The fashion and beauty industries are filled with interesting people from all over the world who have great taste — the types you can rely on for excellent travel recommendations. So, we’re asking them about their favorite food, shopping and wellness spots in their cities. Consider this series your fashion and beauty person’s guide to travel.
It’s not a secret that some of the biggest beauty innovations happen in Seoul. It’s where so many of our favorite products are created, so of course, brand founders from all over the world flock to the South Korean capital to make magic happen. But for esthetician and Superegg founder Erica Choi, it’s even more personal. The New York-based skin-care founder was born in Busan (South Korea’s second-largest city), and spent summers there growing up. Now that she has a skin-care brand, she still heads to Korea every summer to mix business with pleasure.
“Because our products are manufactured in Korea, I’m able to spend time much closer to the development process, while also immersing myself in everything happening around beauty, wellness, food, fashion and design,” she says.
Choi finds unlimited inspiration in Seoul — and not just in the beauty and aesthetics world (though, of course, there’s that too). “A meal, a beautiful space, a new treatment, the way something is packaged or even just observing how people are living and taking care of themselves can spark an idea,” she says. “I consider those lived experiences some of my most valuable forms of research, but I also take genuine pleasure in all of it. Seoul is constantly evolving, so every time I return, there is something new to discover.”
Given her first-hand experience, we asked the skin-care expert for an insider-approved itinerary of must-visit shops, restaurants and more. Read on for all her hidden gems, from her favorite indie shops and beauty stores, to the dinner spots she swears by.
Photo: Superegg
What’s one food/dish everybody who goes to Seoul should try?
It’s impossible for me to choose just one! For Korean food, I love Nanpo (난포) for a contemporary take on Korean comfort food. Their gangdoenjang ssambap (강된장쌈밥), seasonal sashimi with aged kimchi (제철회묵은지말이) and shrimp potato jeon (새우감자전) are great for sharing, so you can order several things for the table and experience a little bit of everything.
For Korean barbecue, Sancheong Sutbul Garden (산청숯불가든) is a favorite for charcoal-grilled pork. There’s something about the smoky flavor you get from cooking over charcoal that makes it especially satisfying. I also love Samwon Garden (삼원가든), a Seoul institution that has been around for decades. It’s a more classic, polished Korean barbecue experience and a great place to go with family or a group.
For something completely casual, Puradak’s Ilpum Kkanpung (일품깐풍) fried chicken is such a fun take on Korean fried chicken. Range is what makes eating in Seoul so exciting. You can have something deeply comforting and traditional or creative and contemporary, and both can feel equally special.
Where is your favorite place in Seoul to get breakfast?
I’m usually quite simple when it comes to breakfast, so I love starting the morning at a bakery. Seoul has such an incredible bakery culture right now, and I love the variety. You can find everything from beautifully made European-style breads and pastries to distinctly Korean interpretations.
Artist Bakery and Jayeondo Salt Bread (자연도소금빵) are favorites for salt bread — that perfect combination of a crisp exterior, soft center and just enough salt and butter. I also love MIMU (미무) and Beton (베통), and I tend to pick up a few different things to try with coffee rather than have a big sit-down breakfast. Seongsu Baking Studio (성수베이킹스튜디오) and Standard Bread (스탠다드브레드) are other favorites when I’m in the mood for something a little more substantial. I think visiting bakeries is also one of the nicest ways to experience a quieter, more everyday side of Seoul. I love picking something up in the morning and walking around the neighborhood before the city really gets going.
Where is your favorite place to get lunch?
I love House of Shinsegae for lunch because there’s such an ample selection, and they’ve brought in outposts of many popular restaurants all under one roof. It’s perfect when you simply don’t know exactly what you’re in the mood for, and the space itself is beautifully designed.
Afterwards, I always recommend stopping by Shinsegae’s Sweet Park, their incredible dessert destination, which brings together some of Korea’s most sought-after names alongside renowned sweets from around the world. You can have lunch, pick up something sweet, and then wander through the department store. It’s a very Seoul way to spend an afternoon.
Where’s your favorite place to get coffee?
Seoul has an incredible coffee culture, so I have a few options depending on what I’m in the mood for: Camouflage Coffee has wonderful, bright, acidic beans, and their latte is fantastic. If I want something on the sweeter side, I love the signature Camel Coffee at Camel Coffee. And for a true coffee experience, unpage, by coffee creator Ahnstar, is incredibly special. They have some of the best Geisha pour-overs I’ve had. It’s the kind of place where you go specifically for the coffee and take the time to experience it rather than simply grabbing a cup on the way somewhere.
Where is your favorite place to get dinner in Seoul?
Restaurant SAN is very special. I went for my birthday last year and the entire experience was incredible. The cooking is refined and contemporary, but there is still a very distinct sense of Korea and seasonality throughout the menu.
I love restaurants where the experience feels considered from beginning to end — not only the food, but the pacing, service, wine and environment — and SAN does that beautifully.
If you were to plan a trip for yourself in Seoul, where would you stay?
I stay with family when I’m in Seoul, but for visitors looking for a luxury experience, I recommend Josun Palace and the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. For something more accessible while still being centrally located, Four Points by Sheraton is a good option. Where you stay can really shape your experience of Seoul because the city is so expansive. I always recommend thinking about the neighborhoods you’re most interested in exploring rather than choosing a hotel based solely on the property itself.
Photo: Getty Images
What’s one tourist attraction you think is well worth the visit?
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). There is always so much happening there, from exhibitions and installations to fashion and design events. I also love the design store there for shopping. It has a nicely curated selection of elevated souvenirs and Korean design objects, so you can find something that feels a little more special to bring home.
