Sonja Swanson

This summer, you can find soft serve on just about every corner, but what about the real old-fashioned stuff? Churned, scoopable, rich with butter fat, comes in a dozen or two flavors? Fortunately for you, we’ve done some sleuthing and the results—all small batch and handmade—are oh-so-worth it. On the list that follows, you’ll find both American-style ice cream and gelato (which, hardliners be damned, is really just Italian for “ice cream”). Yes, there are differences. American ice cream is served colder and harder, has more air, more butter fat, more star-spangled Coney Island street cred. Gelato, served warmer and softer, has less air and a higher milk to cream ratio and takes longer to churn (how very Italian). But as with many food categories, there are cross-overs all along the spectrum. What’s most important is that you can scoop it, savor it and take the edge off summer’s sizzle.

2014년 여름은 소프트아이스크림이 지배했다고 할 수 있을 정도로 수많은 맛이 쏟아져 나왔다—시리얼 맛, 지팡이 아이스크림, 그리고 빠지면 섭섭한 벌꿀 아이스크림까지. 이제는 너무 많아져서, 횡단보도한 개만 건너면 새로운 소프트아이스크림 가게가 보일 정도다. 하지만 그렇다고 해서 옛날 스타일의 아이스크림을 촌스럽다고 생각해서는 안 된다. 기억나는가, 손으로 직접 휘저어 만든 우유 냄새 폴폴 나는, 먹음직스럽고 동그랗게 퍼낸 그 옛날 아이스크림. 무슨 맛을 먹을까 정하지 못해 유리 쇼케이스 앞에서 발을 동동 구르며 수십 가지 색에 눈이 휘둥그레지던 꼬마 시절 당신의 모습을. 이제 더이상 아이스크림은 여름만의 전유물이 아니다. 오히려 겨울에 아이스크림 매출이 껑충 뛴다고 하던데, 이냉치냉이라는 말이 괜히 생긴게 아닐테다. 한 겨울에도 바쁜 당신을 위해 우리가 다 찾아봤다. 서울에서 제일 맛있다는 소량 생산의 수제 아이스크림 집. 여기에는 미국식 아이스크림과 젤라토(이탈리아어로 그냥 아이스크림이라는 뜻이다. 이거 사실 별반 다를 거 없다) 모두 포함한다. 그래, 둘이 좀 다르긴 하다. 미국식 아이스크림은 더 차갑고 딱딱한 질감에 공기와 유지방이 더 많이 들어가 있다. 그에 비해 젤라또는 그보다는 덜 차갑고 부드러우며 공기 함유량이 적고 우유 대 크림 비율이 더 높다. 더 오랜 시간 저어야 하는 것도 다른 점이다. 하지만 중요한 건 미국식 아이스크림이든 젤라토든 한입 크게 퍼서 입에 무는 순간 겨울 추위에 언제 떨었냐는 듯 그 맛에 반할 것이라는 것. 

