December's things to do

A good croissant is hard to find in Seoul, and even harder to find outside of well-heeled districts that import French patissiers. Hongdae's The Old Croissant Factory gives the Seorae-maeul French District a run for its money. Their croissant has a flaky, but not burnt, exterior that you can hear when you bite, light and tender layers inside, and a milky, buttery smell. We’re not huge fans of their variations on the original (one with swiss cheese melted on the top, and another with chocolate and sprinkles), but if you’re looking for variety they also sell scones and pain au chocolat. There are a few seats available, so you can sit down and enjoy of cup of Harney and Sons tea with your pastry.

Salmon sashimi lovers, here’s one for you. Mibbeudong is famed for its tomato salmon noodles – a refreshing, cold tomato broth packed with vegetables and long strands of salmon sashimi cut lengthways to resemble noodles. If you’re a little less excited over this, another popular item on the menu here is the Mibbeudong itself, a rice moat topped with a tower of mixed sashimi, uni and ikura.

In the kitchenette visible through the café’s full wall window, homemade citron tea is being served by the barista, in a handmade ceramic mug. Inside, a few dozen mugs painted by customers are being glazed in the potter/owner’s careful hands of reverence. Located on a quiet street of Hongdae, Pottery Café Jool provides a sense of comfort that reflects the owner’s wish to grant modest yet heartwarming memories with pottery as a medium. As such, this café allows its customers to take a good amount of time for them to enjoy tea and conversations whilst sharing their first time paint-your-own ceramic experience. It may be nothing extravagant, but what you take out of it will certainly be memorable, fragrant and solid.