February's Main Article

A Winter Full of Sweetness and Warmth

Warm up in a Jjimjilbang and Indulge Your Sweet Tooth in a Dessert Cafe

   

During Korea's chilly winter, February means more cold weather. Naturally, people tend to look for ways to stay warm when the temperatures are low. Fortunately, there are many places to stay warm in and many ways to enjoy winter in Seoul. Warm up in a jjimjilbang (Korean spa) and indulge your sweet tooth during February.

 

Jjimjilbangs in Seoul

A jjimjilbang (Korean spa) is huge part of Korean culture that is enjoyed by all people, regardless of age or gender. A jjimjilbang is a traditional spa and bathhouse that has shower and spa facilities and a huge range of other amenities. Jjimjilbangs (Korean spas) are great fun regardless of the season or weather, but the cold Korean winters tend to make jjimjilbangs particularly popular during winter. These days, in addition to spa facitilies, jjimjilbangs also come equipped with entertainment facilities. Visitors can expect to see amenities like arcades, PC bangs (computer rooms), norae bangs (karaoke rooms), movie rooms, comic book rooms, and gyms. It may be difficult to get the motivation to leave a jjimjilbang once you've entered!

The Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan is already quite famous among foreign expats and tourists to Korea. Dragon HIll Spa is huge and in addition to the usual amenities, there is an outdoor pool, and a garden to enjoy. Indoors, there is a movie room and a game room with a huge variety of games to play. Spa Lei is a women's only spa, and they offer skin treatments, massages, and manicures. The spa also has a store that sells clothing, lingerie, and items to fight fatigue. Spa Lei is conveniently located near Sinsa Station.

Food is an important part of the jjimjilbang experience. Most visits to a jjimjilbang will last for hours, so food is always available for purchase. Roasted eggs and refreshing sikhye (sweet rice punch) are the two most typical jjimjilbang foods. However, there are usually additional offerings available such as cup ramen, gimbap, tteok-bokki (stir-fried rice cake) and more. At large jjimjilbangs, there are usually more dishes to choose from than many small restaurants!

“They Serve Food In Jjimjilbangs?”
In “My Love from the Star” a famous scene featuring the actress Jun Ji-Hyun chowing down on chi-maek (chicken and beer) in a jjimjilbang resulted in a renewed popularity for chi-maek as well as jjimjilbang food in general. Most jjimjilbangs offer a wide range of different drinks and food. At the Spa in the Garden 5, popular menu items are the cold beer with fried chicken. At Soopsok Hanbang Land there are sweet potatoes and tteok (rice cake) available to purchase, and visitors can grill them to perfection over a charcoal grill.

 

Chocolate Dessert Cafes

The streets near Hongik University are lined with popular dessert cafes that grow through word of mouth. Read on to see Visit Seoul's three recommendations for February.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Korea, but the customs are a bit different to the rest of the world’s celebrations. In most countries, men gift women with flowers or sweets on Valentine’s Day. In Korea, it is women who present men with a gift; the customary Korean Valentine’s Day gift is chocolate. Visitors to Seoul who would like to participate in Korean Valentine’s Day, or just enjoy some chocolate themselves, should pay a visit to the popular chocolate shop Cacao Boom. Cacao Boom offers high-end handmade chocolates in over 30 flavors. Patrons can choose as many or as few chocolates as they like, and the chocolates are packaged in sturdy, classic boxes. The store also offers a range of rich chocolate beverages, coffee, and affrogato. The fragrant scent of chocolate surrounds the patrons at the store and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxed. Near the entrance is a selection of tasty ice cream that is also available for purchase.
 
Mint chocolate inspires a love/hate reaction in some people, but people who are firmly in the "love" category, should visit the dessert cafe Mint Heim. Mint Heim is a veritable mint chocolate haven and most of the cafe’s cakes and beverages are mint chocolate-flavored. Even if you’re not a fan of mint chocolate, the cafe has other treats in addition to their minty offerings. Mint Heim also serves delicious raspberry cakes and green tea-flavored cakes.

One of Cafee Mobssie’s most popular menu items the warm chocolate lava cake. The cake comes in a small metal pot and it is a rich, gooey delight. The cake is baked directly in the pot (which looks like a little ladle) and is served to diners straight from the oven. Dip a spoon into the center of the cake, and a molten center of warm, intense chocolate awaits. The cake is offered in two sizes, normal, and plus. Though the cake looks small, the normal size can easily serve two. Appearances can be deceiving and this petite cake packs a real punch. The rich, intense flavors make for a satisfying treat.

 

 

Seoul Dessert Fair

The Seoul Dessert Fair will take place just before Valentine’s Day, on Feb 11th and 12th, 2017. The theme for the 8th Seoul Dessert Fair is “chocolate,” and the fair is a great place to stock up on sweet treats of all kinds. See a wide variety of desserts like macarons, cakes, brownies, and more. Check out adorably decorated macarons, beautiful chocolate bars laden with chunks of dried fruit, cupcakes adorned with handmade sugar flowers, and healthy desserts at the fair. Don’t forget to stop by the Crafts Zone and craft something to give as a gift on Valentine’s Day! Have fun shopping and sampling amazing desserts and treats.