우리가 차에 올라타 내비게이션에 '코리아 크래프트 브류어리'를 입력하니, 주소를 찾을 수 없다는 메시지가 떴다. “우리, 유령 도시로 가고 있는 거 아닐까요?” 내가 농담 반, 진담 반으로 말했다. 이날 아침엔 회색빛 하늘에 조금씩 비가 내렸는데, 우리가 고속도로에 들어서자마자 비가 억수로 쏟아지기 시작했다. 신들의 뜻인가? 어쩌면 서울에 그냥 있었어야 했는지도 모른다. 하지만 수원 근처에서 꽉 막혀 있던 도로를 벗어나니 갑자기 비가 그쳤다. 마치, 무슨 저주에서 탈출한 것처럼 말이다. 그리고 우리 앞엔 탁 트인 도로와 아름다운 산, 그리고 충청도의 시골 풍경이 기다리고 있었다.   목적지에 도착해서 우리는 먼저 브루어리에 있는 탭룸으로 향했다. 일행 중 아침을 먹고 온 사람이 아무도 없었기 때문에 다들 배가 무척 고팠다. 이곳 탭룸에서는 피자와 소시지, 맥주 등의 간단한 음식을 먹을 수 있다. 크러스트를 얇게 해서 만든 피자가 맛이 좋았다. 맥주는 물론 훌륭하고. 피자 반죽에 양조장에서 직접 만든 허그 미(Hug Me) 맥주를 넣었다고 했다. 상큼한 시트러스 풍미가 매력적이며, 황금빛 색상과 부드러운 질감으로 크래프트 맥주에 익숙하지 않은 사람들도 좋아 할 맥주다. 탭룸에는 다른 두 종류의 맥주도 구비되어 있었다. 미국식 밀맥주인 코스믹 댄서(Cosmic Dancer)와 비 하이(Be High)라는 인디아 페일 에일. 그렇다, 우린 늦은 아침식사로 맥주를 마셨다.   오후 두 시쯤, 마침내 양조장 투어에 나설 시간이 되었다. 투어가 시작되면 가장 먼저 하는 일은 양조장 내의 위생 관리를 위해 신발에 파란색의 신축성 있는 비닐 커버를 씌우는 것이다(가급적 하이힐은 피하는 것이 좋다). 이곳은 내부에 휴대전화나 카메라를 반입하는 것이 금지되어 있는데, 사실 이 편이 차라리 안심이 된다. 하루 종일 삑삑거리며 울려대는 전화기에서 한 시간 정도 떨어져 있는 하루도 괜찮지 않은가. 옷은 양조장 내부의 온도에 따라 입고 벗을 수 있게 여러 겹을 겹쳐 입는 것이 좋다. 투어가 시작되면 맨 먼저 첫 번째 방에서 맥주 원료를 맛본다. 그 다음 재료들에서 화학적 반응이 일어나는 것을 보기 위해 꽤 더운 두 번째 방으로 이동한다. 그러고 나서는 재료에 효모가 더해지고 발효가 시작되는 방으로 가는데, 이 안은 또 춥다. 이 방에서는 맥주 탱크에서 갓 꺼낸 신선한 맥주를 맛볼 수 있다. 우리는 갓 만들어진 허그 미를 한잔 마셨는데 나는 꼭 젖소에서 막 짜낸 우유를 마시는 것 같은 느낌을 받았다. 여기서 마신 맥주는 냉장고에서 막 꺼낸 것처럼 차갑지는 않았지만 적어도 나에겐 뭔가 더 신선한 맛이 느껴졌다.   우리는 브루어리의 몇 가지 투어 중 클래식 투어를 했다. 비어 긱 투어(Beer Geek Tour)는 MIT 출신의 엔지니어에서 맥주 양조자로 전향한 비어 마스터 마크 해먼 씨가 진행한다. 그는 세계의 여러 브루어리에서 일하며 그곳에서 컨설팅 업무를 맡아왔으며 가장 최근에는 일본의 히타치노 양조장에서 일했다. 클래식 투어가 끝나고 나서 그와 잠깐 이야기를

샌드위치는 더이상 아침 대용, 대충 먹는 한 끼가 아니다. 한 끼를 먹어도 소중하게 생각하는 당신을 위해 준비했다. 포루투갈, 베트남, 미국 필라델피아, 모로코의 탕헤르, 심지어 쿠바의 샌드위치까지. 역사도 흥미진진한 세계 각국의 샌드위치 투어. 더 중요한 건 서울에서 본토처럼 즐길 수 있다는 것.

Picture summer from above. Add blue skies and a cool breeze to those iced Americanos and you're two steps from heaven, really. 

Seoul's sandwich scene is changing and becoming much more diverse. Here's the best places (sometimes, the only places) to get the sandwiches you know and love. 

I’ve long admired what the Jeju Olle Foundation and Airbnb have been doing to shake up the travel industry. But a recent trip south to see what they’ve been up to with their recent “A Day Away Awesome Jeju” tour collaboration has made me even more of a fan.

