The Beauty of South Korea's Theme Cafes

Background

Originally coming to South Korea on the pretense of focusing solely on Kdramas and Kpop songs, I never once imagined I would become so enamored with South Korea's hidden gem Theme Cafes. It all started with a simple suggestion to go to a restaurant going by the name "The Witch's Kitchen" that would cause the snowball effect for my friend group.

The Theming of a Restaurant

The Witch's Kitchen proves there is bountiful magic and discovery in Seoul beyond the already well known trends. Inside, we were greeted with a fully decorated halloween themed dining area fully equipped with props, lights, atmosphere, and a menu. All of these elements contribute to selling the idea that we were in a fantasyland. It's just the feeling you get when going to Disneyland/DisneyWorld, which is a testament to this small place. It was an unforgetable experience as we laughed pointing at each and every detail around us as well as the food items. I like to think some of the choices were designed after Scooby Doo villains.

The Importance of Fantasy

After the meal, we found a costume rack perfect for taking pictures to remember our time there. Of course we went for the most obvious instagram worthy outfit, Squid Game uniforms, and posed for a group picture. It would be this moment that would create our desire to seek out other theme cafes within Seoul, so whenever the chance arose, we took it. These included but not limited to ones fashioned after nature, archery, King Kong, Harry Potter, One Piece, and BTS. Overall, theme cafes were a discovery none of us thought would be that impactful, but it easily created some of the happiness memories as of late. There is something so powerful about the relationship between theme cafes and escapism. Don't worry about current worries, misgivings, or misfortunes, focus on this mummy pizza I'm going to eat while drinking from an IV full of witch's blood. There are times where people should feel at ease and these theme cafes will aid you in achieving Hakuna Matata.