[Well-curated] Give in to sweet cravings, sample regional dishes and work it all off in laser survival game

Paju doughnut shop for your fill of sweet treats

With its vividly colored container-like building painted in pink and mint and decorated all around, eye-catching neon sign and giant ice cream cone sculpture by the entrance, the Malddong Donut in Paju Gyeonggi Province, is hard to miss.

Located some 4-kilometers north of the Paju Book City complex, the store, which opened late last year, has customers waiting in line from the moment it opens at 8:30 a.m.

Malddong Donut is a destination bakery, where people can enjoy an assortment of doughnuts, cakes and drinks, including milkshakes and smoothies.

At first bite, a Malddong doughnut has a very soft texture.

The types of frostings and sprinkles are very traditional, with a wide variety of chocolate-themed doughnuts on offer.

Those who prefer jelly doughnuts should not wait till evening to go, since they tend to sell out earlier in the day.

A small gift shop on the ground floor sells mugs, hoodies, tumblers with horse-illustrated Malddong logos.

Doughnuts at Malddong range in price from 3,200 won to 3,800 won. A cup of gelato is priced at 3,800 won and soft ice-cream, 3,000 won. The signature MalDdong original milkshake with glazed doughnut, cereal and marshmallow topping costs 8,000 won.

Be warned that when long lines form, those ordering beverages have to wait for an additional 20 minutes.

Malddong Donut is open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Become a shooting game hero at Laser X

Looking for a way to spend a dynamic weekend?

How about becoming a character in the famous South Korean battle-royale game Battleground?

At Laser X, an indoor laser survival game facility located in the partying neighborhood of Hongdae in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, you can have your very own shootout.

Once you arrive at the intersection in front of Hongik University’s main gate -- after a five to eight-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit No. 9 on Subway No. 2, turn left in the same direction as Hana Bank and you will soon see a building with a sign, titled “Laser Tag Arena.”

Laser X, which can be found on the fifth floor of the building, welcomes shooting game lovers, 12 years old and older.

Visitors can go up to the digital kiosk and choose from three options -- 2 Games for 14,000 won, 3 Games for 18,000 won and Weekday Free Pass for 25,000 won.

After storing your belongings in a locker room, the staff will guide you and give you basic instructions. Indoor shoes are offered for those who want to make themselves comfortable for the active shooting game.

Laser X owner recommends visiting before 2 p.m. as it gets crowded between 2 p.m. and y p.m., meaning long waiting time. Reservations are not accepted during the weekend.

Though playing time varies by users, the owner said that each game is usually completed in 25 minutes.

You can play solo or with teammates. Different themes, including bomb war, chaos game, virus war, one shot, zombie war and more are offered as well.

While Laser X is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, its weekend business hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Meet Korean food from across the country

“Namsan K-Food Festa," taking place Thursday to Sunday, brings dishes from around the country to Namsangol Hanok Village.

Each hall introduces a unique cuisine: dishes made with pine nuts from Gyeonggi Province, deep-fried ginseng and red ginseng tea from the Chungcheong provinces; seafood oyster jeon and pork gukbap, or a hot soup, from the Gyeongsang provinces; mustard leaf kimchi and salted seafood from the Jeolla provinces; buckwheat crepes and acorn jelly from Gangwon Province; and grilled black pork and citrus juice from tangerines grown on Jeju Island.

Check out unique North Korean dishes like Pyongyang dumplings, “nokdu bindaetteok,” also called mung bean pancake, and North Korean-style sausage “abai sundae.”

Don’t miss out on local snacks and desserts at the snack corner, where chestnut bread, fried chicken and "odeng" fish cakes will be available. Korea’s all-time favorite snacks, gimbap and tteokbokki, which have been listed on CNN’s top 50 street foods in Asia, are also available.

In addition, Korean chefs from the Global K-Food Association will show off their specialty dishes, such as japchae, jjajangmyeon and seasoned pork ribs. A kimchi expert will also offer her tips on how to make delicious kimchi.

Stay for the culinary competition on Sunday, where 20 young chefs will be put to the test to win the hearts of visitors with their culinary skills.

“Yeopjeon,” brass coins from Joseon Dynasty, are used as currency during the festival -- 1 yeopjeon costs 5,000 won to purchase.