When we input the address for the Korea Craft Brewery into our car’s navigation system, it returns an “address not found” message. “Maybe we’re heading to a ghost village,” I suggest, only half-joking. The weather this morning is a steady, gray drizzle that turns into pounding sheets of rain as soon as we hit the highway. A sign from the gods? Maybe we shouldn’t have tried to leave the city. But as soon as we break free of the Suwon-area traffic, the rain suddenly lets up, as if we’ve escaped a curse, and we have nothing but the open road and the beautiful mountains and countryside of Chungcheong ahead.The first thing we do when we arrive is head straight to the café—we’re starving and none of us have eaten breakfast. It’s simple fare: pizza, sausages and beer. The fried potato wedges need a need a little work, but the pizza is good, especially if you like thin crusts, and the beer is great. The pizza dough is made with one of the brewery’s own beers, Hug Me, a spiced Belgian witbier that we also drank along with our meal. You can also order the other two beers on their label, an American wheat ale named Cosmic Dancer and an India Pale Ale called Be High. (Yes, we had beer for breakfast.) By 2pm, it was time for the brewery tour, and the very first thing you do is slip on blue footies over your shoes to keep things hygienic (we suggest avoiding high heels). There was something comical about all of us in puffy blue footwear—I felt a little bit like a cartoon character. Phones

In Seoul, seeing international brands come in and set up shop in Seoul is nothing new. You want luxury? Dosan Park’s chock full of it. Trendy coffee? Stumptown and Blue Bottle are here to stay. And bakeries? Eric Kayser and Rose Bakery have been here for years.  So when Gontran Cherrier came to town last year, I figured it was news, but not like, news, you know?  (Oh ye of little faith.) As it turns out, Gontran Cherrier has been turning heads in the world of baking for years now, but his recent forays into cities across Asia (and soon, Australia) are slowly making him a household name around the world. He’s known for an impressive pedigree (he’s a third generation baker, has worked with Alain Ducasse and Alain Passard, and published several books) and his bakery in Paris opened in 2010 to great success. Gontran Cherrier stands out amongst other international transplants—not only does he incorporate local ingredients into his baked goods, he’s taken them back to Paris as well. (Bravo.) Gontran came to Seoul for a staff training last week and we sat down with him on a rainy afternoon to talk bread. What direction are you taking with your bakeries as you open more of them around the world? My direction is inspired by my travel and food and knowing different cultures and spending time there. I try to adapt for each culture and each country where I open a shop and I try to mix and share with everybody. In Paris, I have some Korean and Japanese products, for example, sesame leaf a

The Francesinha literally means “little Frenchie” in Portuguese and at Taverna de Portugal, Seoul’s only Portuguese restaurant, the Francesinha goes all out. It’s loaded with mortadella, chorizo, ham, sirloin steak and prosciutto between two slices of white bread, which is then covered in mozzarella cheese and lightly toasted. “But the secret is the sauce,” says chef Agostino Silva, who owns the restaurant with his wife Hee-rah. “Anyone can make a sandwich, but the sauce is a different story.” All Francesinha sauces are made with a tomato and beer base, though every restaurant has their own variation. Agostino’s version includes a little wine and a little seafood, and that’s all he’ll say—the recipe is a secret. Each sandwich is topped with olive tapenade after being liberally doused with their signature sauce. For a truly Portuguese experience, upgrade to the deluxe sandwich (not on the menu), which includes a fried egg on top and fries on the side. And please, Agostino implores, don’t use side plates (you miss so much of the sauce) and don’t waste time photographing it (it gets cold).

It used to be that you could find a whole lotta Californians in Seoul, but not a single California burrito. All that’s changed now with the arrival of Cali Kitchen, opened by native Californian Chuck Chun. A businessman by trade but a chef at heart, Chuck was known for hosting small pop-ups in Seoul, cooking whichever hard-to-get foods he had a hankering for, be it Chipotle-style Mexican or Argentinian-style steak with chimichurri. Chuck decided to open CALI Kitchen this year to fill that Californian-Mexican hole in our hearts, and we couldn’t be happier about it. The menu is divided into two sides: on the left, you have the Cali Burger (which Chuck describes as “the love child of a Shake Shack burger and an In-n-Out burger”) and chili fries; on the right you have the burritos, including that famous California Burrito. Loaded with your typical beef burrito fixings plus fries, it’s a hefty meal that’s more filling than flavorful, but it has its fans (San Diego surfers chow down on these after a long day out on the waves). If you like your salsa with a lot of kick, Chuck sometimes has an extra spicy batch on hand that you can ask for. The chili is well worth noting: we couldn’t stop eating it off the fries (we’ll order the chili separately next time). It’s a mildly spiced recipe that’s full of meat, including a lot of steak. “Our butcher looks at us like we’re crazy when we ask him to grind up that quality meat,” Chuck laughs. But it’s this commitment to high quality ingredient

The Korea Craft Brewery is located in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province. Marketing Manager Park Eun-hee explains they wanted to build a place that was spacious, had room for storage and could be a destination in its own right. 

