First floor of Solbangul Bakery (Solbangul Bakery)

Hanok-themed Solbangul Bakery

About a five-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station in Seoul is a new bakery shop that resembles a hanok, a traditional Korean house, which makes it hard to miss.

A cute sign of the bakery’s mascot squirrel holding a pine cone welcomes customers, and they pass by an open kitchen located up front to the bakery.

Solbangul Bakery sells over 20 different types of bread, tarts and sandwiches. 

Loaves of rice mugwort bread, which has ssukgaetteok (mugwort rice cake) in the bread with walnut toppings, are laid out on a tray with a squirrel figurine next to it.

According to the store staff, the bread slices are freshly baked out of the oven when the store opens in the morning.

The bakery is decorated with both modern furniture and Korean traditional items such as white porcelain.

The hanok-themed bakery shop also has a small outdoor garden, where a pine tree is planted. The shop’s customers can indulge in the food while enjoying the view of the garden. This garden is also a great spot to take photos.

On the second floor, there is a terrace where people can enjoy the weather outdoors while sipping on a cup of coffee.

Also, customers can also opt to book a private room with a low table where you can sit cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, according to Solbangul Bakery.

It will start taking reservations on portal platform Naver soon, the bakery said.

The bakery is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays and is closed on Mondays.

Animals are not allowed to enter the bakery and children under ages 13 are not allowed to use the second floor. The bakery said it could be dangerous for children to use the steep stairs and terrace space.

Tubester boats float on the Han River off Banpo Hangang Park in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. (Tubester)

Tubester at Sebitseom in Bangpo Hangang Park

Enjoy a picnic on the water with Tubester, a company that rents out tube boats, at Banpo Hangang Park.

Take your time to enjoy the beautiful night view and vivid colors that cast fascinating reflections on the Han River this coming weekend.

Instead of watching the view from a park bench or while driving along the river, enjoy the eye-pleasing sights on the tube-style boat with your lover, friends and family.

Located at Banpo-dong in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Banpo Hangang Park is a favorite haunt for cyclists, joggers and couples on dates.

But Tubester is what makes the park more special when the sun goes down and evening approaches.

After a 15-to-18-minute walk in the direction of the Dulwich College Seoul from Sinbanpo Station Exit 1 on Subway Line No. 9, a wooden deck signals the entrance to Banpo Hangang Park.

Open from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Tubester welcomes guests of all ages to enjoy the sun’s rays on the river, warm sunsets and colorful night views of Seoul.

With a maximum of six passengers, the boat costs 35,000 won and 55,000 won for a 30-minute and a 60-minute ride, respectively, on the weekend.

Users are required to wear life jackets and are instructed on safety and how to operate the tube-style boat.

Passengers can eat self-brought food on the boat, but alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

Additional information can be found at www.tubester.co.kr. 

A special exhibition for Ukrainian refugees, “Art in Faith,” is taking place at Hori Artspace and AIF Lounge in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. (Park Ga-young/The Korea Herald)

Exhibition to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees

A special art exhibition to help Ukrainian refugees, titled “Art in Faith,” is being held in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Korean Red Cross, according to the event organizers.

“Art in Faith” features 81 works by 16 artists, each of whom submitted between three and five pieces. These vary in price from 2 million won ($1,640) to 10 million won. 

“The true power of art truly shines when it can create good influence at a time of pain,” said Kim Yoon-sub, CEO of AIF Art Management, the organizer of the exhibition.

Participating artists include Kim Si-hyun, who paints sculptural images of “bojagi,” traditional Korean wrapping cloth, around highly dynamic objects, Kim Dae-sub who draws vivid objects on wood such as floor boards and cutting boards from old Korean houses and cheerful sculptures by Kim Gyung-min, just to name a few. 

The other artists participating in the exhibition include Kim Nam-pyo, Kim Sung-bok, Kim Sou-sou, Kim Hyun-sik, Park Sung-min, Byen Ung-pil, Song, Feel, You Hyun-kyung, Yoon Jong-seok, Lee Kyung-min, Lee In, Choi Seok-un and Kiya Kim.

“Art in Faith” runs through April 23 at Hori Artspace and AIF Lounge. It is closed on Sundays and holidays. 


(ssh@heraldcorp.com)

(sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)

(gypark@heraldcorp.com)