Travel often means packed schedules and long hours on your feet, so fatigue can creep in quickly. If you’re visiting Korea in spring, when temperatures swing widely from day to night, take a day to slow down and recharge. Enjoy seasonal organic dishes that leave you feeling light and refreshed, try traditional herbal drinks believed to boost vitality, and round out the day with some shopping and wellness experiences that suit your mood and energy levels.
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A Flower Blossom on the Rice
Eco-friendly dining at a MICHELIN Green Star restaurant
→14-minute walk
(900 m) -
OLIVE BETTER
A wellness lifestyle curated by OLIVE YOUNG
→5-minute walk
(900 m) -
OPTIMA WELLNESS MUSEUM
A wellness shopping experience with smart devices and personalized consultations
→12-minute walk
(900 m) -
Coffee Hanyakbang
A relaxing break at a café full of traditional charm
A Flower Blossom on the Rice is a Korean restaurant that serves nourishing meals made with ingredients grown using eco-friendly farming methods. It has been recognized by the MICHELIN Guide with a Bib Gourmand for eight years in a row and a MICHELIN Green Star for five consecutive years, reflecting both its quality and its reasonable prices. Its signature dish is Bojagi Bibimbap, a colorful mix of brown rice and nutritious vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, and seasoned greens, all neatly wrapped in a thin egg crepe. The menu also includes a range of course options to suit different preferences, from grilled beef and antibiotic-free pork to a vegan course, offering a delicious introduction to Korea’s diverse ingredients. Every April, the restaurant features a special spring course made with seasonal produce, making it an especially good time to visit.
[A Flower Blossom on the Rice]
- Address: 3-6 Insadong 16-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 인사동16길 3-6)
- Operating hours: 11:30-21:00 (Break Time: 15:00-17:30)
- * Closed on Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day))
- Website: goodbabstory.imweb.me
OLIVE BETTER is a wellness-focused concept store created by OLIVE YOUNG, Korea’s leading beauty and health retailer. Spread across two floors, it offers around 3,000 products grouped into six wellness themes: Eat Well, Nourish Well, Fit Well, Relax Well, Glow Well and Care Well. On the first floor, you will find a selection of convenient high-protein foods and health supplements that are easy to fit into a busy day. Recommended items include signature protein shakes and supplement stick from their in-house brand ALL THE BETTER, available in convenient single-serve packets—perfect for sampling during your trip before committing to larger sizes. The second floor focuses on rest and recovery, with products for inner beauty, slimming, and improved sleep. There is also a Tea Bar, where a different tea is available to sample each month.
[OLIVE BETTER Gwanghwamun Branch]
- Address: 1F–2F, 17 Jong-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 종로3길 17, 1-2층)
- Operating hours: Monday–Friday 08:00-22:30 / Weekends & public holidays 10:00-22:30
- Inquiries: +82-1577-4887
OPTIMA WELLNESS MUSEUM (OWM) is a 264-square-meter healthcare space designed to feel like a museum. It offers around 2,500 medicines and wellness products, including a derma-cosmetics range focused on skin health. The shelves are organized by symptom and ingredient, and product information is available in English, Japanese, and Chinese, so international visitors can easily find what they need. If you want help choosing the right supplements, you can use the consultation service. After smart devices assess your skin condition, stress level, body composition, and other health indicators, a pharmacist recommends supplements tailored to your needs. There’s also a service that sorts your supplements into daily packets, making it especially convenient for keeping up with your routine while traveling.
[OPTIMA WELLNESS MUSEUM Jonggak Branch]
- Address: Yeongpung Bldg. B2, 41 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 청계천로 41, 지하 2층)
- Operating hours: 10:00-21:30
- Inquiries: +82-507-1356-2962
- Website: owmpharm.com
- Self-service health checks and custom supplement packaging are available by reservation.
