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.

Sinnonhyeon hair salon scalp scaling and hair clinic A: Heeol Hair

Heeol Hair Gangnam Flagship Store is a hair salon on Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, near Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam, Seoul. Hair left frizzy at the ends by dye and perms was handed to designer Subin for scalp scaling at 50,000 won and clinic care A at 100,000 won, and after the scaling massage and hair spa steamer a comb ran through the hair with no snagging. One visit at Heeol Hair sorted out both damaged hair and scalp concerns, with a home-care treatment to take away.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored

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Yeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido Station gyukatsu 19,500 won, salt and wasabi: Hurato Sikdang

Hurato Sikdang Yeouido is a Japanese gyukatsu (fried beef cutlet) restaurant on the 3rd floor of Yeouido Finance Tower, a 3-minute walk from Exit 3 of Yeouido Station in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. On a weekend 1pm reservation the writer ordered two basic gyukatsu at 19,500 won each and a zero cola, grilling each piece on the personal tabletop brazier and dipping it in salt and wasabi in turn. The return visit was just as good as the first, and since weekend lunch still draws a wait, Hurato Sikdang Yeouido is best booked ahead.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Seongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Seohyeon galbijjim lunch special, 3 portions for two: Gimcheongja

Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch is a spicy braised rib (galbijjim) restaurant on the 2nd floor of Cheonji Officetel, near Exit 4 of Seohyeon Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. On a weekday visit, the writer ordered the lunch special for three in mild spice and shared it between two people, with rice and steamed egg included for strong value. Gimcheongja was almost full by 11:50, so going right at opening is the safest plan.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Nam-gu, BusanRestaurants

5 servings of thin-cut pork belly in Daeyeon-dong, Busan: Daepae Maket

Daepae Maket Busan Daeyeon Branch is a thin-cut pork belly (daepae samgyeopsal) restaurant in Daeyeon-dong, Nam-gu, Busan, a 2-minute walk from Daeyeon Station Exit 5. The writer ordered 5 servings of albam daepae samgyeopsal (chestnut-fed thin-sliced pork belly) and icy mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup), then filled the grill with vegetables, sundae (Korean blood sausage), pink sausage and kimchi from the self bar before finishing with fried rice. A 2,000 won per-person table charge applies, but the self bar at Daepae Maket is generous enough to make it a filling, good-value meal.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Seocho, SeoulRestaurants

Marinated short rib set lunch near Gyodae Station, Seoul: Huiyeol

Huiyeol Seocho Gyodae Branch is a Korean restaurant on the basement floor between Gyodae Station and Seocho Station in Seocho, Seoul, serving hanwoo beef and galbi set menus with sotbap (pot rice). Two friends ordered two marinated short rib sets at 35,000 won each and added a 180g a la carte portion for 29,000 won, paying 102,000 won in total for a table that included banchan, porridge, pot rice, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and nurungji (scorched rice). The beef comes out already grilled and the private and group rooms make Huiyeol Seocho Gyodae Branch an easy choice for a work dinner or a meal with parents.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Busanjin, BusanBars

Busan pub with fondue chicken feet and outdoor seats: Mokhwa Silbi

Mokhwa Silbi is a Korean pub (yojujeom) in Seomyeon, Busan, that has kept its half-outdoor, half-indoor setup for 10 years. The writer ordered the cream cheese shrimp fondue alongside the new fondue chicken feet, dipping shrimp and tulip-cut chicken feet into the melted cheese, and received two free highballs for arriving before 6pm. Ordering the two cheese dishes together was the most satisfying combination at Mokhwa Silbi.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Grilled minari and melgeot at a Hongdae Korean BBQ: Gogikkun

Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Mapo, Seoul, with outdoor seats right beside the Gyeongui Line Forest Park. On an autumn evening date the writer ordered the Hanwoo beef and Korean pork set for two (109,000 won), half-and-half naengmyeon (7,000 won) and diced radish kimchi fried rice (8,000 won), and the staff grilled everything from chuck flap to pork neck and rib meat, plus minari and kimchi. The best bite of the night at Gogikkun Gimchunbae was grilled minari and kimchi dipped in melgeot (salted anchovy sauce).

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Hongdae men's hair salon: softening leftover perm curl, Recteur Seoul

Recteur Seoul is a men's hair salon on Jandari-ro in Mapo, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 2, with a parking lot behind the building. Designer Hana softened the curl left over from an earlier foil perm, then did a volume magic perm and a cut in about 2 hours 30 minutes, and shaped the front part with a down perm for free. It was a first volume magic perm, and the side-view volume was well worth the time.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Gwangjin, SeoulThings to do

24-hour board game café near Konkuk University, Seoul: Nine One BG24

Nine One Board Game Café24 (나인원 보드게임카페24) is a 24-hour unstaffed board game café on Achasan-ro 31-gil, a short walk from Konkuk University Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. A couple visited together, followed the café's two-player recommendations to play Lost Cities and Yacht Dice, and snacked on Homerun Ball, Achim Haetsal rice drink and iced tea. With rulebooks and QR guides at every table, Nine One Board Game Café24 works even for first-time players and makes an easy late-night date spot near Konkuk University.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Gangneung burger spot with fries included in every order: Moana Burger

Moana Burger is a handmade burger restaurant on Nanseolheon-ro in Chodang-dong, Gangneung, with indoor seating where dogs are welcome. The Moana Burger costs 14,000 won and the Hawaiian Burger 15,000 won, and both arrived with fries even without ordering a set, easy to cut with a knife at the metal tables. Moana Burger sits 5 minutes from Gangmun Beach and 10 minutes from Gyeongpo Beach, making it a simple lunch stop on a Gangneung trip.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulCafés

Apgujeong Station bakery: milk bread with 3 jams, Option Black

Apgujeong Saengsikppang Option Black is a premium milk bread (saengsikppang) bakery in the alley between Apgujeong Station and Dosan Park in Gangnam, Seoul. The 6,500 won set brings two slices of bread with three homemade jams, and the bakery also sells the cream-rich D-shaped sikppang and a chestnut loaf. No water goes into the dough, so the bread at Apgujeong Saengsikppang Option Black is dense yet tears apart softly along its grain.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Ansan, GyeonggiCafés

Ansan dessert café open to 2am with red velvet cookies: Deep Dive

Deep Dive is a late-night dessert café on the second floor of a building in the heart of Jungang-dong, Ansan, done up in an all-black interior. Deep Dive opens from 11am to 2am, so it works as a stop after dinner and drinks, and the order here was fig yogurt cream cake and a red velvet cream cheese cookie with a decaf americano. Between the huge dessert showcase and the late hours, Deep Dive is an easy pick for a 1am dessert in Jungang-dong.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulCafés

Seoul café with fig and chestnut Greek yogurt: Lazy Yogurt Gangnam

Lazy Yogurt Gangnam is a Greek yogurt dessert café a five-minute walk from Exit 4 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. The Beheu Single costs 8,600 won and came topped with fig as the seasonal fruit plus a chestnut flavor add-on for 1,500 won, while the Claire Single at 8,600 won was ordered with orange and green grapes, plain flavor and banana for 1,000 won more. The fig and chestnut pairing matched so well that Lazy Yogurt Gangnam is worth a return visit in autumn.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored

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