December's things to do

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.

Following the availability of small American craft roasters including Intelligentsia and Stumptown Coffee Stumptown Coffee, we now have the Berlin-based artisan roaster Bonanza in Seoul. Even beyond Berlin, Bonanza Coffee is one of the fastest-growing roasters in Europe, with its original location selected by National Geographic as one of the “25 coffee shops around the world you have to see before you die.” This new international location is in Itaewon, but the surrounding area of Hangangjin (near Downtowner burger pub and Pizzeria D' Buzza’s Hannam Dong branch) is quite serene. Although the café is located inside novelty merchandise retailer Morethanless, its seriousness towards extractions has been attracting even professional baristas and humble home brewers alike. As I open its large glass doors and step inside, sturdy La Marzocco Linea machine first catches this aficionado’s eyes. A specialty coffee icon established in Florence, Italy, it grew with Starbucks’ early expansion, and since been an inspiration for most of the high-end espresso machine brands in the world including Synesso and Slayer. The overall atmosphere of the café is quite refined and modern (which is appropriate for its identity as a fashion retailer as well). The staff is kind and friendly, while the audio system involving a powerful amp and a fancy set of speakers are adding another tasteful element to the space. The star of the show is, of course, the coffee. The roasted beans selection available...

They say that you’re either never touched this manga or you’re an avid fan—there is no one that’s only read one edition. The Japanese manga One Piece about Monkey D. Luffy (the main character with the straw hat) and his adventures actually surpassed the popularity of widely successful Dragon Ball series. In 2015, One Piece even set the Guinness World Record for the “Most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author." The manga is extremely popular in Korea as well, and you can find the official café located in Hongdae. Its exterior is built to resemble Luffy’s pirate boat, Thousand Sunny, the one with the huge yet cute lion’s head—even you’ve ever had a glance at the manga, you’ll know exactly which café it is. Inside the venue is divided into two sections: a café and a gift shop showcasing character figures and other novelty items. Mind you, there are no restrictions to enter the gift shop, but in order to use the café, each person must order at least one drink. They have drinks and dishes based on the anime itself on the menu including the ‘Marine Curry (with rice)’, ‘Luffy’s Favorite! Mini Chicken on Bone’ and ‘Pirate Lunch Box’ among others. Their "moffle," which is a combination of mochi and waffle, paired with a fizzy drink is highly recommended. On the other hand, their soggy Chopper-Shaped Cake and shakes are items you might want to stay away from. Some of their shakes are incredibly sweet that you really can’t taste any of the other flavors...