Before you go, buy or book in Korea

Discover local places and Korean products through reviews from people who’ve actually been there and tried them.

Restaurants, cafés and salons across Korea — every story by a blogger who actually went, linked to Google Maps.

Seongbuk Korean restaurant for lunch with Mom and aunt: Seochon Nugak

Seochon Nugak is a lunch-only Korean set-meal restaurant on Hyehwa-ro in Seongbuk, Seoul. Taking Mom and an aunt to Seochon Nugak, the writer ordered Jeju hijiki seaweed rice topped with abalone and scallop (17,000 won), a beef brisket and minari (Korean water parsley) rice bowl (15,000 won) and shiitake and plump shrimp gangjeong (crispy sweet-glazed fritters, 15,000 won). The seasoning was gentle and the ingredients good, so everyone felt comfortable after the meal. Seochon Nugak is worth remembering if you want a neat, wholesome Seongbuk lunch spot to share with your parents.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored

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Jung-gu, IncheonRestaurants

Red octopus hotpot near Incheon Airport: Eurwangni Jjanggune

Eurwangni Jjanggune is an octopus hotpot restaurant near Eurwangni Beach on Yeongjong Island in Incheon. Back from a trip to Okinawa, the blogger visited the Eurwangni branch of Eurwangni Jjanggune for a red octopus hotpot for two with a whole live octopus, then added kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and fried rice. With a large parking lot and an owner who cooks the hotpot at your table, Eurwangni Jjanggune is an easy octopus stop on the way to or from Incheon Airport.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Salad shop by Seolleung Station: 45g-protein pork rose pasta, Prepers

Prepers Diet Food Seolleung Station branch is a high-protein salad and rice bowl shop on Teheran-ro, right by Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer ate the Pork Rose Salad Pasta (45g protein, 437kcal) alone near the end of a weekday lunch hour and took a Beef Wasabi Bowl (51g protein, 630kcal) home for dinner. Prepers Seolleung Station is a solid solo-lunch pick for office workers who want a quick, light meal with plenty of protein.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
Songpa, SeoulRestaurants

Seokchon Station beef BBQ & ₩7,000 Balvenie 12 shot: Sutbul Seonghwa

Sutbul Seonghwa (숯불성화) is a charcoal-grilled beef restaurant on Songpa-daero 48-gil near Seokchon Lake in Songpa, Seoul, with a dedicated whisky space and three private rooms for about 6 people each. The writer ordered snowflake beef (nunkkotsal), spicy snowflake beef jjapaguri and 100% buckwheat bibim naengmyeon, paired with the whisky of the day, a Balvenie 12-year shot for ₩7,000. With satisfying meat quality, atmosphere and service, Sutbul Seonghwa is an easy recommendation for a wedding invitation meetup, company dinner or date.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
Dongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Isu food alley sashimi spot: thick-cut platter for 2, Hoepanjang

Hoepanjang Isu Branch (회판장 이수점) is a newly opened raw fish restaurant in the Isu Station food alley in Dongjak, Seoul, serving fish shipped straight from the source. The signature 2-person sashimi platter at Hoepanjang Isu Branch comes with thick-cut flatfish, rockfish, salmon and a seasonal live fish, plus a generous spread of sides such as mussel soup, three kinds of tempura and corn cheese. Verdict: Hoepanjang Isu Branch delivers on price, quality and portion size for a raw fish restaurant near Isu Station.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulBars

Yakitori bar in Yeonnam-dong for heart skewers and soju: Yakitori Uno

Yakitori Uno is a Japanese-style yakitori izakaya in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul, a 10-minute walk from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3. On a second-round stop, the writer ordered the 8-piece set for two (chicken heart, wing, thigh and eggplant) for under 30,000 won, plus butter sweet potato, cucumber tataki and two bottles of soju; the clean-tasting heart skewers and the sweet butter sweet potato stood out most. With a quiet, cozy room and a set for two under 30,000 won, Yakitori Uno is a good-value pick for skewers and soju in Yeonnam-dong.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
Yeonje, BusanBars

