December's things to do

Talk about chicken and rice to any New Yorker and they can whip up stories of the famous Halal Guys cart on 53rd and 6th. I, myself, can tell you how after four years of living in Seoul, the first place I visited as soon as I dropped off my bags was 53rd and 6th. The cart is not just food, but a legend amongst the millions of people who visit there – including Woosik John Kim, who once studied in upstate New York. “When people go abroad, they talk about how they want this and that in Korea. Chicken and rice was one of those infamous dishes.” After having scoured every corner of the city for even close knock-offs, I didn’t let myself get my hopes up when headed to Jil’hal Bros in Chungdam-dong. At the small yellow-colored restaurant, my combination platter equated to slices of grilled cuts of spiced chicken and lamb over turmeric yellow rice and a bed of lettuce and tomatoes topped with its signature white sauce and red sauce. The white sauce is normally concocted with variations of Greek yogurt, miracle whip and mayo while the red sauce has variations of chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, cumin and olive oil – with Woosik’s particular recipe being secret. Unlike its New York muse, the dish isn’t Halal certified, doesn’t drip with oil and the spices (cumin and chili pepper) are nowhere as strong. Yet, dinnertime fills with expats and Koreans (lots of Korean-Americans) alike wolfing down one plate, and taking one to go. One preppy looking twentys-something (possibly former...

The name of this tea-café, “Suyeonsanbang” literally translates into “a small home in the forest where literary people used to meet” and the title’s appropriate as it was once home to late Korean author Lee Tae-jun. This hanok home served as the backdrop to several of his short stories and was the main setting his 1943 novel, "HaebangJeonhu" as well. Hidden on the side slope of a hill and tucked behind a rainbow of flowers and a small forest of trees, it’s not hard to imagine how a writer could draw inspiration whilst in this charming hideaway. Talked about on media outlets in Japan, France and the UK, the home consists of several rooms and chairs around the space. The tea collection on the menu is impressive and their ability to take something like medicinal herb ssanghwa-cha and make it delicious, even more so. 

It might feel a little random to find this small oasis of tranquility amongst Namdaemun’s chaos, but the Salt Cave Healing Center is indeed located as soon as you come out of Hoehyeon Station’s exit 3. The center has been in service for 4 years now, and most visitors come for therapy usually during lunch time; there are almost no visitors after 5pm. The salt cave lends its name from a room made entirely from salt (walls, floor and even the ceiling). The point is to come here, relax, take a nap and heal yourself with whatever energy this natural element can fuse into you. After putting on the sanitary shoe covers, you will enter the frosty white room lit with a blue light. The 2-3cm thick walls are made from white plaster and to create a more cave like atmosphere, the ceilings have a few salt icicles hanging down. The floor, which is covered in white salt, looks like a soft beach sand but is far from. It almost feels like walking on a pile of snow that has melted and frozen about two times. Sun-dried pacific salt is what you are actually walking on. For those who are suffering from asthma, rhinitis (simply put certain kind of allergies) and are on the verge of getting a cold, breathing in some salt (1-5 micrometer) particles diffused in the air might help; so the center claims. Whether it’s the minerals, the ions or just plain fatigue, many people who come here get a deep (albeit short) sleep. There are around 6 beds made of wood, 2 of which are inside a private room. Just...