A Seoulful Weekend

South Korea had been on my short list of places I must visit for a long time and for several reasons. Many moons (hah!) ago, I was offered a position as an English teacher at a high school in Seoul and nearly accepted the role. Had it not been for a nasty case of shingles that sidelined me for several weeks and caused me to miss the opportunity, I would have been on a very different course, indeed. I’ve always seen South Korea as an on-ramp to a parallel life and have been curious ever since to see what this other realm might look like. 

Trey and I were also particularly curious to learn more about Korean Temple Food after watching an episode of the acclaimed Netflix series Chef’s Table, featuring the esteemed Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan. Her patience, precision and presence drew us in, and we knew we had to do whatever we could to visit Seoul during our journey through Asia. I was fortunately able to make some last minute adjustments to our calendar and flight schedule before leaving for summer in Europe, and so, in late July we touched down in the Korean capital city. 

After the bucolic calm of volunteering on the organic farm in Japan, it was certainly a shock to the system to be back in any city, not to mention one of the most dynamic and dense megacities in the world. After a grueling day of travel from the northern Japanese Alps, we finally made it to our cozy and perfectly located Airbnb in Seoul's historic Bukchon Hanok village (thanks for the recommendation, Jasmine!) with its prime position near many of the important sites, including the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine. 

Bukchon Hanok village is comprised of nearly 900 well-preserved traditional Korean houses, or hanoks, representing urban life from more than 600 years ago. The charming area of winding alleyways offers views of a more modern Seoul and is a great place to learn about ancient Korean architecture and customs as many of the homes have been converted into museums for traditional crafts, such as tapestry making or pottery. On our first morning in Seoul, with coffee in hand, we took advantage of an early morning stroll through the village, avoiding the regular crush of tourists who come from all over the world to take in this striking site.

Our first morning in Seoul, we headed for Bukchon Hanok, the historic village of preserved Korean homes (June 29). 

K-Pop, or Korean pop music, is an obsession here, especially boy bands as this little shop demonstrates. 

This quote on the outside of a small concept store in Bukchon Hanok proved to be true as we continued our tour of Seoul over the weekend. 

The impressive wood rooftops of the hanoks boast giant eaves to protect the homes from sun in the summer. 

While more than 600 years old, the sprawling village is still inhabited by locals who prefer this old way of life. 

The village gently climbs the hills of Seoul offering panoramic views above the crowded roofs.

Admiring all of the history in Bukchon Hanok worked up an appetite, so we made our way to Wood & Brick organic restaurant (recommended by our lovely Airbnb host Kaitlyn) for some delicious salads and strong coffees. We liked it so much we came back for brunch the next day!

After our meal and a late morning rest, we made our way to the renowned Korean Temple Center to try our first taste of Korean temple food. One of the initial things we noticed upon entering the Michelin Guide restaurant Balwoo was the overall sense of peace and tranquility. While it is not positioned directly inside a temple, the restaurant enjoys a temple-like quality with a calm, quiet interior and beautifully simple and unadorned walls. Each party of diners is brought into their own private room, which offers a panoramic view of the city and is adorned with Buddhist sayings as a reminder of the purpose of the place. After being seated and ordering, we were provided a warm towel and encouraged to repeat the humble pre-meal offering, "Where has this food come from? I am ashamed to be eating it. I will take it as medicine to get rid of greed in my mind and to keep my physical being in order to achieve enlightenment."

Our lunch was elegant in its simplicity, presentation and honoring of the Buddhist principles of non-violence, non-waste and local and seasonal eating. These practices, which have a very long history in Buddhist tradition, are so relevant and timely today. 

As we sat for lunch at tranquil Balwoo Gongyang temple food restaurant, we noticed the beautiful Buddhist inscriptions on the walls. 

We opted for the tasting menu - so hang on to your robes! First up, the suljuksim, or amuse-bouche, of cucumber jelly with seven years aged kelp & persimmon vinegar, and juksang, or porridge, of potato soup with salted white radish.

Next, we were offered sangmi, or cold preparation, of stir-fried dried acorn jelly, seasoned Korean melon, and summer eggplant with ginger sauce.

One of our favorites was the dammi, or hot preparation, of deep fried mushrooms caramelized with special Gochujang sauce, topped with temple recipe vege-chips.

Our patient and kind waiter who walked us through each course and answered our burning temple food questions. 

The main course, or youmi, included seasoned thistle with rice, soy bean paste stew, two kinds of seasoned summer greens, and yangnyeomjang rice sauce.

Finally, a simple dessert, or ipgasim, of red bean jelly and toasted black bean tea.

After lunch, we visited neighboring Jogyesa Temple, the perfect way to digest both literally and figuratively our meal and our spiritual dining experience. Here, we learned of an outdoor classical concert to be held on the temple grounds the next evening as well as a temple food cooking class the following day, and so, we left excited by the promise of spending more time in the presence of such calm and beauty while in this city.

Across from the Temple Food Center, we visited Jogyesa Temple, the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. 

Jogyesa Temple was a flurry of activity, notably the many potted lotus flowers in front of the main hall. 

Upon entering, we were given a taste of special lotus flower tea, a clean and simple offering drink. 

Many of the lotus plants had beautiful blooms that would be harvested for use in and around the temple. 

