Heading to Seoul? Here’s why Jongno is the heart of this city

Located at Seoul’s epicentre of modernity-meets-tradition is the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. The hotel is within walking distance to many historic sites, yet is very near the major shopping district of Myeongdong. The rooms are sumptuous — complete with a pillow menu that pleases all sleepers, whether you like a supportive foam or sink silky goose down to sink your head into.

However, to hardcore foodies like yours truly from Singapore, the availability of good food is the deal breaker. And Four Seasons, with its good selection of restaurants and bars, ticks the right boxes for this gourmand. Classy Chinese restaurant restaurant Yu Yan and the innovative mod Asian-fusion Akira may be crowd pullers but my top pick is Maru, for its posh take on Korean classics like bulgogi beef and bibimbap.

Restaurants that do elevated versions of local classics are aplenty but not many are able to do it on a level that pleases everyone, including discerning locals. A quick look around the all-day dining Maru (Korean for living room) will show that it is popular with Seoulites. Try the Hanwoo beef version, and you might be forever spoiled for the mainstream stuff. Made with beef from a prized indigenous breed, the bulgogi here is tender, sweet and robust at the same time.

Don’t leave without ordering Korean bingsu, especially if you are visiting Seoul in summer. The bingsu at Maru is a treat for your IG, eyes and stomach. It is enough for four (skip lunch if you want to have it by yourself). I shared the Golden Jeju Apple Mango. Apple Mango is endemic to Jeju, and so called because it is the colour of apples. Two whole sliced Jeju mangoes are placed on the shaved ice that hides a delicious mess of milk and jelly bits , while mango-flavoured sorbet, marshmallow and sauce are served on the side. The centrepiece is a gold foil-covered molecular dome that will burst as you bite into it, filling your mouth with a refreshing mix of mint and mango pudding.

While the in-hotel speakeasy Charles H. (and also World’s Best 50 Bars fixture) remains one of my favourite bars for its heady concoctions and sexy vibes that channel Prohibition Chicago, the newest addition to Four Seasons Hotel Seoul’s F & B line up – OUL, is definitely worth checking out. As a nod to Korean traditional spirits which have gained popularity globally, the hotel has launched a locally inspired mixology bar.

OUL (pronounced “owl”) is, a 70-seater decorated to reference both traditional and modern South Korea. I ordered sikhye a dessert drink made from fermented malt and rice, which has been reimagined with pumpkin cordial, craft soju and other ingredients; and the popular poktanju (Korean bomb shot) given a twist with maple syrup and smoked cranberry from the second part. Both were so refreshing, I guzzled them quickly.

To complement the drinks is a menu of moreish “anju” (Korean dishes to complement alcoholic drinks). I enjoyed the “kimchi bombs,” which are a combination of Italian arancini with aged kimchi and the Korean fried chicken with chilli sauce and chipotle mayonnaise. Alas, I didn’t have room for the highly popular lamb jerky and fried seaweed dusted with chili powder and lobster tteokbokki. Go to OUL better prepared than me and bring a whole arsenal of foodie friends.

While the F & B in the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is delightful, one should still head out and experience local life when in Jongno. Where better to do so than a traditional food market? Started in 1905, Gwangjang Market is the oldest food market in Seoul. Here, you will find vendors peddling fabrics, clothes, housewares, fresh produce and cooked street food.

Always bustling with people, the alleyways are a hive of sounds, sights and smells. Locals come here to get fresh food, bedlinen and household staples while foodies flock here for street food they can hold and munch while trudging through the crowds. Must-haves are the fried nokdu bindaetteok (mung bean pancake), and makgeolli (fermented rice wine), the oldest alcoholic drink in South Korea.

Those who love antiquity and the quaint should drop by the Bukchon Hanok village. Located between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace, Bukchon Village was a residential enclave for high-ranking government officials and nobles during the Josun dynasty. Many traditional houses as hanok still remain, dotted throughout the enclave, with some situated on steep hills along cobblestoned-paved streets.

I must however, qualify that not all the houses you would see here were built during the Josun period, as until 2000,  many were demolished and rebuilt as South Korea underwent rapid growth. Some of these more modern shophouses now house instagrammable kooky cafes that have lots of X-factor but very few seats, giving rise to long queues of Seoulites on weekends.

Housed side-by-side with the authentic hanoks, they give the area eclectic vibes which make the village worthy of a visit. A highly recommended place to drop by is the Sulwhalsoo Bukchon flagship that opened in the village last November. Together with the Osulloc Teahouse Bukchon, it is housed in a traditional hanok that has been respectfully restored to preserve its history for generations to enjoy. 

When in an area steeped in tradition and immersed in a culture where the women are known for their skincare regimens and beautiful skin, one might feel inspired to go for a traditional Korean beauty treatment.

Fortunately, Sulwhasoo with its ethos which are steeped in traditional Korean culture and traditional Asian medicine, offers beauty treatments in Jongno as well, even though its flagship in the Gangnam area (south of Jongnu) is more well-known among tourists (and therefore harder to get a booking).

The well-appointed Sulwhasoo spa at Lotte Hotel Seoul also encapsulates what the brand is about: harmony and healing, while paying tribute to Korean culture with the art works that deck the interiors. For example, holding pride of place in the waiting room at the spa is a 10-Panel Palace Plum Flower Embroidery made in the early 20th century that induces customers to a state of serenity with its calming colours.

Inside an expansive treatment cabin, I surrendered to the gentle ministrations of the therapist who carried out a Body Recharging Treatment using Asian massage techniques. It definitely wasn’t the painful Chinese acupressure massage tuina that one usually associates with Asian massage. I literally fell asleep soon after the therapist laid her hands on me, and woke up 90 minutes late feeling completely refreshed and also much lighter in my lower limbs which always swell easily from water retention after a long day of walking. My skin also felt a lot smoother.

While in Jogno, if you don’t have time to visit all five main palaces in Seoul, make sure you don’t miss out on Changdeokung. The greatest highlight here is seeing the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony which takes place twice a day. The ceremony is grand and awe-inspiring.

While Changdeokung is known as a palace secondary to the Gyonbokgung, it is renowned for its beautiful gardens and landscaping. The royal garden known as Biwon (“Secret Garden”) takes pride of place here. Constructed as a place for the royal family to retreat to and rest, it was landscaped with a series of trees, flowers, a lotus pool, and numerous pavilions set against a wooded background.

For years, the property had a great influence on Korean garden and landscaping, and inspired the works of many writers and poets in the Josun dynasty. Today, it continues to charm nature lovers with over 56,000 varieties of plants in the garden, including white oak, plum, chestnut, maple, hornbeam, gingko, yew and pine trees.

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