams, and infused baths are also part of the experience at Premium Korean Herbal Medicinal Anti-Aging Spa, located inside the Sulwhasoo flagship store. Founded in 1966, Sulwhasoo combines cutting-edge Korean science and nutrient-rich local herbs to create its line of luxury, holistic skin care products.
Craft Cocktail Bars
Left: Wine adds a hint of pink to Raspberry Calling, a classic gin drink from Charles H, the speakeasy named for Gilded Age bon vivant Charles H. Baker in South Korea
Right: Infused with flavors of the tropics, Yeoju, is one of the signature cocktails from Bar Cham.
The master mixologists at Seoul’s craft cocktail bars are reinventing standard drinks with decidedly Korean ingredients. Regionally grown ginseng, green tea, nashi (Asian pear), and omija berry, and liquors made from Korean apples and plums add a refreshingly different edge to classic cocktails like a Manhattan, Martini, and Negroni.
Complementing the unique cocktails are the bars’ atmospheric settings. Bar Cham, an intimate cocktail lounge, is housed in a hanok(traditional Korean house). Charles H, the lavish, speakeasy-style club on the lower level of the Four Seasons Seoul, is tucked behind an unmarked door, while shelved library books mask the secret entrance to Le Chamber, a glamorous hidden bar illuminated by vintage chandeliers.
Bar Cham master mixologist and owner Lim Byung-jin crafts his signature cocktails with traditional and fruit-flavored soju, Korea’s iconic distilled rice spirit.