Rainy-day makgeolli bar in Yeonsan-dong, Busan: Chunhyangjeon

Chunhyangjeon (춘향전) is a jeon (Korean savory pancake) and makgeolli pub on Bansong-ro in Yeonsan-dong, Yeonje-gu, Busan. On a rainy day the writer and her husband ordered the Chunhyang SET (11 kinds of jeon plus 1 soup), chose kimchi budae-jjigae (kimchi army stew) as the soup, and paired it with Bambambar makgeolli and soju; the jeon stayed crisp even after cooling, and the soup was just as good. Chunhyangjeon is a great Yeonsan-dong pub for makgeolli on a rainy day, and the writer will definitely go back.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
Buk-gu, BusanRestaurants

Hwamyeong eel restaurant lunch with Mom, ochazuke tip: Shunsaikubo

Shunsaikubo Hwamyeong is a Nagoya-style eel rice bowl (hitsumabushi) restaurant in Hwamyeong-dong, Buk-gu, Busan, reportedly listed in both the Blue Ribbon Survey and the Michelin Guide. On a weekday lunch with Mom, the writer ordered 2 half freshwater eel hitsumabushi, served as a full set with salad, vegetable tempura, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), miso soup, matcha pudding and tea. Verdict: Shunsaikubo is a Hwamyeong-dong eel spot worth choosing when you want to treat someone special to a proper meal.

Written May 29, 2026Sponsored
Dongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ dinner with a friend in Noryangjin: Naengsam Hanok

Naengsam Hanok (냉삼한옥) is a frozen pork belly Korean BBQ restaurant about 500m on foot from Exit 3 of Noryangjin Station in Dongjak, Seoul. Booking on Naver for dinner with a friend, the blogger ordered Set A (48,000 won, six meats, 680g), paired the meat with potato wraps, bracken and minari (Korean water parsley), and finished by topping fried rice with gochujang frozen pork belly. Naengsam Hanok is a good-value Noryangjin pork belly spot, thanks to generous sides, a self-serve bar and complimentary steamed egg and doenjang stew.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
Gwangmyeong, GyeonggiHair & beauty salons

Gwangmyeong salon winter dark brown dye for two-tone hair: Maple Hair

Maple Hair Gwangmyeong Sageori Station Branch is a hair salon on the 2nd floor of a building near Exit 3 of Gwangmyeong Sageori Station (Line 7) in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi. The blogger's earlier light brown dye had faded and black roots had grown in, leaving two-tone hair. After a consultation using a color chart, Maple Hair toned it down with a dark brown premium full dye, with no scalp stinging. The gap between roots and ends settled into one calm color, making it a satisfying winter tone-down for a change of mood.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
Yeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido Korean food: minari bibimbap & crab broth pasta, Modam Urban

Modam Urban is a Korean restaurant on L3 of 10 Gukjegeumyung-ro in Yeouido, Seoul, serving set courses such as the Sanggyeonrye table and Sura table alongside à la carte Korean dishes. On this visit the writer ordered minari yukhoe bibimbap (water dropwort and Korean beef tartare rice bowl) and octopus pasta in crab broth, plus the six free appetizers that come with a main and a milk pudding for dessert. Ordering Modam Urban's classic Korean bibimbap together with the unusual crab broth pasta gives two very different styles of meal, making it a good spot for a get-together in Yeouido.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
Geoje, GyeongnamRestaurants

Korean BBQ near Geoje Sea World: icy mul naengmyeon at Kkotsutgalbi

Kkotsutgalbi Geoje Sono Calm Jisepo Main Branch (꽃숯갈비 지세포본점) is a charcoal-grilled marinated galbi restaurant in Ilun-myeon, Geoje, across from Sono Calm Resort. A family with a young daughter ordered the emperor marinated pork galbi set plus Korean beef brisket doenjang stew, and the daughter liked the pork galbi and the icy mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in chilled broth) best. Kkotsutgalbi is an easy stop for families travelling between Geoje Sea World and the Ilun beaches.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong sushi lunch with a sibling: ₩28,000 nigiri set, Sushi Sakaba

Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a sushi and izakaya-style Japanese restaurant on Dongmak-ro 3-gil, near Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a weekday lunch with a younger sibling, the writer ordered the no-margin omakase nigiri set (28,000 won), the lunch special (14,000 won) and the creamy crab croquette (8,000 won), and found well-aged fish, a well-judged rice portion and a clear step up in quality from cheap sushi. Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a good Hapjeong lunch pick even when someone in the group would rather skip special-cut fish, thanks to the lunch special.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored

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