My 48 hours in Seoul

When he's not revolutionising the menu at the Seoul branch of the world-renowned Assouline Lounge, you'll find Jin-ho Lee (left) on South Korea's Arirang TV teaching cooking on My Little Kitchen. Seoul-born Lee spent a good deal of his early life as a student and chef in New Zealand, where he learned to cook all of the international cuisines that the country had to offer. Returning to Seoul, he soon began writing and photographing his own books, which are now internationally published in Korean, English and Chinese. Today he is close friends with many of Seoul's top chefs and hoteliers, and knows just how to put his finger on the pulse of the city's food and cultural scene.

To really connect with a place, says Lee, you need to go where the young people are. He recommends the Hongdae area on a Friday night. Its lively party atmosphere is Seoul's most diverse and it is home to street musicians, the indie music scene and hundreds of cafes and clubs for any genre of music you can think of. "Start with a craft pilsner and a bowl of fries at Castle Praha. The beer isn't the best in town, but you can get a feel for the crowd from here."

From there he suggests stopping in at Korea's busiest tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) restaurant, Jopok Tteokbokki (Gangster Tteokbokki — named because of the way the amiable owner looks), before strolling down Hongdae's "Parking Street". "This is where you can see Korea's youth culture all at once," says Lee. Hongdae's streets are dotted with street art and artists, which means every corner has something interesting to see and do. On Picasso Street you may even catch Ground Jam, a local tap group, busking on their boards. The area's clubs all have a friendly atmosphere and are welcoming to everyone, as long as you don't mind waiting in line at some of the bigger venues. On Fridays and Saturdays, Hongdae's parties go on through the night; you can always find a place to have fun.