Seoul was the last stop on a pretty epic trip to Japan and Korea, and my only regret was that we couldn’t extend for a few days to continue our exploration of a very vibrant and enticing city. We arrived late morning via the train from Busan and were met by a large van which brought us to The Grand Hyatt in order for us to drop our bags and start exploring. We chose The Grand Hyatt because it is an iconic “old school” property located in the (usually) peaceful Yongsan district which is filled with luxury homes and embassies.
One thing we didn’t anticipate when we made the booking is that it is also in close proximity to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s residence, and the efforts to detain him following his imposition of Martial Law on the country the month prior were reaching a boiling point. I will return to that drama later, but our first impression of the hotel was positive. We had booked on the club level which helped make the massive hotel seem a bit more intimate.
Upon arrival we were escorted to the Concierge who quickly checked us in while we had a much needed caffeine fix, stored all of our bags for us and sent us out with directions where we were to meet out tour guide Sanghee, who I had booked through the website WithLocals.
I had been corresponding with Sanghee leading up to the trip and expressed an interest primarily in food and beauty for our two days in Seoul, asking her to facilitate scalp treatments and facials for the five of us while we were in town. Sampling local food was a priority and I left it to her to craft an itinerary. She was not aware that we had spent time in the Busan (I had failed to update her) so our first stop was the Seoul fish market! It was not as sprawling or massive as the one in Busan, but it was still quite impressive. At the fish market my husband declared he really wanted some Korean double fried chicken, so that became our focus.
Sanghee led us to a place that is really local and known for its fried chicken, although it was not the heavily battered chicken we have come to expect in the US, it was tasty. Rather than chicken I stuck to the Makkoli, a cloudy sparkling rice drink that is slightly more alcoholic than beer. Really quite yummy!
Following the chicken it was off to sample some dumplings and rice flour donuts (for me). The strategy of getting on the longest line seems to be the secret to success, both the dumplings and donuts were delish.
My IG feed had been flooded with Korean influencers for months leading up to our trip, and it was clear that we couldn’t visit Korea without addressing our scalp issues (many of which were yet to be diagnosed). The Parkjun Beauty Lab seemed to be the place to indulge in the highly acclaimed multi-step scalp analysis and treatment, so that is where Sanghee booked us. The five of us showed up with our very curly hair (aside from my husband who has no hair) and their staff addressed our issues one by one. Sanghee stayed to get us all situated and when she was assured we were in good hands she bid us farewell until the next morning.
One by one our scalps were analyzed using what seemed to be very advanced computer imaging and we were advised as to what kind of treatments would be most beneficial. Unfortunately we had an early dinner reservation so we couldn’t sign up for the full 15 step treatment, but instead received the abbreviated 8 step course of action.
I was diagnosed with a sensitive dry scalp and was treated accordingly with special shampoos and tonics, and then my head was gently steamed. While they worked on our scalps we were swaddled in cozy blankets and gently massaged in a vibrating chair. Although they clearly know scalp analysis and appropriate treatments, they definitely are not used to curly hair. My boys received a variation of a blow out, and when I saw the results I just asked them to let me use the blowdryer myself, knowing it wouldn’t end well otherwise.
The whole hair exercise took about 2 1/2 hours but it was well worth it. Our scalps felt squeaky clean and my hair was silky soft.
Dinner was planned at Kwon Sook Soo, a two star Michelin award winner located in upscale Gangnam, and one of the best restaurants in Seoul. This reservation was highly anticipated both for the food and service and did not disappoint, it was one of the best meals of the trip. Each course was innovative and the flavors were bright and enticing. The service was impeccable yet still friendly and relaxed, and the extensive menu was paced perfectly. The highlights (for me) were the kimchi cart as well as the dessert cart; a unanimous four star rating from our group.
Following a very long day it was back to our hotel, with the opportunity to finally inspect our rooms; the consensus, a little tired.
Like the Park Hyatt in Busan, the Grand Hyatt in Seoul was just fine, with the highlight of the suite being the view.
Having glimpsed the main dining room in the lobby we opted to have our breakfast there rather than the club.
The main buffet was extensive and crowded. Unfortunately there seemed to be a very high proportion of guests with severe respiratory infections as a chorus of coughing echoed throughout the dining room, so we vowed to change course and dine in the club the following morning.
