There are many other ways to enjoy spring in Seoul besides viewing flowers.
Written by Park Eui-ryung, Photography by Kim Jan-dui
During her vacation, a print artist named Choi Kyung-ju simplified her oil paintings and transferred them to fabric. Frame her fabric, use them as drink coasters, or even table mats, to bring some vibrancy of Spring indoors.
Artist Proof Shop is a showroom and performance hall for people like Choi Kyung-joo, a lithograph artist, and Lee Dong-yeol, a trumpeter. Once a traditional artist, Choi started to move away from traditional mediums, like painting and lithography, tomoreunusualformsof artworks using mediums, including fabric, vases, and mobiles. Meanwhile, Lee dreamt of performing in places other than a regular club. While Choi exhibits and sells her work, Lee performs under the name, APSHOP LIVE. The only thingin commonbetweenthese two artists is the sharing of this space, Artist Proof Shop. While this particular shop doesn’t necessarily have a circulating stock of products, the shop and its space transforms basedon the person occupying it. ( 9 Namdaemun-ro 5-gil, Room 301, Jung-gu, Seoul )
Detox juices are always available all year round. The cold-pressed juices made from fresh fruits and vegetables seem to be manifestations of spring itself, featuring items like Boston Juice made from pineapple, apple, lemon, kale,and gingerwith no additives.
Novac is the combination of the owner and her husband’s last name and also the Korean name of a fruit of the Oriental Bittersweet. The display of juice bottles laid out in a pattern is also of this same fruit. Just like the fruit used for its herbalproperties,NovacJuice is all about health. Featuring and selling a variety of cold-pressed juices made with healthy vegetables and fruits like apple, lemon, kale, and ginger, Novac Juice does not include any additives in their beverages. The interiorof the storeis decoratedwith plants, offering a cozy respite from everyday life. ( 20 Gangnam-daero 162-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul/ +82-2-6407-9616 )
March's biggest event has to be White Day, right? The cheerfully bright and colorful macarons are strongly resemblant of spring. The Valentine Box , filled with 12 macarons, will bring joy and laughter to its recipient.
A dessert lounge owned and operated by French chef Ronan Maillet, Maillet sets itself apart from other dessert shops. The key to Maillet’s desserts lies in the thick, concentrated vanilla cream and the high-quality salted butter from Bretagne, his hometown.Theirrosemaraconismade from French rose extract while their ruby peach saffron macaron, an original recipe, is made using saffron and ruby peach puree exported from a winery in France. ( 14 Sapyeong-daero 22-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul / +82-2-749-1411 )
There are many seasonal spring ingredients like herbs and fish, but this place adds a touch of spring to their everyday meals. The french toast with freshly made cotton candy is a dish that symbolizes spring.
Ash & Bloom is a flower café and a restaurant that offers a place to drink and eat while resting your feet. The owner chef of this store lived in Australia for close to 10 years before opening up the store in Korea. The concept of this place is toofferthe customers the same delicious taste that she tasted back in Australia. Although she doesn’t have any formal training in flower arrangement, she decorates her store with freshly bought flowers every morning, hoping to share in their aestheticbeauty with visitors.The owner also puts care in the choice of background music and diffusers, while the menu consists of brunch options, pasta, tapas, and a generous list of beverages including beer, whiskey, and cocktails. ( 44, Wausan-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul / +82-10-8975-1591 )
#Ash & Bloom #Maillet #Artist Proof Shop #Seoul’s Spring #Novac Juice