December's things to do

During a warmer season, the wide open rooftop terrace of Café Onion is popular spot for the trendy Seoulites enjoying coffee and the wind blowing through the area. It isn’t much of a view, actually, as the rooftop is located only on the second floor of the building. Still, it’s enough to watch the scenes filled with surrounding factories and people walking by, while listening to the not-so-distant, strangely calming tunes of that trains passing by.  The building in which the café's located has a long history of its own; built in 1970's, it was previously a supermarket, a restaurant, a repair shop and most recently, a metal factory. While the whole space has indeed been restored with ultra-modern features like wide windows, minimalistic furniture, and a well-curated garden, the café's wide-open interior retains all of its old, rustic and broken-down elements. Just like any trending spot in Seoul, Onion is often seen on the social media and usually busy with young crowds. But because it's got so much space and many available seatings, you won’t have to worry about waiting to get a table (even if you do end up waiting a little, there's a bit of atmosphere you can enjoy in the meanwhile).  Their most popular drink is the Flat White. It might not be as strong as you'd expect, but it's certainly smooth. There are also good pastries, which are all made in-house, at the newer branch of Bread 05 located on the second floor (many of those who stop by the café are only here to pick...

Remember the scene in the romantic comedy About Time, when a girl and a boy first encounter each other in complete darkness. A similar total-darkness experience is available in Seoul, unfortunately, its concept is not about finding your one true love. Rather, Dialogue in the Dark (located in Bukchon) is an awareness raising exhibition. It was created in 1988 by Andreas Heinecke as a result of a life-long search for answers to the question, “On what ground do we judge people and feel inferior or superior?” Interestingly, it was an acquaintance who had lost his eyesight in a car accident that helped Heinecke realize not only the answers to his question but also his fascination of the world of blind people. In order to confront this prejudice about blindness, Dialogue in the Dark was started, in a small warehouse. Now, this exhibition has over 130 locations in 20 different countries with over 9 million visitors. Once inside, you will be stripped of all possible lighting devices (phones, watches, etc.) and will be ‘blind’ for 100 minutes. You will listen to the directions of the ‘road master’ and utilize a white cane to navigate rooms of different themes; leaves, forest, using wind to rotate a sailboat in the right direction, matching smell and touch with places and objects, etc. Dialogue in the Dark isn’t just about being blind; it’s an experience that will indulge yourself in all your other senses. For safety issues, only visitors between the age of 9 to 70 are allowed, with...

While restaurants housed in an impressive hanok building are easily found in Seoul, one with a beautiful garden is indeed a rarity. Seated on a hill of Buam-dong, Seokparang offers an impressive scenery letting the visitors feel as if they're far out of the city. Its name comes from Seokpajeong, the once vacation home of Heungseon Daewongun, who was the regent to King Gojong during Joseon Dynasty. With an important part of the estate relocated to its compound, Seokparang showcases authentic Korean royal cuisine including ginseng-steamed bossam (pork), neobiani (grilled beef), jeonyuhwa (seasonal flower pancakes), songitang (pine mushroom stew), eomandu (fish dumplings) and and jeonbok galbijim (steamed abalone and ribs). In fact, the recipes of these exact dishes have been passed down through palace kitchens over the years. Its Korean table d'hôte, which has catered to a number of local and international dignitaries, also includes desserts such as fried ginseng and jujubes which were only served in the dynastic courts. With a quaint and luscious garden complete with all kinds of greenery including the 150-year-old persimmon offering a gorgeous stroll, May especially is a great time to visit Seokparang, one of the city's most historic dining spaces.