Following breakfast we met up with Sanghee for a highlight tour of some of the more noteworthy sights culminating in facials and then a special tofu extravaganza.
As we walked by the American Embassy en route to our destination it was interesting to see posters celebrating the relationship between the US and South Korea.
Our first stop was the Gyeongbokgung Palace which was the seat of power of the Joseon dynasty and dates back to 1395. Following more than 700 years of drama and destruction the Palace is being restored and is a very popular tourist attraction.
Our arrival to the palace coincided perfectly with the changing of the guard ritual featuring guards dressed in traditional garb. Many of the visitors to the palace also dressed in full Hanbok costume for photo ops, and we learned that there are many services that can outfit your entire family for a very reasonable price.
The palace itself was gorgeous, with the colors in particular unbelievably vibrant and impressive. We got lots of good insight from Sanghee who moved us through at a brisk pace knowing we had lots of ground to cover.
When the question of lunch came up my guys wanted to sample Bibimbap, so we went to a small restaurant close to the palace that promised to get us in and out quickly. We were especially impressed by the kimchi selection while the bibimbap itself did the trick of filling us up and getting us on our way.
Next stop: Gwangjang Market, one of Seoul’s oldest and largest shopping destinations which has recently seen an influx of American visitors after being profiled on a Netflix series focusing on the best street food markets in Asia. I sampled the mung bean pancakes which were indeed delicious, while the rest of my gang sampled steak tartare, rice cakes, and more sparkling Mokkoli.
On the way to our facials we stopped to watch a candy maker create a confection made of thousands of strands of honey. His voice was hypnotic and the candy was impressive (and delicious) so we couldn’t resist buying a box to bring home.
Following a plethora of savory treats we worked our way to Individuel Genève (aka INKO) which also has a very prominent presence on IG. They only had room for four of us which was ok since my eldest son had met up with a friend from home who happened to be visiting Seoul at the same time as we were, so he volunteered to give up his spot. INKO is owned by a Swiss gentleman, and definitely caters to an international audience. We were greeted and welcomed by a friendly and diverse staff who immediately put us at ease.
Similar to the scalp analysis we had the day prior, our skin was evaluated by a technician armed with a sophisticated computer program and then we were given recommendations as to how we could improve our current situations. After seeing a representation of the surface of our skin and a promise of another evaluation after our treatments I was ready to get going. What followed was the most thorough and effective pore cleaning and skin rejuvenation I have ever experienced during a facial. Radio waves, massage, and some kind of miraculous face scraping left us with pore-less baby soft skin, all of us!
Currently there are INKO clinics all over the world (Switzerland | Norway | Mexico | Korea | Canada | Israel | Spain | Hungary | Mauritius) though not yet the US. Needless to say I will be monitoring their expansion and be first on line to visit a clinic in the States. In the meantime we were all sent home with lists of products (many very inexpensive) that we could add into our daily routines with hopes of keeping up our terrific results. If you want to go down a rabbit hole of Korean skin care products, take a look at Olive Young, they ship worldwide.
Our last dinner in Seoul was booked at Hwanggeum Kongbat, an artisanal tofu restaurant recommended by the Michelin guide. We were expecting our son’s friend to join us so we ordered up a feast. The atmosphere was casual, but the food was excellent, particularly the fresh tofu stews and selection of kimchi.
One negative note regarding Seoul; South Korea does not allow for any location services/tracking in order to protect itself from North Korea’s attempts at data collection/spying. When you are accustomed to google maps, or keeping track of your kids it is very disconcerting.
While I am not usually one to keep track of my adult children, as we were returning home from dinner and passing the President’s residence we encountered thousands of protestors (both in support of and against the President) along with what appeared to be an equal number of police and police vehicles. The blasting of music from both sides as well as incessant screaming and chanting could be heard very clearly from our hotel room. There were road closures and diversions and when they still hadn’t returned from their exploration of local bars by one a.m. I started to get worried. They of course were oblivious until they returned to their room, but it was unnerving.
After two nights we quickly came to the realization that we had only discovered the tip of the iceberg- we easily could spend a week in Seoul and not run out of things to do, or places to eat. It is definitely a city I would love to return to for a more extended period of time, hopefully once the political situation settles down.
If you have faithfully read all of my articles chronicling this far flung trip to Japan and Korea, thank you! It was a fabulous adventure and I am happy to have shared it with you.