Slow Cup Local · 51 stories

A Cup Later

I write about visits to cafes in Busan and Gyeongnam. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Bars · Shopping · Things to do

PlaceGangseo, BusanRestaurants

Quiet pho with bowl-up refills in Myeongji, Busan: Mibundang

Mibundang Myeongji Branch is a pho restaurant built around quiet dining, on the ground floor of a shopping complex in Myeongji International New City, Gangseo-gu, Busan. The writer had chadol pho with thin-sliced beef brisket (10,000 won) and chadol, brisket and tendon pho (13,000 won) with sweet potato jjajo and scallop jjajo (fried spring rolls), and especially liked the rich beef broth, the meat with no gamey smell and the scallop jjajo dipped in sauce. Mibundang Myeongji Branch, where you ask for refills by placing your side dish bowl up on the counter, is a satisfying spot for a clean, quiet lunch in Myeongji.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanCafés

Gwangalli brunch café: matcha lemonade & berry bacon at Famous Benny

Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch is an Australian-style brunch café in Millak-dong, Suyeong, Busan, that opens at 8am. On a family visit, the writer ordered a matcha lemonade (₩7,000), a vanilla latte (₩6,500), an acai bowl (₩9,000) and the signature Benny, and found the wood-and-rattan interior and table service memorable. The matcha lemonade, a first-time try, and the acai bowl were especially good, making Famous Benny a Gwangalli brunch café worth revisiting.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanCafés

All-black Jeonpo café with a black mirror and great playlist: Ibaba

Ibaba Coffee is a dog-friendly café with a black-and-white interior on the Jeonpo café street in Busanjin, Busan, in the shopping arcade of the Seomyeon Montrae apartments. On a weekday late afternoon, the writer tried the signature Ibaba latte (6,500 won), an iced Americano (4,500 won), yogurt gelato (6,000 won) and nunettine (flaky pastry, from 3,000 won), while checking out the black mirror photo spot, the well-chosen music and the all-black props. Ibaba Coffee is a good Jeonpo café for anyone who wants a moody black space and chewy desserts together.

Written Jul 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Australian bistro for a date in Seomyeon, Busan: chicken parmi at Onya

Onya is an Australian bistro on the second floor of a Jeonpo-dong alley in Busan, opened by a chef couple with experience in Australian fine dining and as head chef at the Finnish Embassy in Korea. On a date at Onya, the writer had chicken parmi (19,000 won), fresh pasta bolognese (22,000 won) and homemade kombucha (6,000 won each), and tried the Australian trifle dessert served free through a review event. With its own hot sauce, pickles and kombucha made in-house, Onya is worth a visit for a different kind of date meal in Jeonpo.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJinju, GyeongnamCafés

Jinju bakery café for a crookie and white roll: Bear Chateau Market

Bear Chateau Market (베어스츄리마켓) is a wood-toned bakery café in Pyeonggeo-dong, Jinju, that makes all of its bread in-house without frozen dough. On a second visit, 30 minutes before a movie, the writer had an iced americano (₩3,500), a crookie (croissant cookie, ₩5,700) and a white roll (₩6,000), then took the leftover bread along to the cinema. Verdict: Bear Chateau Market is the best bakery in Pyeonggeo-dong, and everything beyond the salt bread is delicious too.

Written Jul 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJinju, GyeongnamRestaurants

Chicken stew pub in Hadae-dong, Jinju for soju and ramyeon: Tongkeun

Smope Yangnyeom Tongdak & Tongkeun Sotddukkeong Dakbokkeumtang Jinju Hadae branch (통큰솥뚜껑닭볶음탕 진주하대점) is a restaurant in Hadae-dong, Jinju that simmers dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken stew) on a giant pot lid set over an oil drum. The writer came for dinner, but the ₩46,000 pot-lid set's chicken stew, potato pancake and fish cake skewers, plus ramyeon noodles, were so good that dinner turned into a night of drinks. Tongkeun works fine as a meal, but this Hadae-dong chicken stew shines even brighter alongside soju and beer.