If you had time to visit only one museum or gallery while in Seoul, which would you pick?
MMCA Seoul is my favorite museum. It’s large, so I like giving myself enough time to wander rather than trying to rush through it. The exhibitions are consistently interesting, and I love its contemporary perspective and how the museum interacts with the surrounding architecture and neighborhood. It’s also perfectly located for continuing on to explore Samcheong-dong and the surrounding area afterward.
Where do you shop for fashion in Seoul? What do you think are the most unique stores you frequent?
I genuinely love department stores in Seoul. Lotte World Mall, The Hyundai Seoul and Shinsegae Department Store are all destinations in themselves, and the retail experience in Korea is on another level.
But I equally love spending an afternoon walking around Hannam-dong or Seongsu-dong and discovering things organically. Those neighborhoods change so quickly that there is almost always something new. Some of my favorite stores are Monoha, Amomento, Beaker and Recto. They each have such a strong visual identity and point of view, which I always appreciate in a retail space.
What about beauty?
A trip to Seoul wouldn’t be complete without Olive Young. I actually love visiting the smaller locations in different neighborhoods because the assortment can feel localized to the area, and it’s usually a much calmer way to browse. But if you want the full experience, Olive Young Myeongdong Town, Olive Young N Seongsu and Olive Young Beauty Mansion are enormous and have pretty much everything you could want to discover, from products popular internationally to what people in Korea are actually buying.
I also love OWM — Optima Wellness Museum. It’s a very chic, contemporary interpretation of a pharmacy and wellness store, and the spaces themselves are quite beautiful.
Beyond multi-brand stores, I always recommend simply walking around Gangnam, Hannam, Seongsu and Jongno. So many Korean beauty brands have their own standalone stores and flagships now, and they often create much more immersive experiences around the brand than you would get from seeing the same products on a shelf elsewhere.
Photo: Jean Chung/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Favorite aesthetic clinics & jjimjilbangs (Korean bath houses)?
For aesthetic clinics, a few I like are The Hill Dermatology Sinsa (더힐피부과의원 신사본점), HEV Dermatology Sinsa (헤브피부과의원 신사), Hoan Clinic (호안의원) and Diore Clinic (디오레의원). Each has its own approach, atmosphere and point of view, so I always recommend booking a consultation first and finding the practitioner and environment where you feel most comfortable. With aesthetic treatments, I think that sense of trust and understanding is just as important as the treatment itself.
For something more restorative and hands-on, I also love SPA GOGYEOL (스파고결). It’s focused on slowing down and taking care of the body and face through a dedicated treatment experience.
For a larger Korean spa experience, I love CIMER at Paradise City (씨메르). It’s near Incheon Airport, so it’s actually a great stop if you arrive on a red-eye and have a few hours before you can check into your hotel in Seoul. You can shower, unwind, and reset after the flight before heading into the city. If you have more time, it’s expansive enough to easily spend half a day there.
What’s a good place to buy souvenirs in Seoul?
Walking around Insadong and the hanok neighborhoods is still one of my favorite ways to shop for more traditional Korean souvenirs. You can find ceramics, crafts, stationery and small objects that feel connected to Korean culture rather than something made specifically for tourists.
For something more contemporary, I would go back to the design store at DDP. Their selection feels much more curated and design-focused, which makes it a great place to find elevated Korean objects and gifts.
What’s the place to take in nature in/around Seoul?
I love taking walks in Seoul Forest or Seoul Children’s Grand Park when the weather is nice. I also really love Yeonnam-dong and Yeonhui-dong for a slower afternoon. You can walk along the Gyeongui Line Forest Park through Yeonnam and then wander toward Yeonhui, stopping at little cafés, shops, and galleries along the way. It’s one of my favorite ways to experience how nature and everyday city life coexist in Seoul.
If you’re able to venture farther outside the city, Museum SAN is beautiful. The architecture, art, and landscape are so integrated that I would dedicate a full day to it rather than trying to squeeze it into a packed itinerary. It’s somewhere you really want to slow down and spend time.
Photo: Getty Images
What’s your favorite recent discovery in Seoul?
One thing I’ve become fascinated by is the number of mu-in (무인), or unmanned, stores tucked into different neighborhoods. They’re completely self-service, often open around the clock and surprisingly specialized. You’ll find unmanned ice cream and convenience stores, pet shops, snack stores and all sorts of niche concepts.
What struck me most is how commonplace they are and the level of trust the concept relies on. You walk in, choose what you need, pay at the self-checkout and leave, without an employee necessarily being there at all. It’s such a small detail of everyday life, but I find it fascinating because it says something about the convenience, efficiency and sense of collective trust you encounter in Seoul. I love discovering things like this when I’m there. Sometimes the most ordinary parts of a city can tell you as much about it as the places everyone goes to see.
What about shopping for your new cat?
Seoul definitely has more stores geared toward dogs than cats, so for everyday things I’ve found Petfriends (펫프렌즈) to be the best place to order online. But I really enjoyed Molly’s Pet Shop at Starfield Goyang when I visited.
The most memorable experience, though, was Gungdi Pang Pang Cat Festa (궁디팡팡 캣페스타), which is essentially a huge convention for cat parents that travels around Korea several times a year. We happened to be in town when it came to Seoul, and it was incredible seeing the entire cat-parent community together in one place. People literally arrive with one or two empty suitcases and go absolutely wild shopping. You could say I came home with quite a few variations of Churu! It was one of those experiences that was so specific and joyful, and I loved seeing just how passionate the cat community is there.
Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
