Seoul rising

Like many Filipinos, my image of Seoul has been tainted by the dreadful experience of airport transfer at Kimpo International. During the early Nineties, if you wanted to fly from Manila to the US on Northwest Airlines, you had to wait for several hours in the ghastly environs of their former international airport. The decrepit departure hall offered a duty-free shop that made Makati Cinema Square seem upscale, compounded with a depressing food outlet that served what was perhaps the world’s worst bibimbap. With an airport like that (not too far from our own), I imagined more of the same waiting outside, an industrial wasteland with nothing to offer the traveler in search of urban adventure.

Fast forward a decade later and I find myself arriving at Incheon International, a glittering new airport befitting the aspirations of an emerging nation. Soaring roofs, immense halls and verdant foliage signal the country’s seemingly unstoppable progress. The ride from the airport to central Seoul has yet to catch up with its 21st-century ambition, though. Work is ongoing to complete the 60-km rail line linking Incheon to central Seoul. In the meantime, it’s a lengthy two-hour ride into the city on a surprisingly comfortable limousine bus. The rail system was scheduled to open in late 2005 but delays require one to brave the long road trip for now.

Sleep

Seoul is home to two new hotels that are sure to put it on the style cognoscenti’s hot lists. The first is W Seoul, the first W hotel to open in Asia. The place is stunning, with a lobby that’s more dance club than hotel lobby. The check-in desks are in the Living Room, a large hall scattered with egg-shaped chairs and a DJ booth that resembles a spacecraft. At night, the place gets filled with the city’s young movers and shakers all getting their groove on. The W is situated in Walker Hill, a hotel and casino complex at the foot of Mt. Acha and is a ways from downtown Seoul and Gangnam, the newer South of River area (think Fort Bonifacio).

For a more central location, there is the incredible new Park Hyatt Seoul, designed by Superpotato, the Japanese firm behind our own Paseo Uno Lounge at the Mandarin and several other high-profile restaurants in Tokyo and Singapore. The hotel is sleek and sophisticated, with its lobby perched on the 24th floor echoing its sister hotel, the Park Hyatt Tokyo, immortalized in the film Lost in Translation. An oasis of calm, the lobby looks out over the entire metropolis. Rooms at the Park Hyatt Seoul are beautifully furnished in a refined neutral palette, but with enough character to give one a distinct sense of place. The beautifully appointed baths allow one to shower with Aesop products while gazing at the neon glow of the city’s billboards below. It’s all quite Blade Runner.

Eat

Most Filipinos are familiar with Korean food: kimchi, bulgogi and kalbi can be found everywhere in Seoul. But a local friend took me to what he called "the best pork kalbi in the world." It was a nondescript barbecue joint in the Gangnam district called Gaon and he was not exaggerating. I don’t know how they make it, but their kalbi was so good it could convert a Jewish vegetarian.

For more upscale traditional Korean fare, check out Jihwaja, located inside the National Theater of Korea. Try the Gujeolpan, a nine-part medley that’s mixed with a rice or wheat wrap.

If you’re looking for the city’s most glamorous dining scene, have your concierge book a table at Mr. Chow, the city’s current "it" resto. The latest outpost of New York restaurateur Michael Chow, this eatery is ground zero for the city’s glitterati. Go "No Menu" and leave your fate in the hands of their highly capable chef.

Wander

Much like Tokyo, Seoul is divided into neighborhoods called dongs, which in turn are within districts called gu. Each has its own character and they’re wonderful to stroll around in to get a feel of the different facets of the city. Insadong is the art and antiques neighborhood near Kyongbuk, the Imperial Palace of the Chosun dynasty. It’s filled with a myriad of arts and crafts stores, as well as charming little cafés and restaurants. Of particular interest is the Insa Arts Center, a seven-story building with fascinating exhibitions on every level.

Cheongdam is the big brand boutique neighborhood with the usual suspects: Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and the like. While the architecture isn’t as showstopping as Tokyo’s Omotesando, this is the place to go if you want to give your credit card a workout. Speaking of showstoppers, the Galleria department store is definitely worth seeing. Designed by the Dutch firm UN Studio, the entire building is clad with round glass discs that are backlit with continuously changing light. In the evening, the building changes colors like a chameleon and will keep you entranced for several minutes. Another store called Mue is worth checking out. You’ll find threads from Martin Margiela and Viktor & Rolf in an exquisite building that uses translucent concrete walls and giant-size video projections.

Apgujong is the city’s trendy district with dozens of one-off stores, cafés and bars, including an interesting Dunhill Cigarette bar one can still smoke in. The stores in Apgujong are open very late as Koreans oddly seem to shop past 10 in the evening. There’s a wonderful gelato store called Gusttimo where you can sample some strangely tasty rice gelato. A few doors down is a great little stationery store named Mm/mg that sells beautifully designed notebooks, pens and accessories.

Gaze

Seoul is home to a surprisingly large amount of avant-garde art and architecture. Giant corporations such as Samsung and LG have taken it upon themselves to build cultural institutions for their citizenry.

Up on Yongsan mountain sits Leeum, Samsung’s museum complex which was designed by not one, but three of the world’s top architects. Three buildings by Rem Koolhaas, Jean Nouvel and Mario Botta house a world-class collection of contemporary and classical art. Admission to the museum is free but get this, you need to make an appointment. I suppose viewing art is like going to the dentist in Seoul, but trust me, it’s worth it just to see the buildings by these master architects. Scattered around the city are a few other buildings by avant-garde architects such as the Sun Tower by Thom Mayne of Morphosis, an office building for the national tax revenue service by Wolf Prix (what were they thinking?) and another office building by Daniel Libeskind, the controversial winner of New York’s Freedom Tower competition. It’s surprising to find so much good design in a place like Seoul, but it seems that the nation has really used design to propel themselves forward. You can see it in their cars, their electronics, and their architecture.

The best time to visit Seoul is from March to April and from September to December, when the city’s temperature is mildest. Philippine Airlines and Korean Air both have daily service from Manila and the flight takes three hours and 20 minutes. The local currency is the won and 1,000 won is equivalent to one US dollar. There are two kinds of taxis, regular taxis and black taxis – the latter are slightly more expensive but have drivers who have a better grasp of English. Traffic gets pretty bad in Seoul, even by Manila standards, so the subway can be a cheap and efficient way to get around.

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Comments are welcome. E-mail the author at chut@archipelago.com