Coffee Hanyakbang is a roastery café styled after a traditional herbal medicine shop that is filled with retro charm. Vintage touches like mother-of-pearl cabinets, herbal drawers, and a baduk board catch your eye throughout the space. The café stands on the former site of Hyeminseo, a state medical office from the Joseon dynasty. Only a stone marker remains today, but enjoying traditional herbal drinks here still makes for a uniquely restorative experience. Signature drinks include Café Cinnamon, a blend of coffee and sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch); and ssanghwatang, an herbal tonic brewed with 11 medicinal ingredients. The menu also features pour-over coffee, flower tea, and leaf tea, so there’s something for every taste.
[Coffee Hanyakbang]
- Address: 16-6 Samil-daero 12-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 중구 삼일대로12길 16-6)
- Operating hours: Monday-Friday 10:00-22:00 / Saturdays 11:00-22:00 / Sundays 11:00-20:00
- Inquiries: +82-70-4148-4242
- Website: coffeehanyakbang.com
After spending the day exploring wellness spots in central Seoul, round out the experience with seasonal dishes that capture the flavors of spring. From fresh bomdong (spring cabbage) and fragrant minari (water parsley) to gosari (bracken) fresh from the mountains, Korea’s spring vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to help boost your immunity and leave you feeling recharged. Here are a few food spots where you can enjoy the season at its best.
[Yongmunsan Traditional Local Fare Village, Yangpyeong]
- Nestled at the foot of Yongmunsan Mountain in Yangpyeong, this food street is known for the region’s prized wild greens, once reserved for Joseon kings. Visitors can enjoy wholesome Korean dishes such as wild vegetable bibimbap, grilled deodeok, and leaf wraps and rice. Every April, the nearby Yongmunsan Wild Plants Festival draws visitors—scheduled for April 24–26 in 2026.
- Address: 640 Yongmunsan-ro, Yongmun-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do (경기도 양평군 용문면 용문산로 640 일대)
[Hanjae Minari Village, Cheongdo]
- This village is known for its minari (water parsley), long prized for its cleansing properties. It is usually grown in clean underground bedrock water and characterized by tender stem and strong aroma. It especially goes well with grilled pork belly or boiled pork slices.
- Address: Hanjae-ro, Cheongdo-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do (경상북도 청도군 청도읍 한재로 일대)
[Hwaeom Nature Table Food Street | Gurye, Jeollanam-do]
- Just outside the entrance to Hwaeomsa Temple, this food street is known for dishes made with wild greens from the pollutant-free natural surroundings of Jirisan Mountain. Signature dishes include wild vegetable dish set menu made with bracken, deodeok, and aster leaves, as well as mushroom hot pot.
- Address: 381 Hwaeomsa-ro, Masan-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do (전라남도 구례군 마산면 화엄사로 381 일대)
K-Wellness Trip FAQs
- Q: Can international visitors get a consultation at OPTIMA WELLNESS MUSEUM?
- A: Yes. OPTIMA WELLNESS MUSEUM offers personalized guidance for international visitors. Staff who speak English, Japanese, and Chinese are on hand, and one-on-one consultations help visitors find products that suit their skin concerns and needs.
- Q. Can I get a tax refund at OLIVE BETTER (OLIVE YOUNG) and OPTIMA WELLNESS MUSEUM?
- A. Yes. Both stores offer immediate tax refunds for international visitors. If you spend 15,000 won or more, just show your passport at checkout to pay the tax-free price on the spot.
- Q. Is there anything to keep in mind when eating seasonal vegetables in Korea?
- A. Yes. Some ingredients commonly eaten in Korea—such as dureup (fatsia shoots), daraesun (young hardy kiwi leaves), and gosari (bracken)—need to be blanched or boiled before eating. At restaurants, these are already properly prepared, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Original article by Kim Hyeon-seock / Translated by KTO
Photos by Kim Hyeon-seock, A Flower Blossom on the Rice, Optima Wellness Museum, Coffee Hanyakbang, ClipartKorea