The temple complex, which was first built in the 14th century, includes the Dharma Hall with an ancient tree in the courtyard upon which people were praying.

As the sun began to set on our first full day in Seoul, we made our way to Gwangjang Market to try some of Korea's famed street food, including bindae-tteok (mung bean pancake), gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), japchae (Korean glass noodle stir fry). Full and happy, we made our way to the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) to enjoy the ethereal masterpiece of the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.

On our first evening, we made our to the famous Gwangjang Market, which was full and busy of both shoppers and diners. 

We started with a steaming Bindae-tteok, or  mungbean pancake. 

We were then convinced by these lovely ladies to sit and enjoy dinner at their stall. 

Here, we tried gimbap, or seaweed rice rolls.

As well as slurping down japchae, or Korean glass noodle stir fry.

As we enjoyed the cooler summer evening air in Seoul, we passed Hyehwamun Gate, one of eight old fortress wall gates to the city. 

The lovely night attracted other strollers and love birds along the pretty canal that winds through Dongdaemun district. 

The spaceship-like DDP, designed by famed architect Zaha Hadid. 

Another view of the stunning DDP, which serves as convention center, exhibition space, and public park. 

The next morning, we made an early start at the Gyeongbokgung Palace to take in the 14th century history of the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty (soon overtaken with folks in traditional Korean costume for the timeless photo op). After a quick brunch back at Wood & Brick, we made our way to the traveling Louis Vuitton "Volez, Voguez, Voyagez" exhibition at the DDP, which was just as magnificent in the daytime. 

After a dinner of Korean dumplings, we strolled the quirky Ssamziegil Craft Market before making our way to Jogyesa Temple for the outdoor concert and capping the evening with a traditional Korean mango shaved ice dessert.

The next morning, we started at the Gyeongbokgung Palace, built in the late 1300s when the Joseon Dynasty capital was moved to Seoul (June 30).

The colorful pillars of the palace halls appeared 3D thanks to sophisticated painting techniques. 

Gyeongbokgung Palace is made up of many free-standing buildings, including the throne hall, council hall and the king's residence.

Grass is associated with the dead, and so the courtyards and pathways are sand, which absorbs water and reflects sunlight to warm the buildings. 

We adored the beautiful traditional costumes worn by women at the major tourist sites. 

At DDP, we caught the traveling Louis Vuitton "VOLEZ, VOGUEZ, VOYAGEZ" exhibition, which traces the Maison's roots and passion for travel. 

LV enthusiasts travel a little differently on their voyages around the world--no backpacks in this exhibit! 

On the quest for more local food, we visited Bukchon Son Mandu for a taste of their famous dumplings. 

Here, we tried both steamed and fried mandu, Korean for dumplings.

And Trey stuck to the more gluten-free option of naengmyeon, or cold buckwheat noodles.

We digested dinner by walking up the many levels of Ssamziegil craft mall, taking a peek at the varied wares and goods for sale.

We ended our evening back at Jogyesa temple for an outdoor classical concert of violin and piano. 

But really, we snuck in a big bowl of traditional Korean mango shaved ice before hitting the sack! 

On our final day in Seoul, we joined the temple food cooking class where we learned how to make vegan zucchini and shiitake mushroom steamed dumplings (poor gluten-free Trey had to stick to only eating the filling). A monk from a nearby Buddhist temple calmly instructed us in Korean (with the help of an English translator) on the principles of temple cuisine: all work to reduce suffering, therefore, no animal products are allowed as the Buddha once said that “eating meat extinguishes the seeds of compassion.” Pungent vegetables, such as onions, garlic, chives, green onions and leeks aren’t permitted as they hinder spiritual practice (and we surmised, make chanting in close quarters less compassionate for your fellow monks ;) ).

“The characteristics of temple food show how monastic meals are a means through which Buddhist monks and nuns realize the interdependence of all lives and that they must strive to establish a world in which all love together in harmony.” – Korean Temple Food Center

That afternoon, we continued with our theme of eating with mindfulness by enjoying hot stone bibimbop, a traditional Korean dish of warm white rice topped with sautéed vegetables, fried egg, soy sauce and fermented delights. Later on, we lost the plot a little bit when we passed a steak frites food truck at a pop-up market along the Cheonggyecheon River and were too tempted by the grill not to try (sorry, Buddha!).

Our final morning in Seoul, we headed to the Korean temple food cooking class where we not only learned some techniques but also history of temple cuisine (July 1). 

The class was taught by a beaming and spirited Buddhist monk from a nearby temple.

Martin received some specific instruction on how to prepare our zucchini and shitake mushroom dumplings thanks to the help of a translator.  

Stuffing our dumplings with a mixture of zuchinni and shitake mushroom. 

The finished product - steamed vegan dumplings! 

After cleaning up, we snuck a picture with this wonderful spirit. 

We couldn't leave Seoul without a big bowl of hot stone bibimbop! 

As we walked about the city, we passed a large protest for the release of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye who's on trial for corruption. 

We stumbled upon a lively food and crafts market along a small canal. 

And of course, couldn't resist a little steak frites meal by the water as we wrapped up our weekend in Seoul. 

Our long weekend in South Korea was short but inspiring - from temple cuisine to street food, ancient architecture and modern marvels - and certainly gave us a reason to return, if only to continue to eat our way through this buzzing capital city. 

-Martin.