Written Jul 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJinju, GyeongnamRestaurants

Jinju aged-beef restaurant: 50-day fermented ribeye, Sabong Hanwoochon

Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang Jinju Branch is a tile-roofed hanwoo (Korean beef) butcher-restaurant in Sabong-myeon, Jinju, Gyeongnam, with an in-house dry-aging lab selling aged and fermented beef. The writer ordered the 260g fermented hanwoo ribeye, fermented for more than 50 days (89,000 won). It came with upjinsal (beef belly) served on a huge rib bone, and the ribeye had a slightly dried texture and a beefy flavor that deepened with every bite. Sabong Hanwoochon is worth a visit in Jinju for anyone curious about the distinct taste of aged beef.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJinju, GyeongnamRestaurants

Jinju naengmyeon restaurant with house-made broth: Chamjinju Myeonok

Chamjinju Myeonok Main Branch is a Jinju naengmyeon (cold noodle) restaurant on Chobuk-ro in Jinju, Gyeongnam, that makes its own broth from beef brisket, ox bones and seafood and serves fresh noodles. On a midsummer visit the blogger ordered the Jinju Yangban Naengmyeon (12,000 won), an icy cold-broth naengmyeon; the spicy-sweet Jinju Assi Naengmyeon (13,000 won), a bibim (mixed) naengmyeon; and the freshly fried Grandma's beef yukjeon (25,000 won). Verdict: one bowl at Chamjinju Myeonok cools you down on a hot day, making it a good stop on a trip to Jinju.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceChangwon, GyeongnamBars

Changwon charcoal skewer bar: shrimp, scallop, ginkgo, Yakitori Gong

Yakitori Gong is a charcoal-grilled skewer izakaya (Japanese-style pub) in the Urban Bricks complex in Jungdong, Uichang-gu, Changwon. The writer ordered the 6-skewer yakitori set (19,900 won), added shrimp, scallop, ginkgo and chicken wing skewers and a Kirin Ichiban, and finished everything in under an hour. The skewers are grilled over charcoal as soon as they are ordered, so they arrive smoky and juicy. Verdict: the tsukune and chicken heart skewers stood out, and Yakitori Gong is a good spot for a drink with a Japan-trip feel.

Written Jul 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceChangwon, GyeongnamBars

Sangnam-dong izakaya, Changwon: mocktail, merou and 5 sauces, Tansaeng

Tansaeng Sangnam Branch is an izakaya-style pub specializing in charcoal-grilled fish, on the second floor of a building in central Sangnam-dong, Changwon. With the merou grill (Patagonian toothfish, 34,000 won) and a mentaiko (pollock roe) onigiri came draft beer and a Tansaeng signature cocktail made non-alcoholic for driving, and all five sauces were delicious: fresh wasabi, a special omandungi (sea squirt) sauce, basil pesto, ttaengcho (hot green chili) olive, and soy sauce with grated radish. With soft lighting, trendy music, counter seats and private spaces, Tansaeng Sangnam Branch is a Changwon bar worth revisiting for dates and group nights.

Written Jul 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceChangwon, GyeongnamRestaurants

Floor-seating BBQ in Masan: chicken thigh, half pork at Shashlik

Shashlik Masan Branch is a charcoal-grilled shashlik restaurant in Deokdong, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon, with camping-style decor, a large private car park, floor-seating tables and a dog-friendly policy. One serving of charcoal-grilled chicken thigh shashlik (25,000 won) and a half serving of pork belly and neck shashlik (12,500 won) came with grilled vegetables and pineapple, plus a homemade passion fruit ade from the review event. Shashlik Masan Branch costs a little more than an ordinary Korean BBQ place, but the charcoal-grilled quality and the atmosphere make it well worth it.

Written Jul 31, 2026Sponsored
PlaceChangwon, GyeongnamBars

Changwon bar with squid noodles and a driver's soda: Ganppa Maekju

Ganppa Maekju Changwon Sangnam Hyeongje Branch is a Japanese-style standing draft beer bar with no chairs, in the Moa Entmall in Sangnam-dong, Changwon. On a second-round visit the writer had Sapporo draft (8,900 won), crunchy squid noodles and fried chicken skin. The driver ordered a Crayon Shin-chan soda (6,900 won) instead of alcohol to meet the one-order-per-person rule, and a 4th-place win in the receipt review raffle earned one free draft beer. Verdict: Ganppa Maekju is a Sangnam-dong second-round bar where friends who can't drink can still have a good time.

Written Jul 29, 2026Sponsored