Seoul TAKE STOCK
To help us navigate the entertaining resources in electrifying, Seoul, South Korea, Countlan hooks up with Yaeri Song, co-founder of go-to local website, SeoulistMag.com (she is also an avid picnic lover- see map). Born in Seoul and raised in the U.S, Yaeri returned to Seoul for work and soon discovered the city was lacking in quality English resources for its growing expat/international population. Along with her creative friends, she was determined to fill the gap with her bespoke lifestyle and culture site. From 24 hour fish markets to where the DIY-crafty Seoulites go to shop, Yaeri shares her favourite places in the city she once again calls home.
1 DESSERTS: (if you are not baking them yourself) Seoul can be a hard place to scale, so the bakery I go for fresh bread really depends on which neighborhood I am in. Publique in Hongdae, Le Alaska in Sinsa and Maybell in Itaewon are all excellent. Maybell is centrally located, and it’s one of the few places that slice bread by hand, so I find myself buying bread there most often. Maybell Bakery: 737-2 Hannamdong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Tel: 02-792-5561)
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2 MEAT: NOTE: Most people buy meats from neighborhood marts and sometimes small butchers, but within Seoul, people don’t normally seek out a certain place to buy meat. Most neighborhood marts and butchers, both big and small, offer a good selection of domestic and import meats. For a good dinner, I buy han-u (Korean beef) from Hoengseong, a region in the Gangwon Province known for its superior cattle.
4 FLOWERS: Yangjae Flower Market is the best place for flowers, but it’s a little out of the way. The Express Bus Terminal also has some great options and it’s directly connected to the subway station. Express Bus Terminal: 162 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea