2019.3.28 Travel Calendar
AromaRestaurant Soigne, Seocho District
Through early May: Restaurant Soigne, known for changing its entire menu every three months, has unveiled its first tasting menu of 2019, titled “Aroma.” Chef Lee Jun, who is best known for his take on Korean-inspired French cuisine, was inspired to create items on the menu while researching herbs and spices.
The Aroma menu is split into different aromatic groups: earthy, fruity, floral and more. Dishes include an earthy, beetroot and mushroom combination with taleggio cheese foam and horseradish, as well as a quail roulage main with orange and ginger glaze, black garlic, dark chocolate and a saffron and sweet potato mousse.
“One of my favorite dishes from this menu is the rosemary ice-cream with olive oil and carrot cake,” says Chef Lee. “It sits right in the middle of ‘herb’ and ‘spice.’”
Soigne, which opened in 2015, is the only fine-dining restaurant in Seoul to completely change its menu every season. “Aroma” marks the restaurant’s 20th menu. Last year, the restaurant served dishes using the themes “Cuisine of the Three Coasts,” “Korean Wild Greens, Namul,” and more.
The “Aroma” menu will run until early May, and the more detailed date will be notified later. Lunch at Soigne starts at 75,000 won ($66), and dinner is priced from 148,000 won.
A vegetarian menu is also available. Reservations can be made via the website, www.soignerestaurantgroup.com or call (02) 3477-9486.
The Flower: Romance Charging Station
U-Plex Hyundai Department Store’s Sinchon branch, Seodaemun District
Through May 31: You do not need to go out of the city to enjoy flowers welcoming the warm spring season. Hyundai Department Store’s Sinchon branch is gathering many florists to decorate the shopping center. Fresh flowers will be used to decorate 22 different rooms under four different themes, and visitors will find many picture-perfect scenes throughout the department store.
The exhibition, which runs until May, will change flowers every month to show the variety of plants available in Korea - protea ice queen from South Africa will welcome visitors in March; diamond roses from India, will be on display in April; and the rainbow tulip will fill up the store in May. Couples, friends and families can take photos in front of different flowers and become inspired for their next floral bouquets.
Florists will be on hand and working at the department store to show visitors how florists make floral installations. The flower exhibition will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays and until 8 p.m. on weekends. It will be open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays. Admission for adults is 12,000 won and 9,000 won for teens. Tickets are available on Ticket Link, Ticket Monster and Naver Reservation.
For more information, visit www.flowerdate.net or call 070-8831-5888.
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
From April 5: Royal Brunei Airlines will add one more flight per week from Seoul to its capital Bandar Seri Begawan, bringing the total number of weekly flights out of Seoul to the city to four starting April 5. The added flight will depart on Fridays, making the available departure days from Seoul Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the flight will leave Seoul at 12:35 p.m. to arrive in Brunei at 4:55 p.m. Flights on Friday and Sunday will leave Seoul at 10:35 p.m. to arrive in the city overseas at 2:55 a.m. It takes about five hours and 20 minutes from Korea to Brunei. Flights back to Korea are on the same days, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. From Brunei, flights leave 12:25 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 3:10 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays.
The airline is the only option for those who want to travel to the country on a direct flight. For more information, call (02) 775-7676.
A view of maehwa trees (plum trees) as seen from the Plum Blossom Trail, the new flower trail that opens at Everland Friday. The theme park spent three years designing the trail. [EVERLAND]
Everland, Gyeonggi
From Friday to May 6: Everland, one of the country’s most popular theme parks, has opened a new flower trail right by some of its biggest attractions in order to offer a variety of options for people looking to see spring flowers. The trail is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) long, and is lined with flowers planted on an area covering about 33,000 square meters.
This year, the trail focuses on maehwa, the plum flower, which goes into full bloom every spring. There are about 11 different types of maehwa planted, alongside some other trees and spring flowers as well.
It takes about 40 minutes to walk the entirety of the trail.
There will be a tour program available for free for those who want to know more about the flowers all along the trail. The free service is only on weekdays and until April 19.
With the opening of this trail, Everland plans to become a must-visit spot to go visit to see flowers from early spring to late spring: it starts with a tulip festival to signal the start of the season, and then continues with maehwa, cherry blossoms and roses.
The theme park has worked for about three years to put together the flower trail.
For more information, go to www.everland.com or call (031) 320-5000.
Jinhae Gunhangje Festival
Jinhae, South Gyeongsang
April 1 to 10: Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, one of the largest cherry blossom festivals in Korea, will be back in town to signal the new season’s arrival. The 57th edition of the festival will be all around Jinhae, South Gyeongsang, to offer different scenes decorated with the spring flowers. The most popular spot among visitors to go during the festival is Gyeonghwa Station, which is no longer an active train station. The remnant of the empty railway is surrounded with cherry blossom trees, which sprinkles its petals whenever the wind blows. During the festival, a train runs temporarily to make the scene all together more dramatic and picture-perfect. The train runs slow enough for visitors to take photos.
If you want more space to walk around, go to Republic of Korea Naval Academy. The campus has lots of trees to provide a rather more peaceful place to walk. The streets of Jinhae, covered with many cherry blossom trees, are usually packed with locals and visitors.
For more information, go to www.changwon.go.kr/depart/contents.do?mId=1101010000, or call (055) 225-2114.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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