Searching for France | Seorae Village

Seorae Village is not the easiest of cultural hubs to get to. In fact, it’s placed in such a distance to the closest subway stop, that it keeps the streams of people away for much of the time. A wonderful discovery on a sunny Sunday afternoon. This was my third time to the area, and I was hunting for more French influence than ever.

Sadly, however, the proximity to the subway hasn’t stopped this area from being infected with the old standards here in Korea like Tom ‘n Toms, Paris Baguette and others. Not to mention, the last time I visited this area, I had the most delicious French style baguette sandwich at Paris Croissant and when I visited this time, there was nothing but Korean style be-pickled and be-sauced sandwiches that I couldn’t bring myself to try. Le sigh.

Seorae Maeul grew up French around the Lysee Francais, a school which teaches in French as a first language. Something like 40% of the population in this area are French.

The area has it’s charm, to be sure, but there is a lot of faux all around. There are plenty of restaurants with French names but sell Korean or Japanese food. I did not find any bakeries that were particularly French but there were a few pâtisseries that seem more authentic, like Hotel Douce, which accompanies a French baking school.

It was a beautiful day to walk. The air is just getting warm, so I was only mildly sweaty once I found a place to eat.

It was a day for flower spotting. Finally, winter said goodbye.

Hotel Douce.

This shop is tiny and sells all the sugary sweets you imagine finding on the streets of Paris.

9, Seorae-ro 10-gil
Seocho-gu
Seoul
06577

Rue Seorae ❤️

I loved walking the neighborhood and seeing backyards with swing sets and outdoor furniture, much like you would see in other Western countries.

The Lycee Francais de Seoul

Long Bread Seoraemaeul

28 Sapyeong-daero 22 gil

Seocho gu

Seoul

This little chain, Long Bread, helped me when I felt like losing hope to find a decent place to sit and enjoy a sandwich. After the sadness that was the discovery of only Korean-style sandwiches at Paris Croissant, I didn’t know where to go.

Most French places in this area are of the high-end variety, and I wasn’t in the mood to sit by myself in an expensive restaurant on a Sunday afternoon. (Although, as I type that out, might not have been a bad idea.)

This is not French style, but it is good. The sandwich had really nice bread, like bread I’m still thinking about, and decent ingredients (except the cheap cheese). It was the perfect size for my hunger level. The prices are good and I loved the interior. There is a lot of seating and it is beyond cozy in the basement. I think they are also expanding to the first floor.