Jerry Haha is a Hong Kong-based creative, known for his work as a creative producer and branding consultant via his creative studio, Artificial Dust. 5 Days in Seoul is a visual diary of Jerry's latest solo visit to the South Korean capital, sharing his favorite places for dining, drinking, shopping and going out.
The urge of finding peace and quietness within you is part of what you’d be looking for from a weekend getaway. Whether you’re burnt out at work, struggling with life experiences, or going though heartbreak, finding a place that can let you lay it all down and listen to your heart is just as important as what you’re dealing with right now.
Seoul might not be the first choice for a lot of people when it comes to finding peace but having visited the city twice in a month, I instantly fell in love with the energy and scene here. The curiosity and passion from the people here drives me to learn more about the city. It gives me calm. There are ways to experience the city from various perspectives: club hopping from 10PM-7AM, grabbing your favourite book and reading it in five different cafes around your neighbourhood on the weekend, turning off your phone just to have a conversation with a natural wine bar owner. The different ways of seeing Seoul are truly limitless. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of having to plan everything but here, I can just go with the flow and move wherever I feel like at that moment; this is a significant part of the reason of me coming here again, learning how to live in the present.
I wouldn’t call this a city guide but rather a 5-day journey of Seoul through my lens. The list here is 100% subjective. The visuals range from fleeting moments on the street with great food and wine, to various record bars and shops, and even BTS' 10 year anniversary fireworks.
Itaewon Antique Furniture Street
This time around I’m staying in Itaewon, a neighborhood that has a mixture of curated independent stores, brands flagships and nightlife. Without realising, the Antique Furniture Street I wanted to visit last trip was actually just down the block from my hotel this time around. The street is named after all the vintage, mid-century Victorian fountains that can be found in the area. Knowing that it would be a hassle to ship all the tables and chairs back [to Hong Kong], I dared not to stop and look for too long.
Address: Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Fucking Awesome
The first spot I stopped at was the new FA store in Itaewon, which had soft opened the day before. The big metal cutout of the logo on the exterior makes it instantly recognisable from the outside. Be sure to check out the bar downstairs as well.
Address: 8 Itaewon-ro 54-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Mutin
Booking a table at 8:30PM felt like the right choice for the first night, since the sun usually doesn’t set until 8PM. Mutin was the first dinner I’ve ever booked in advance in Seoul. A French bistro in Itaewon, the food and wine selection were amazing. My personal favourite was the farm to table veggie plate with smoked pollock roe dip.
Address: 2/F, 653-103, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Anthracite Coffee
Anthracite became my go-to coffee shop in the morning, being only 15 minutes away from my hotel. The shop is located in an older building with D&D department, MILLIMETER MILLIGRAM and Public Wine Shop, as well as select vintage furniture and objects. My order is a large cup of Americano with matcha chocolate cream cake for breakfast. I would spend a few hours sitting outside the coffee shop and observing the street.
Address: 40 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Post Poetics
Tucked into an unassuming underground level of a building, this is one of my favorite shops in Seoul. Post Poetics is an independent artbook distributor and bookstore. Their curation ranges from Art and Photography, to Graphic Design and Architecture. Time does move faster in there.
Address: 19 Itaewon-ro 54-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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This is the best vegan spot in the city. From the interior, music and tableware, everything is well-curated and thoughtful.
Address: 1F 36, Seongam-ro 15-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
BTS 10-Year Anniversary fireworks on my way to another bar!
HILLS & EUROPA
HILLS & EUROPA is the brother bar of another favourite bistro of mine, WILDDUCK & CANTEEN, which I will later introduce as well. Simply great music, cocktails and fun people.
Address: 2/F, 44-7 Yongsan-dong 2-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Dive Records
Located in Euljiro 3(sam)ga is one of the most passionate record shops: Dive Records. The curation of sounds is unlike any other record shop – you can find sounds such as a vintage first edition Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom record, or an Art-Rock record (Cosmos) made by a three-member creative group (Band Bower) that does installations and soundscapes
Address: 2/F, 55-1, Jung-gu, Euljiro 3(sam)-ga, Chungmu-ro, Seoul
WILDDUCK & CANTEEN
The sister restaurant of HILLS & EUROPA, WILDDUCK & CANTEEN is a cozy wine bar and bistro. A great curation of natural wine!
Address: 44-8, Yongsan-Dong 2-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
reserve
I closed the trip by spending time at a new record bar around my hotel. Being alone doesn't always necessarily equate to being lonely. Taking the time to be with yourself and allowing your own thoughts to be listened to allows you to understand more about yourself and your surroundings. By listening to your heart, it often gives a new perspective to experiences and leads to new opportunities.
Address: 5/F, 26ga-gil, 9, Yongsan-gu, Noksapyeong-daero, Seoul