Sobok’s stark off-white interior with amber wood accents parallels the simplicity of their menu—they’re all about modern desserts based on Korean ingredients. Their most popular dessert item is the injeolmi iceball, little pieces of chewy rice cake covered in ice cream then rolled in bean powder, which you can order in sets of 9, 18 or 27 (they also come in gift boxes). They’re made fresh every morning. We’re also big fans of the soft serve ice cream, a vanilla with nutty hints of bean powder and sides of dried persimmon, steamed pumpkin, sunflower seeds, a drizzle of honey, and an injeolmi ice ball. Don’t get excited and eat the flower, too—it’s just for decoration. Big props to Sobok for using biodegradable paper cups—anyone who’s walked through Hongdae on an early morning and seen the area strewn with plastic knows how much trash gets carted out of this area every day. We only hope more shops follow suit.

Chef and owner Yu Jong-cheol worked at Pyongyang’s famed restaurant Okryugwan for 11 years before making his way to the South some ten years ago. It wasn’t easy—he even worked as a construction worker for some time. After holding cooking classes and pop-ups, he and his wife finally opened a place of their own at the end of 2015. It’s a small, unassuming storefront on a Hapjeong side street, with dark-paneled wood walls, natural light and simple furniture—not the kind of place to bring a rowdy group of 12, but definitely a hidden gem you’ll want to show off to your friends. The menu at Dongmu Bapsang is a blend of high-end and everyday fare. On one end of the spectrum, you’ll find ori gukbap (duck and rice soup), a simple, belly-warming meal, and North Korean sundae (blood sausage), with glutinous rice in place of the glass noodles found down south. But for something really special, order the sinseollo, an elaborate Joseon royal court recipe considered a luxury throughout the peninsula. Orders must be placed at least one day in advance, and it’s easy to see why: Tiny meatballs, gingko nuts and pine nuts dot a layered landscape of shrimp, abalone and thinly sliced, delicately battered and cooked meats, all arranged over a bed of glass noodles. Though the brass pot may look deceptively small, it easily feeds two to three (you won’t need a side of rice). As for banchan, Chef Yu’s kimchi is especially interesting—he uses puréed radish in place of fermented fish, resulting in a lig

Owner Lee Ae-ran is a force of nature. Once a food engineer in Pyongyang, she defected to the South, where she became the first female defector to earn a PhD, studying food and nutrition. Her restaurant, Neungra Bapsang, and her nonprofit, the North Korean Traditional Food Institute, provide jobs for female defectors and help them adjust to life in a capitalist society. She has an incredible energy, and you’ll often see her mingling with guests and greeting familiar faces. And as for the food? “Diners in the south are obsessed with taste,” she tells us. “So restaurants use too many sweeteners and seasonings. Here, our goal isn’t taste; it’s nutrition. If you use good ingredients, the taste takes care of itself.”  The food is, of course, delicious. A good choice for spring is the dong-dal-naeng jeongol, a casserole-like pork-based stew with two kinds of fragrant spring greens. It bubbles away on a portable stove and its heat and mild spice are tempered by the addition of doenjang and nutty perilla seed powder. The gamja mandu are another popular menu item—these dumplings have a thick and almost-translucent wrapper that’s pleasantly chewy to bite into, especially while they’re still warm (tip: eat them with the perilla leaf they come served on). If you order the mung bean pancake, which is especially golden brown and crispy here, take a bite with a piece of the pleasantly sour white kimchi on top. Perfection.

Tucked away from the subway stations, cafés and shopping of busier districts, walking to Kaesongjip almost feels like walking back in time, with grandmothers carrying bundles and children playing in the alleys. Gaeseong-jip itself is no exception, a modest storefront with an open industrial kitchen in the front and small rooms with floor seating and sliding doors in the back. Still, many Seoulites make pilgrimages here for the mandu soup and their famous cucumber kimchi. It’s a miracle these plump dumplings, nearly the size of a first, don’t split their wrappers—and there’s a right way to eat them (as we are notified by a scolding ajumma): First cut one in half with your spoon, she instructs, then pour just a little bit of the soy sauce with green pepper over the top. “Isn’t that more delicious?” she asks, not expecting an answer, and somehow, she’s right. Also popular with regulars is their version of joraengi ddeok, tiny rice cakes that look like miniature peanuts in the shell (they’re fun to chew), a regional specialty of the north. Don’t leave without trying the oi-kimchi (cucumber kimchi), which must be ordered separately. Each cucumber segment is carefully sliced to create a pocket for the fillings, then is fermented in radish kimchi brine, giving it subtle and fresh flavors. Despite its relatively fermented stated, it still retains a little snap.

