Firsthand stories from Korea, in ten languages

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.

Three-fish sashimi bibimbap for weekday lunch in Busan: Suseong Susan

Suseong Susan is a mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) and sashimi bibimbap restaurant facing the sea in Sinho-dong, Gangseo, Busan. Arriving at 11:30am on a weekday, I ordered the three-fish combo sashimi bibimbap (halibut, spotted flounder, needlefish), which came as a full spread with the sashimi and vegetables in separate bowls, a whole abalone and beef seaweed soup. The tangy-sweet house chojang (vinegar-chili sauce) made the bowl good enough that Suseong Susan went straight into my saved maps.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored

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Yeongdeungpo, SeoulBars

Yeongdeungpo second-round bar with mango bingsu: Ho Samchon

Ho Samchon Yeongdeungpo Main Branch is a Korean gastropub on the second floor of a building in the bar district by Yeongdeungpo Station in Seoul. Two people ordered tomato hangover pasta stew, jjagyechi (jjajang noodles with fried egg and cheese) and mango bingsu (shaved ice), going from a soupy anju to dessert in one sitting. The music at Ho Samchon stays low enough for conversation, and the wide room with group tables works for both dates and gatherings.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Uijeongbu, GyeonggiRestaurants

Midnight Korean BBQ in Uijeongbu: pork belly and jowl, Geuttaegeujip

Geuttaegeujip is a 24-hour Korean BBQ restaurant in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, 241m from Exit 1 of Uijeongbu light rail station. After an IMAX screening of 'Odyssey', the writer walked into Geuttaegeujip past midnight and ordered three servings of thick-cut pork belly plus extra pork jowl, grilled on a cauldron-lid pan, with a complimentary doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). Geuttaegeujip is a reliable pick when you want grilled pork late at night without watching the clock.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Seocho, SeoulRestaurants

Sadang Vietnamese lunch, pineapple fried rice: Bangbaedong Ssalguksu

Bangbaedong Ssalguksu is a Vietnamese restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, 478m from Sadang Station Exit 11. A weekday lunch here brought beef brisket pho (11,000 won), pineapple fried rice (12,000 won) and Vietnamese fresh spring rolls (6,000 won), with the main dishes served in portions about 1.5 times the usual size. With prices in the low 10,000s and generous servings, Bangbaedong Ssalguksu is good value, and the pineapple fried rice was the best of the three dishes.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Suwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Suwon restaurant with mushroom soup and baguette: Nonchalant Lounge

Nonchalant Lounge is a Western-style lounge serving pasta, risotto and pizza on Jeongjo-ro in Haenggung-dong, Suwon. Arriving on a Sunday at 11:30am meant a 15-minute wait for a space at the Jangan-dong public parking lot, then mushroom soup with baguette, bisque rosé pasta, crispy thin pizza and truffle bulgogi risotto with garlic butter rice added. Wide spacing between tables and large windows make Nonchalant Lounge an easy pick for a date or a group meal.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Yongin, GyeonggiBars

Yongin bar with sous vide pork jowl and chive salad refill: Bacha Suji

Bacha Suji Branch is a gastropub on Pungdeokcheon-ro near Suji-gu Office in Yongin, Gyeonggi. Dinner and drinks at Bacha Suji Branch came to the made-to-order brisket and seafood tteokjjim (rice cake stew) at 27,000 won and the sous vide pork jowl with chive salad at 26,000 won, plus Bacha's cream draft beer, and the best part was the staff bringing a second helping of the chive salad that goes with the pork. Bacha Suji Branch is the right pick when you want good food and a table quiet enough to talk over.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Busanjin, BusanBars

Seomyeon date night izakaya, Busan: C set wagyu at Teppan King

Teppan King is a teppanyaki izakaya in Seomyeon, Busan, about 46 m from Seomyeon Station Exit 6, where the cooking is done on a hot iron plate right in front of guests. On a Busan trip the writer arrived at 6 p.m. and ordered the C set for 59,000 won (wagyu kkotgalbisal short rib steak, scallop and shrimp grill, special okonomiyaki) with two lemon draft beers, paying 68,000 won in total. With the teppan show running while you eat, Teppan King is a Seomyeon couple date spot worth coming back to.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Suyeong, BusanRestaurants

