October 5, 2026…. Analog Breakfast; Corporate HQ; Pensive Buddhas; Temples; and Michelin Temple Dinner
Before I begin today’s adventures, I failed to mention something in yesterday’s post about the Leeum Museum: there is absolutely no signage fromn the outside explaining how to get into the building (unless you are standing directly in front of the Koolhaus building where the doors are. Given that there are three buildings, arranged on a hillside… and our taxi driver dropped us off in front of the Jean Nouvelle building… We could see that there were people inside, but the doors to the building were locked; we then walked uphill all around the Botta building and all entrances (or what appeared to be entrances) were shut. We were totally confused. We stopped a woman walking her dog and she said she “thought” you needed to go around one of the buildings (the Koolhaus one) and you get in there. Yes, that was correct. But really? Nothing on the other buildings or the street that directed you there.. OK.. my gripe for the day.
Began today with breakfast (not at our usual Offer which only has pastries and broad assortment of drinks) at a little cafe about 8 minutes from the hotel, called Analog Cafe–an organic place with some interesting breakfast options. Unlike the rest of Seoul which does everything digitally, this cafe (rebellious, I assume) doers everything in analog. So when you place your order–instead of getting one of those little buzzers that light up when your order is ready–you get a 5″ wood cube that has a letter of the alphabet painted on it. It’s a small cafe so I guess they can just remember who is getting what.
From there we headed (by taxi, since we’ve ditched the subway with its many, many stairs given Mike’s sling is too complicated and risky) to the corporate headquarters for Amorepacific–the skin care and make up giant whose motto is “Making people beautiful, making the world beautiful.” We went, not because of our deep interest in skin care, but because we had heard it was a spectacular building with public spaces that enabled visitors to see the interior vertical green wall that is supposedly the tallest in the world. Well… it is an amazing building with a huge lobby floor above which on the 4th floor is a glass block floor and an atrium that goes up many floors. But they no longer allow the public above the third floor. We made our case to the guy at the information desk– architect, designer, professors but it fell to deaf ears. And since it was some kind of holiday we could not speak to a supervisor to try to use our NY elbows to bypass the rules. Anyway.. no go. The building is understated, impeccably detailed, showcasing a large-scale, light filled space Apparently you can get your skin tone tested and make up matched to your color perfectly. I thought about it… but didn’t do it. Mike really wanted to do it but because of his shoulder decided against it.
On the main level there is a cafe, tea shop, and a museum which currently has a Sol Lewitt show. Every space is truly beautiful. On the lower level there are at least seven different coffee shops and assorted eateries—each beautifully designed. That said, the building and the consumption that it promotes (amid its professed commitment to the environment) seems to epitomize the contradictions in South Korea and reminded us of the issues raised in the Academy Award winning film a few years ago: “Parasite.”
From there we headed to the National Museum of Korea, located in the Yongsan district. The museum is situated on what used to be a golf course tied to US Army. The museum is huge and contains more than 300,000 objects, with only about 15,000 on view at any one time. Supposedly it is the sixth largest museum in the world in terms of floor space and boasts being the third most visited museum in the world. One of the attractions, the “pensive buddhas” is located in the Room of Quiet Contemplation. We strolled several galleries and had the most fun watching people watch a huge digital screen on the plaza, which flashed images of the very people watching the screen.. kids were jumping up and down as they saw themselves on the screen. By the way, everywhere there are images of mountain tigers and on the screen there was a digital tiger image and the kids were excited to be able to see themselves next to the tiger… with some “petting it.”
From the museum, we headed to Insadong’s walkiung streets and joined the crowds watching performers, strolling, shopping, and taking photos.
And then we headed to the Jogyesa Temple in the Insadong neighborhood. The temple was founded in 1395, at the start of the Jonson period; the modern temple was founded in 1910. It’s a strange setting—this very peaceful and beautifully appointed structure, now surrounded by highrises and corporate office structures.
And then we had an early dinner at Balwoo Gongyang—delicate temple cuisine. Ran by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, it was opened to promote the culture of Korean temple food. Balwoo Gongyang serves traditional vegan recipes handed down for generations. Hard to explain what we ate.. and photos of food are always the hardest to do. But here are a few images. We ate in a little private room, with the staffer coming in and out with each “course.” In reality each course really had about five different dishes. English was at a minimum, but since each dish was quite simple we managed to figure most of it out. Each section of the dinner had a special name like: Palate Awakener; Harmonious Flavor; Subtle Flavor; and Monk’s Smile. Many dishes included pickled vegetables, mushrooms, lotus root, and kimche. Everyone was very friendly and bowing.
As we left the restaurant we passed by the temple again… lit and glowing for the evening. Our days in Seoul are coming to an end.. Tomorrow we pack and will stroll another neighborhood. More on that to come.
