Onion is the place to be in Seoul. All the “best of” lists say so, as does the tourism office, the hotel, instagram. So when in Seoul….There are, I assure you, no onions at Onion, just incredible looking pastries and a selection of hot chocolates. Yes, a selection. And it is incredibly instagrammable to the point that it is difficult to move around without inadvertently photobombing someone’s latest post.
There are a few Onion cafes around the city, but the main one is Cafe Onion Anguk in Jongno-gu. it is housed in a beautifully renovated hanok (traditional Korean home) dating back to the 1920s. The line up to get in is long basically all hours of the day but it moves quickly and those who wait are rewarded with seats inside this stunning hanok. But that lineup is only if you want to eat inside. If you want to eat outside on the terrace, no need to line up, you can just walk straight in. Inside, the line loops around a table jam packed with ridiculously delicious looking desserts. Pick one (or more), place them on your tray, and proceed to the cash to order drinks and pay.
There are several hot chocolates on the menu. The one I tried today was made of 100% cacao, early grey, peppermint and smoked tea. Everything we ordered was delicious. So Onion isn’t just about looks, there is definitely substance there too! This provided us with the fuel we needed to explore the area. Bukchon Hanok Village is worth spending days in, wondering its windy streets where many an interesting little store is hidden. For lunch consider stopping by Bukchon Ginseng Chicken Restaurant for some Ginseng soup. Bukchon Traditional Craft Centre offers many opportunities to learn traditional Korean Crafts if you have an hour to spare. Stop for a tea and traditional Korean sweets at Chatteul or reserve a tasting of traditional Korean alcoholic drinks at The Sool Gallery.
Cafe Onion Angus, 5 Gyedong-gil, Seoul, South Korea (www.onionkr.com) Open weekdays 7:00-22:00 and weekends 9:00-22:00