Weekend wait and booking at a Gwangalli pot rice restaurant: Solsot

Solsot Gwangalli is a Korean pot rice (sotbap) restaurant in Gwangalli, Suyeong, Busan, a 4-minute walk from Geumnyeonsan Station Exit 1. On a Saturday lunch visit Solsot Gwangalli was nearly full with couples, families and solo diners, so a wait formed right away; the meal was steak pot rice and abalone pot rice, both 17.9, finished with nurungji sungnyung (scorched rice tea). For a weekend visit to Solsot Gwangalli, booking ahead on Naver or Catch Table is the safer plan.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Geomdan, IncheonRestaurants

Kid-friendly pasta restaurant in Geomdan, Incheon: Italian Madam

Italian Madam Main Branch is a pasta and risotto restaurant near Wanjeong Station in Geomdan, Incheon. Over dinner with a 35-month-old, the writer ordered shrimp aglio olio (13,900 won) and beef flap steak cream risotto (15,900 won), both seasoned mildly enough for the child to share, alongside complimentary garlic bread, a self-serve bar, a baby chair and kids' tableware. Italian Madam Main Branch is an easygoing neighborhood Italian spot for a family dinner.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Cheongju, ChungbukCafés

Yullyang-dong rice cake café group seating for 8: Tteokmama Cheongju

Tteokmama Cheongju Yullyang Branch is a tteok (rice cake) café at 94 Gonghang-ro, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, on the Yullyang-dong corner. The white-and-wood shop has a glass-partitioned group table that seats 8 or more, and the pumpkin injeolmi and castella injeolmi (chewy bean-powder rice cakes) come individually wrapped in 100g portions, just right for finishing in one sitting. Tteokmama also takes custom orders for thank-you tteok and 100-day (baek-il) tteok, which makes it an easy one-stop choice for celebration prep.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Jecheon, ChungbukRestaurants

Uirimji Lake day-trip lunch at a Jecheon Chinese restaurant: Nangman

Nangman Jjajang is a Chinese restaurant on Uirimdae-ro 48-gil near Uirimji Lake in Jecheon, Chungbuk, housed in what looks like a converted home with tablet ordering and a self-service corner. Before sightseeing at Uirimji, two of us ordered the tray jjajang (25,000 won) — spicy noodles with wok-charred onion and seafood — and the cream tangsuyuk with tenderloin (25,000 won), which stayed crisp under the sauce so neither dish felt heavy. If you want to fit a proper meal into a Jecheon itinerary, this is the pair at Nangman Jjajang to remember.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Songpa, SeoulRestaurants

Ginseng chicken noodle soup with king mandu in Songpa: Hanyang Dak

Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch is a chicken kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and samgyetang kalguksu restaurant in Garak-dong, Songpa, Seoul, a 2-minute walk from Gyeongchal Hospital Station Exit 4. The order was an extra-large samgyetang kalguksu, mini suyuk (boiled pork) and meat king mandu (large dumplings), bringing a rich broth with half a chicken and sticky rice, house-made noodles and kimchi from the self-bar. Hanyang Dak Kalguksu is worth a visit if you want a filling meal that sits somewhere between kalguksu and samgyetang.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonCafés

Gangneung snack shop with baby-friendly parking: coffee vs corn sand

Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a souvenir snack shop that fills an entire building on Seonggokgoyang-gil in Gangneung, Gangwon. Arriving by car with a baby, the wide lot beside the building made parking easy, and between the two treats bought here, the coffee sand with its rich coffee cream beat the corn sand. With exhibits, photo zones, an experience zone and courier shipping, Gangneung Sand Main Branch is an easy stop for a look around and a snack to take home.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored

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