Mention Pyeongraeok to any long-time Seoul resident, and you’ll get a flash of recognition and then probably hear the words “Their chogyetang is famous.” Open since 1950, the now-remodeled Pyeongraeok is a two-story affair in the old downtown area. Its signature dish, chogyetang, is a cold noodle bowl with generous portions of stewed chicken, cabbage, cucumber and sweet, crunchy pear. The broth base is made with beef, and the addition of dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth gives it a briny, slightly sour kick. There’s a touch of mustard fire as well (there are seasonings on your table if you want yours spicier). While people tend to crave these refreshing noodles most in the heat of summer, Pyeongraeok’s chogyetang is popular year-round. But let us warn you: It’s huge. The minimum order is two servings, which comes out in a bowl big enough for three. It also comes with a side of extra chicken, dressed in a spicy red chili paste-based sauce. As is the tradition in Korea, the best cut of chicken is the flavorful, tender dark meat, which you’ll find plenty of here. Try to bring a group so you can also try the mandu and mung bean pancakes. Perhaps the best part of experience, however, is the yuksu (beef broth) served as a drink—servers come around carrying giant kettles of this warming brew and you’ll want to top up when they do.

Named after the hometown of owner Yun Hu-ja’s parents, Hadan is all about simplicity and quality. White walls surround low wooden tables and floor cushions, and the pared-down menu features just five items: mandu-guk (dumpling soup), mandu jeongol (a large, brothy dumpling stew), nokdu jijim (mung bean pancakes), maemil naeng kalguksu (buckwheat cold knife-cut noodles) and jokbal (braised pork trotters). When asked about the mandu, since it’s written on the sign outside, Ms. Yun sighs: “Yes, the media always like to write about it because people think ‘North Korea’ and they think ‘mandu.’” But it’s clear that her pride lies in the buckwheat cold noodles, her own recipe inspired by the cold, clean flavors of the north. Her noodles are made in small batches by hand every day, 50 to 100 grams at a time, and the buckwheat gives them a little extra chew. Pair this with a savory mung bean pancake for a meaty, crisp contrast. This is not to say the mandu aren’t good—they have surprisingly thin skins for their plentiful fillings and have the mild flavors of mom’s home cooking. If you can’t find room in your stomach for dumplings, order a pack of 16 for 15,000 won to take home. Restaurants who make their own kimchi is becoming more of a rarity these days, but Hadan goes a step further and makes their own soy sauce as well. It seems the hard work is paying off: They’ve been open for over 20 years now, and are beloved by neighborhood locals and out-of-towners alike—at 1pm on a weekday,

Banryongsan is the name of a mountain near Hamheung, an east coast city in North Korea, and the hometown of owner Jeong Sang-hyeok’s mother. Regionality, he explains, is more important than lines on a map. The cuisine of Hamheung has more in common with east coast towns like Sokcho in South Korea than it does with other regions of North Korea—after all, they share the same deep, cold waters of the East Sea and are bounded by the Baekdu Mountain Range on the west. One such dish is gajami sikhae, a spicy side dish of lightly fermented flatfish in a chili paste sauce, especially famous in Hamheung. It can be mixed with greens and slices of pear for a little extra crunch. Also, try the dongtae kimchi, a basic cabbage kimchi with small bites of salt-cured pollock, another popular dish in the northeast (if you like it, you can buy jars to take home). Perhaps one of the restaurant’s most famous menu items, however, is the garit-gukbap, a Hamheung specialty. This filling soup has a base of rice topped with thinly-sliced egg crepe, shredded beef, radish, green onion and congealed ox blood, all in a broth made from beef ribs and brisket. It’s the kind of food you might scarf down because it’s so filling and delicious, and only later reflect on how much time goes into every step. Also worth trying is the squid sundae, stuffed and steamed squid “sausage,” another regional specialty.

