According to the proverb "The March winds are the morning yawn," a fresh spring breeze not only awakens our souls, but it also infuses renewed vitality into the surrounding environment.

Namul, or seasoned vegetables and herbs, is a side dish that is virtually always featured on Korean dining tables around this time of year.

Despite the fact that many wild plants, herbs, and vegetables are now available all year, many of them are at their finest during the spring season.

The majority of namul cultivars are colored in various hues of green, however this is not always the case. Namul can include a variety of foods such as pumpkin squash, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and many types of seaweed, to name a few examples.

For example, there are many types of namul, such as bom namul, which literally means spring namul, and san namul, which refers to mountain-foraged wild vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Boreum namul, which literally translates as "full moon food," is historically consumed on the first full moon of the year in the hopes of remaining healthy, especially during the next summer.

Despite the fact that it takes a lot of time and work to prepare the veggies and herbs, the namul spices are kept simple.

Garlic, salt, or soy sauce are commonly used to season the vegetable after it has been blanched or steamed, along with sesame oil or perilla oil. Finish with a sprinkling of fine red pepper powder, powdered sesame seed, or finely chopped spring onion for a visually appealing presentation.

The numerous greens each have their own distinct aroma and feel — some are sweet, while others are bitter — and the seasoning is kept to a bare minimum in order to showcase the intrinsic flavor of each green.

Namul is traditionally served with a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup, resulting in a filling and delicious dinner.

We've compiled a list of three spring-inspired eateries in Seoul for you to enjoy.

1. Seoul's Parquet

Parc, a modern namul restaurant, has been in operation for nine years in the upscale district of Hannam-dong, nestled among wine stores, cafés, and pizzerias. Parc is a modern namul restaurant with a contemporary design.

One of the first things you notice when you walk in is a giant mural of Barcelona's Park Guell, which breaks the stereotype of Korean namul establishments. Stamps, mugs, and souvenir posters acquired from other places are displayed on the top shelves of the restaurant, which gives it an exotic appearance. The restaurant serves traditional Korean cuisine.

The 7-Namul Platter is the restaurant's signature dish, and it includes a variety of vegetables such as fernbrake, eggplant, Korean thistle, shiitake mushrooms, cham namul, seasoned deodeok root, and young squash.

Brown rice and doenjangguk are served with three distinct side dishes to round out the meal. While the namul may be eaten individually as a side dish, the spicy gochujang is served on the side so that you can combine the various namul and rice with a dollop of the spicy paste to create your own bibimbap to your liking.

"Because we believe that the freshest namul can be selected in the spring, we purposefully launched our restaurant on April 1, 2013," Pak Sung-woo, the restaurant's owner, told The Korea Herald. "We believe that the freshest namul can be picked in the spring."

"Our restaurant is distinguished by the use of a combination of muguen (old) namul, geon (dry) namul, and saeng (raw) namul." Pak said that depending on the time of year, different varieties of namul can be exchanged for different types of deodeok. "Visiting throughout different seasons adds to the enjoyment of visiting," Pak stated. An additional set of namul dishes is offered as a side dish exclusively during the first three months of the spring season.

Pak mentioned that he missed his mother's homemade spring namul the most when on his backpacking travels overseas, and he expressed hope that his meals will be similar to the heartwarming namul dinners he grew up with.

Although the namul plate costs 15,000 won, the side dishes and rice can be reordered at no extra cost.

2. Wonjo Jeongseon Halmae Gondrebab (also known as Wonjo Jeongseon Halmae)

Jongseon Halmae Gondrebab Insadong is the headquarters of the Jeongseon Halmae Gondrebab restaurant chain. It is located in a small alleyway in Insa-dong and serves a variety of Korean dishes.

In honor of the town of Jeongseon in Gangwon Province, which is noted for its gondre, or wild thistle sprouts, which normally thrive in pure alpine locations over 700 meters in elevation and are used in traditional Korean medicine.

Since its inception in 2000, the restaurant has gotten consistently positive feedback from Western visitors to Korea, both via word of mouth and through social media. When visiting Insa-dong, it has become a must-visit restaurant.

When you order Gondre Jeongsik, you will receive a collection of four distinct namul dishes, as well as ganjanggejang (raw crab seasoned in soy sauce) and galbijjim (squid ink noodles) (braised beef short ribs).

Each table has a notice indicating how to properly eat gondrebap. To begin, take a sip of the tea that has been served to warm your stomach. After that, drizzle a small amount of the chef's own soy sauce, known as gangdoenjang, over the gondrebap. Take some gondrebap and mix in various namul kinds, as well as two or three spoonfuls of the ganjanggejang sauce, when you've finished eating it this way.

"During the winter months, we dry the gondre in order to store it for longer periods of time." The Korea Herald said that fresh gondre from Jeongseon is now being steam-cooked "when it is still fresh," according to the store's manager. In particular, she stressed that the gondre from Jeongseon differs in flavor and color from the gondre from Ulleungdo on the eastern island of Ulleungdo, which is a pleasant fact that most people are unaware of.

For 20,000 won per person, you may have all of the side dishes, including namul, and have them replenished as much as you choose. Makgeolli made in Gondre is also available for purchase here.

3. Odaesan Sanchae Jeonmunjeom (Sanchae Jeonmunjeom)

It is called Odaesan Namul Specialty Restaurant in Yangjae, southern Seoul, since it is named after the mountain Odaesan in Gangwon Province, and it is known as sanchae because it is made with namul from the mountains.

Sanchae Jeongsik is served in around 15 minutes, which is much longer than other namul eateries where side dishes are provided immediately upon ordering.

According to the restaurant management, there are around eight distinct varieties of namul cooked each day, with the variety varied based on the day.

Although the majority of namul eateries serve a primarily vegetable-based dinner with some optional seafood side dishes, this establishment also serves meat bulgogi as part of the meal.

Even though the namul dishes in this region are quite salty, steaming tofu and various forms of jeon, or Korean fried pancakes, can assist to mitigate the saltiness if consumed together.

A kettle of broth is offered beside the black rice hot pot. Fill a second dish with rice and set it aside. Pour the broth into the heated pot and cover it tightly to produce nurungji, also known as burnt rice soup. Sanchae Jeongsik is available for purchase for 22,000 won.

If you want to sample even more namul variations, make your way to Odaesan. Namul restaurants may be found in abundance at the mountain's entrance, with some places providing as many as 30 distinct varieties of namul at once.