SEOUL.
adventure + discovery pass.
Fashion- and technology-forward but also deeply traditional, this dynamic city mashes up palaces, temples, cutting-edge design and mountain trails, all to a nonstop K-Pop beat.
_local language.
Hangul.
_best time to visit
If you want to catch a glimpse of cherry blossoms in Seoul, the safe bet to travel between late March and mid-April. This is also when the temperatures begin to rise, making Spring a prime time to visit.
_local weather.
Seoul has a temperate climate an four distinct seasons. Average temperature in January is -5° Celsius, and in around 24° Celsius.
_know before you go.
Beware black cabs. If you accidentally hail one, you’ll be hit with a big bill at the end of the ride. More expensive than their non-black counterparts, Korea’s “deluxe taxis” charge a premium for their supposedly safer and more trustworthy services. But they’re rarely worth the extra money.
eat here
Onion // $
Seoul's hippest cafe-bakery, Onion is the epitome of industrial-chic cool, set within a semiderelict concrete building that just begs to be photographed.
Congdu // $$
Feast on artfully plated, contemporary twists on Korean classics, such as pinenut soup with soy milk espuma (foam) or raw blue crab, at this serene restaurant tucked behind the British embassy.
hang out here
Gwangjang Market
This sprawling fabric market is now best known as Seoul’s busiest (food alley), thanks to the 200 or so food stalls, kimchi and fresh-seafood vendors that have set up shop amid the silk, satin and linen wholesalers. It's a hive of delicious sights and smells
SHOP
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
55 min
Want to learn how to make authentic Korean bibimbap at home? Follow our easy step-by-step bibimbap recipe and make the best Korean Rice Bowls - packed with beef, veggies and our favourite bibimbap Sauce.
ingredients
3 cups short grain rice
For the bibimbap toppings:
8 ounces beef rib eye or sirloin (substitute shiitake mushrooms for a vegetarian dish)
16 ounces soybean sprouts
1 bunch spinach
2 kirby pickling cucumbers
2 small zucchinis
2 medium carrots
5 teaspoons minced garlic
2 or 3 scallions chopped
soy sauce
sesame oil
roasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper
vegetable or canola oil
4 eggs
bibimap sauce
4 tbsp Korean red chili paste
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp water
instructions
Cook the rice in a rice cooker or following package directions, using a little less water than called for. The rice for bibimbap should be a little drier than usual for best results.
Beef: Cut into thin 2-inch long strips.
Mix in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of rice wine, 1 tablespoon of chopped
scallion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 sesame seeds and a pinch of pepper.
Marinate for 20 minutes.
Sauté in a skillet for 2 - 3 minutes over high heat.
