A new handmade udon restaurant is starting to attract attention in Seoul’s Dogok and Maebong area. The restaurant, called Udon Kinoya (우동키노야), is part of a growing Japanese-style udon chain that has recently become popular in Seoul office districts and trendy neighborhoods.
Undong KiNoya
The restaurant focuses on handmade udon noodles that are low-temperature aged for 48 hours, giving them an extra chewy texture. Their broth is made fresh daily in a Japanese style, and the restaurant specializes in both hot kake udon and cold bukkake udon dishes.
If you fly through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2, which opened in 2018, one of the first things you notice is the enormous curved digital display above the check-in area. It is not just an advertisement screen — it is part of a large-scale media art project designed to make the airport feel more like a cultural destination.
The massive curved LED installation frames the departure hall and can display ultra-high-resolution content reaching up to 16K resolution across its giant digital canvas. Recent installations feature Korean cultural themes, nature, futuristic animation, and immersive media art that can be viewed from multiple angles throughout the terminal.
In South Korea, a new café trend is growing quickly: quiet luxury cafés. Instead of loud music and crowded interiors, many new cafés in Seoul focus on calm lighting, natural wood, soft colors, and peaceful conversation. Customers often spend hours reading, studying, or simply relaxing with carefully prepared coffee and desserts.
Korea’s cities are packed with apartments, offices, and busy streets, but many rooftops are getting a surprising makeover. Across Seoul and other cities, rooftop farming is becoming a major trend. Apartment residents, cafes, schools, and even companies are growing lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs high above the city.
When Koreans travel, they don’t just eat—they learn. Cooking classes have become a popular way for Korean travelers to connect more deeply with a country’s culture. Instead of simply ordering dishes, they want to understand ingredients, techniques, and the story behind the food.
Cooking classes
This mindset starts at home. In Korea, many people take cooking classes to learn traditional dishes like kimchi, 된장찌개, or 잡채—especially younger generations who didn’t grow up cooking. Others learn through family, watching parents or grandparents prepare meals during holidays and daily life. Cooking is not just a skill; it’s a way to preserve culture.
So when Koreans travel to places like Bangkok, joining a cooking class feels natural. They approach it the same way they would at home—hands-on, curious, and focused on learning.
For many Koreans, food is not just something you eat. It’s something you understand.
A Korean traveler visiting Bangkok might sign up for a half-day cooking class instead of just eating at a famous restaurant. They learn how to make pad thai from scratch—cutting vegetables, balancing flavors, and cooking over high heat.
This mirrors what happens in Korea. A young professional in Seoul might take a weekend class to learn how to make kimchi or simple home dishes they never learned growing up. In both cases, the goal is the same: not just eating the food, but understanding how it’s made and why it matters.
Vocabulary
요리 수업 (yori sueop) — cooking class 체험 (cheheom) — hands-on experience 문화 (munhwa) — culture 재료 (jaeryo) — ingredients 김치 (gimchi) — kimchi
In Korea, one of the most delightful surprises when dining out or shopping is something called “service” (서비스). Unlike in the West, where service usually means customer support, in Korea it often means free extras—like a complimentary dish at a restaurant or a bonus item at a shop.
Step into an elevator in Korea and you’ll notice something immediately—silence. No small talk, no casual greetings, just people standing quietly, often looking at their phones or straight ahead. To many foreigners, this can feel cold or awkward. But in Korea, it’s actually a form of respect.
