A view of Seoul from Bukhansan Mountain, where the air is fresh and the silence is calming after the hustle of the city. Photos by Belle Taylor / China Daily

Sejong-ro street in downtown Seoul is an attractive pedestrian thoroughfare.

Vatos Urban Tacos is a place to eat, drink and be seen.

A street in Hongdae, Seoul's student and nightlife district.

The list of adjectives to describe this fascinating modern Asian city are endless, Belle Taylor discovers.

We were wandering down one of Seoul's tourist strips, packed with people and vendors flogging everything from traditional Korean fans to Psy socks, when we were stopped by three teenage girls. "We are doing a school assignment. Will you answer our questions?" they asked in halting English.

Sure!

"Use one word to describe Seoul."

Three curious faces looked up at us. We um-ed and ah-ed, eventually offering: "Modern?".

The hesitation came not from a lack of adjectives but from an abundance of choices. We could have said cosmopolitan, fun, young, creative, historical, green, traditional and quaint.

Seoul is a fascinating modern Asian city with a rich history and vibrant blend of East-meets-West due to a strong American influence - there has been a US army base in Seoul since 1957. A number of Mexican restaurants, American-style ribs eateries and even a cowboy boot shop have sprung up to serve the soldiers.

Seoul is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, but nestled in-between mountains that surround the metropolis, it feels green and spacious.

We were staying in Hongdae, the nightlife and student area that is out-of-bounds to US personnel. The young and cool crowd pack into the hundreds of restaurants, from Korean barbecue to New York burger joints, until late into the night. The bars and nightclubs are always heaving and the streets teem with students browsing the chic boutiques and bands who set up meters away from each other and vie for attention from passing crowds.

The streets pulsate with a young energy, and it doesn't take long to find what's fueling the buzz - coffee.

Roasted coffee, hand-drip coffee, espresso made by hip baristas with the utmost seriousness. You drink it, Seoul's got it. Don't expect to be able to order breakfast or lunch in these cafes either - they take their coffee far too seriously to bother with food. The coffee is good, although the American influence is evident. Served in giant oversized mugs, it can seem a little weak if your taste for the dark stuff runs a little more European. You will also be asked if you would like your drink served hot or cold, and if you want sugar you best request it.

After the morning caffeine fix, we headed out to Bukhansan Mountain. Catching the Seoul subway to Gireum Station (take Exit 3) and catching bus No 110B to the entry to the park, which is located not far from the city center.

We bought gimbap rolls, a Korean snack similar to nori rolls but with processed meat in place of fish, from a street vendor just outside the gate of the park. Entering Bukhansan the sounds of the city fell away. The climb to the peak was at times steep and more challenging than we anticipated but the air was fresh and the silence calming after the hustle of the city. We stopped to eat at a rest spot by a brook where Korean hikers, all kitted out in visually abrasive neon hiking gear, had also stopped and rolled out their picnic mats.

After our brief reprise, we continued walking, only to find the higher we got the tougher the hike, but we were soon rewarded with views of the city, cloaked in a dusting of smog.

Returning to the city, we headed out to eat, confident we could indulge after a tough day of hiking.

Seoul is a food lovers' paradise. Korean barbecue is delicious and restaurants serving the cuisine can be found everywhere. You will be given a selection of side dishes as standard - they are free and you can ask for refills. You then order your meat, bulgogi - a very popular type of marinated beef, which you cook over a hot plate in the middle of your table.

Kimchi - pickled cabbage - will almost always be served as a side dish. Sour and a little spicy, it is a must-try when you are in the country. Kimchi is to Korea what croissants are to France or hamburgers to the US. It's the taste of Korea.

Also popular is fried chicken. It's almost as ubiquitous as the coffee, and there is a good selection of Western restaurants. Very popular, and rightfully so, is Vatos Urban Tacos, a Mexican restaurant in the Itaewon area that offers kimchi tacos and giant frozen margaritas, all gobbled up by a hip crowd who seems to be there as much to be seen as to eat.

To get a glimpse of times past in this most modern of cities, head to the old Royal Palace. It is similar in layout to Chinese palaces, with buildings set around a courtyard. In the grounds is the very good National Museum that displays some very fine examples of Korean art, mostly oil paintings but also some mixed media, including cotton dyes and crochet.

The city itself is great to just wander through. The older part of town, which has been heavily gentrified, is perfect for a lazy afternoon of exploring. The old houses have been renovated into boutiques and cafes and throngs of tourists and well-heeled Koreans pack the streets, taking photos, shopping or passing the day in cafes.

After a long day of exploring, try the ultimate Korean experience - a Korean spa. The huge Dragon Hill spa is a good place to start. After paying the KRW13,000 ($12) entry you will be given a pajama set and let lose to wander through the spas, sauna and pools. You can get a massage or go eat a meal. A perfect way to end a day's sightseeing in Seoul.

Contact the writer at belletaylor@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 01/05/2014 page10)