Firsthand stories from Korea, in ten languages
Restaurants, cafés and salons across Korea — every story by a blogger who actually went, linked to Google Maps.
Gyodong Nakwon is an izakaya with outdoor patio seating in Gyodong, Jung-gu, Daegu. At the big group table outside, the writer ordered crab tomalley pasta (₩16,000) and cheese & ham katsu (₩9,000) with somaek (soju and beer mixed), and kept reaching for the shrimp chips served free as a starter. Gyodong Nakwon handles group meetups and company dinners outdoors, and it is the kind of bar worth returning to.
Matsumi Seokchon Lake Main Branch is a Korean-pork tonkatsu (pork cutlet) restaurant right outside Exit 4 of Seokchon Ancient Tombs Station on Line 9 in Songpa, Seoul. On a weekend evening the writer, her mother and her sister ordered curry tonkatsu, cheddar cheese tonkatsu and Nagoya-style miso katsu and shared all three, and the cutlets tasted clean rather than greasy. Matsumi also keeps four solo-dining seats, so it suits a family dinner and a meal alone alike.
Low Five Sinpung is a pizza and pasta restaurant on Sinpung-ro in Haenggung-dong, Suwon. On a weekend visit with a child, the writer used the table QR code to order bacon cream pasta at 16,000 won, corn pizza at 19,000 won and an orange juice, then ate at a window table. The cream sauce was light rather than rich, the child finished the whole plate, and Low Five Sinpung proved an easy Haenggung-dong choice for a family meal.
TONI&GUY Daechi is a hair salon on Seolleung-ro 64-gil in Daechi-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, near Hanti Station. After a consultation with designer Dohwa, a mint-toned dye cancelled the red tones left in patchy, faded hair and the whole head was colored ash brown, followed by a scalp protectant, heat treatment, a massage shampoo bowl and a steam clinic with a heated eye mask. The final tone came out slightly brighter than before and far more evenly settled.
Jin 1926 Dasan Branch is an Australian clean lamb specialty restaurant on the 2nd floor of Sinhae Central Tower 4, Namyangju, Gyeonggi. Visiting on a weekend evening with a partner, this writer ordered French rack, lamb ribs and the myeongnanjeot (salted pollock roe) special rice, all grilled tableside by staff from start to finish. The French rack dipped in Maldon salt burst with juice and had no gamey smell, and the complimentary stir-fried mung bean sprouts rounded out the meal perfectly.
Appa Jjim Hanam Main Branch is a Korean restaurant in Hanam, Gyeonggi, a short walk from Pungsan Station, serving siraegi kodari-jorim (braised pollock with dried radish greens). Three friends arrived for the 11am opening and ordered the 35,000 won braised pollock with three hyangmi pot rice, extra siraegi and one whole cuttlefish, for a total of 56,500 won. Even a diner who never cared for braised pollock found the whole table — side dishes, pot rice and siraegi — worth a return visit, next time for the seafood braise.
Chomyeon is a solo-drinking cocktail bar on the second floor of a building near the bar street behind Haneulmadang in Dongmyeong-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju. Stopping in for round two after dinner, the writer ordered the First Impression cocktail made with peach, berry and lime, along with olive vanilla ice cream, cheesecake and iced shine muscat, ordering by QR code at the table. With light desserts to share and owners who start the conversation first, Chomyeon is easy to enjoy even if you are shy or drinking alone; it opens daily from 20:00 to 03:00.
Etrenne Jukjeon Branch is a Western restaurant in Dalseo, Daegu, on the first floor of the World Mark West End shopping complex near Jukjeon Station. From the weekday lunch 3-person set the writer chose shrimp rice and bisque shrimp jjongjjong pasta, added a single order of Toowoomba pasta, and tried lasagna for the first time. Etrenne Jukjeon Branch is small but cozy, making it a good place for a quiet date meal.
Gwihan Jokbal Nowon Branch is a jokbal (pig's trotter) restaurant in the dining alley 3 minutes from Nowon Station Exit 1 in Seoul. A couple ordered the half-and-half jokbal, egg custard and a bowl of rice for dinner, and also got free makguksu noodles and bean sprout soup; the spicy flame-grilled fire jokbal was a little hotter than Shin Ramyun but milder than Buldak. Gwihan Jokbal Nowon Branch is open until 2am, so it works for a second or third round of the night.
Mirim Yangjang Apgujeong is a basement Chinese restaurant and bar near Apgujeong Rodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul, specializing in Peking duck. Because Mirim Yangjang opens at noon, two friends were able to order half a Peking duck (39,000 won) at lunch and fill the table with fish-fragrant eggplant and stir-fried water spinach. It is a good choice for two people who want Peking duck without ordering a whole bird.
Olivus Compagno Sejong Boram Branch is an Italian restaurant on Sicheong-daero, right in front of Sejong City Hall. A married couple dropped in on a weekend drive and ordered flat iron cream risotto (18,900 won), Toowoomba fettuccine (17,900 won) and Korean new potato and sweet pumpkin gnocchi (18,900 won) for dinner, and the slightly spicy Toowoomba was the favorite of the three. With the Sejong City Hall lot free on weekends and holidays, Olivus Compagno works easily for both date nights and family dinners.
Seoreojeong Munji Branch is a set-course steak restaurant in Munji-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, facing the Gapcheon stream between Expo Apartment Complex 4 and Hyosung Harrington Apartments. A Jeonmin-dong local visiting her family home went with her mother and ordered the chuck flap mini udon set at 21,600 won, beef curry at 10,900 won and cod roe perilla oil pasta at 14,500 won, and even her mother, who is sensitive to any gamey smell in beef, called the steak tender. The verdict: if you go to Seoreojeong, order the cod roe perilla oil pasta first.
Mini Male Coffee Roaster Gyodae Court Branch is a specialty roastery café about 50m from Exit 7 of Gyodae Station in Seocho, Seoul. On this return visit for the Helsinki Latte, the order was two iced Helsinki Lattes, a butter salt bread, and handmade baton financiers in plain and bacon jalapeño, with weekday hours of 8:00–22:00 and weekend hours of 9:00–19:00. Even for someone who rarely drinks lattes, the Mini Male Helsinki Latte was the latte of a lifetime, and the salty bacon jalapeño financier is worth ordering again.