Walk up a flight of stairs and down a hallway in a non-descript office building to find Daedongmun, a 40-year old restaurant run by Mun Gwan-seok, with recipes handed down from his North Korean mother. For a restaurant to survive that long in the competitive business district of Yeouido speaks to the quality of their food. It’s a large space with plenty of chairs and floor seating for large office dinners (expect tables of soju-downing office workers on weekday nights), though families also frequent the restaurant, especially on weekends. The star of the menu here is the eobok jaengban, a recipe from royal court cuisine that involves layering finely sliced beef, which has been boiled just enough to lose the fat but not too much flavor, with scallions, crown daisies, oyster mushrooms and winter cabbage in a wide brass pan and boiling it table-side with their secret broth recipe. Take a slice of beef, wrap it around some vegetables and pop it all into your mouth. “But before you mix everything, taste the broth from each side of the dish, north-south-east-west,” Mr. Mun suggests, and he’s right—the flavors are delicately different on each side. The dish overall isn’t strongly flavored—Korean barbecue this is not—but it’s pleasantly addictive and surprisingly filling. If you’re extra hungry, you can order additions of meat, dumplings, noodles or mushrooms at any time. And when you’ve finished most of your stew, order rice and they’ll make fried rice with the leftovers on your hot

로버트 조(37, 감독&방송인), 한남동 이 도시에서 사랑하는 것은?TV나 광고에서 보여주는 서울은 번쩍번쩍하고 화려하지만 내가 서울에서 사랑하는 것은 그런 겉모습이 아닌 삶 자체에서 비롯된다. 서울에 사는 사람이라면 이미 다 공감하는 사실일 것이다.   서울에서 해보라고 추천하고 싶은 일이 있다면?낮에는 내가 키우는 강아지, 두부를 데리고 집 근처 한남동을 자주 산책하는데, 보면 볼수록 빠져드는 동네다. 마음에 드는 골목을 발견하면 느긋하게 시간을 갖고 동네 구석구석을 돌아다닌다. 서울에 놀러 온 친구들에게도 똑같이 말할 것이다.   지난 몇 년간 어떤 변화가 있었나?나이 들면서 내려놓는 법을 배웠다. 그게 가장 중요한 과정이자 변화라 생각한다.   로버트 조에게 행복이란?행복해지려면 감정을 내려놔야 한다. 슬프다고 생각하는 순간 감정을 인식하는 거니까. 정말로 행복하면 아무 생각이 들지 않는다. 선의 경지에 이르는 순간이라고 해야 할까?   당신의 인생을 이끄는 것은?창의성을 타고난 건지는 모르겠지만 늘 창작에 대한 욕심이 있다. 키가 유난히 큰 사람들은 신체에 대한 콤플렉스를 품기 마련인데, 창작에 대한 고통을 느낀 적은 한 번도 없다. 아이디어 고갈로 마음 고생을 해본 적은 없지만 물건의 기능이나 실용성을 따지다 보면 머리가 아파온다. 아이디어가 끊이지 않는다고 해서 늘 기발한 발상만 하는 건 아니니까. 생각을 더듬고 살을 덧붙여 새로운 걸 만들려고 노력한다.    

Robert Joe, 37, Hannam-dong, Filmmaker and Broadcaster How have your 13 years in Seoul changed you? Probably the best thing I’ve learned growing up is letting go. It’s a good process.   What do you love about this city? The way that Seoul is advertised, the glitz and the newness, none of that stuff is all that interesting to me. For me, the best part of living in Seoul is the abstract nuances that you really can’t slap on a lower third.   Recommended things to do in Seoul? To be honest, during the daytime I wander around my area with my dog. I love just absorbing the feel of neighborhoods. So if someone were visiting from out of town, I’d tell them to do the same.   Describe happiness. Happiness is the absence of any emotion. If you’re feeling down, you’re hyper-aware of it. Whereas when you’re happy, you’re actually just not thinking, you’re just existing in like a zen form, right?   What drives you? I’ve always felt the need to create. I don’t worry about whether I am creative or not. But, whether or not I make good use of that is my constant worry. I always have ideas. They’re not all good. And so I try and do something with them.