Infused fantasy

Nudake

Par Louise Conesa

The fifth floor of the bold Haus Nowhere building is now home to NUDAKE. At the heart of South Korean giant Gentle Monster’s sensory offering (which also recently opened in Paris), halfway between a tea room and an experimental space, this hybrid venue, nestled in Seoul’s Seongsu district, celebrates tea and its sweet accompaniments.

TEA(SE) TIME
Steeped in local culture for thousands of years, the Korean tea ceremony, ‘Darye’ (다례), is practised in unexpected places — whether at the top of a skyscraper or in the backyard of a typical ‘hanok’ house. Since the start of the school year, one such venue has been inviting visitors to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in a unique setting.

Known for its strong visual and taste identity, NUDAKE has been elevating desserts to the status of design objects since its creation. Its spectacularly designed spaces are rewriting and reinventing the art of dining with innovative concepts. Boutiques, pop-ups and flagship stores (all themed) are slowly springing up from Beijing to Shanghai, taking the form of living galleries where desserts, art objects and immersive installations coexist.

From the choice of organic furniture to the seven-metre kinetic sculpture standing in the centre of the lounge (VESSEL), NUDAKE TEAHOUSE once again invites visitors to enjoy an immersive experience. Blending historical and cultural references with AI, this new venue celebrates design, from the space itself to the food: extravagant trompe-l’oeil treats to taste, catchy infusions to smell — all presented on bespoke tableware designed by tableware brand Nuflaat.

TEA FLAVOURS & DESSERT OBJECTS
The salon offers a palette of unique scents. Teas as if personified: ‘La Mafia’, inspired by an iconic figure from the underworld, ‘Blue Monk’, a blend of bergamot, coconut and mint, evokes the serene mood of a monk bowing 108 times at dawn (an ancient, highly codified spiritual ritual). With notes of roasted nuts, ‘Leather Boots’ goes so far as to reinterpret the very essence of aged leather.

A total of twelve fragrances designed to complement the desserts on offer. Like Alchemist, which rethinks the way we perceive and experience cuisine, these conceptual bites challenge our visual senses with unexpected combinations (Heels Cake, Lobster Cake, and Small Talk, a reinterpretation of café gourmand). •