December's things to do

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. 

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.

Our Bakery, located near Dosan Park, is without a doubt one of the hottest coffee and bread places on social media right now. The bakery began as a collaborative project of stylist Seo Hanyoung (known for her high-fashion styling work with several K-pop stars including Boa and 2NE1) and food culture brand CNP Food. Hence, it's no surprise that it first gained its fame through the many celebrities that came to check out and hang out at the place — after a while, however, it's become a hot spot among all types of Seoulites looking for great bread and coffee. Its selection of bread is quite wide — among which, the pastries may remind you of Le Alaska's, while some other types of bread are similar to what Hongdae's Paul & Paulina makes. The most popular items here are the Tiramisu with a great balance between fresh cream and pastry, the well-layered Dirty Chocolate and the Butter Pretzels made with gourmet butter. Our Bakery is also well known for their specialty coffees, which go perfectly with all the scrumptious pastry options, making the place stand out in the huge competition in the Dosan Park district (it’s still not easy to find a place with decently-priced coffee made from quality ingredients, especially in an area known to be quite ritzy). The coffee machine used here is of the Netherlands' Kees Van Der Westen (a brand known to take pride in its excellent design and functionality), while the grinder is from Compak. Different beans are selected during each season, with...