After-Hours Tray · 20 stories

A Meal After Work

I write about restaurant meals I find around Seoul after work. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hanwoo dining in Gongdeok, Seoul: wedding anniversary B course at Usu

Usu is a hanwoo (Korean beef) dining restaurant with private rooms only, on the B2 floor of Lotte Castle President in front of Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer booked Usu's Dinner B Course for a wedding anniversary. The meal ran from beef and chicken porridge, bite-sized dishes, yukhoe gamtae, tilefish, tteokgalbi and five-color gardenia noodles to hanwoo grilled on a personal grill, a rice meal and dessert. The anniversary added champagne and a tea table set with a Happy Anniversary card and candle. Usu Gongdeok's private-room dinner course suits couples who want a quiet anniversary evening for two.

Written Nov 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Hapjeong night café: Haro Wachu vs La Betania Geisha, Central Site

Central Site Hapjeong is a hand-drip roastery café on Yanghwa-ro 7-gil in Mapo, Seoul. After dinner, we tried two hand-drip coffees, Ethiopia Guji Haro Wachu and Colombia La Betania Geisha, with a classic tiramisu (8,500 won). Central Site Hapjeong's hand-drip coffee and not-too-sweet tiramisu were memorable enough to want another cup even on a full stomach.

Written Nov 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Chowol duruchigi restaurant after Hwadamsup foliage: Oneuldo Utja

Oneuldo Utja Chowol (오늘도웃자 초월) is a duruchigi (spicy Korean stir-fry) restaurant in Chowol-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, a 10–15 minute drive from Hwadamsup. After an autumn foliage walk at Hwadamsup, the writer had squid and pork duruchigi heaped with bean sprouts, water dropwort and enoki mushrooms, plus a giant rolled omelette and freshly cooked pot rice, and a spoonful of duruchigi over the pot rice was the most memorable bite. Oneuldo Utja Chowol is a solid pick for a hearty Korean dinner after seeing the autumn leaves at Hwadamsup or Gonjiam.

Written Nov 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangneung, GangwonCafés

Gangneung café: autumn-leaf box, coffee vs corn sand—Gangneung Sand

Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a sandwich cookie souvenir shop and café on Seonggokgoyang-gil in Gangneung, Gangwon, selling Gangneung Sand cookies in 6 flavors: coffee, dried persimmon, Chodang corn (sweet corn), black sesame, strawberry and sweet potato. The writer tasted the coffee and Chodang corn flavors side by side from an autumn foliage gift box, then explored the indoor sandbox on the 3rd floor and the 5th-floor observatory. Chodang corn charmed with its kernel texture and coffee with its rich flavor, but if only one could be chosen, the coffee Gangneung Sand was the top pick.

Written Oct 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Rainy-day Korean set meal near Ojukheon, Gangneung: Saimdang Bueok

Saimdang Bueok (사임당부엌) is a Korean set-meal (hanjeongsik) restaurant in Gangneung, about 400 meters from Ojukheon. On a rainy day the Saimdang Hansang set arrived with kimchi, namul (seasoned vegetables), japchae (glass noodles) and cabbage wraps, plus grilled fish, sizzling stir-fried pork, shrimp and scallops, and soft tofu, leaving almost no empty space on the table. Saimdang Bueok is worth remembering for a hearty Korean family meal near Ojukheon.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Gongdeok brunch restaurant: aged kimchi pilaf & seafood salad, HEOD

HEOD Gongdeok (해옫 공덕) is a brunch restaurant with a yellow sign on Gwangseong-ro 6-gil in Mapo, Seoul, right beside Gyeongui Line Forest Park. Two diners ordered the aged kimchi pilaf (18,800 won) and the seafood salad (18,800 won), and the hearty pilaf paired well with the salad's bright lemon and olive oil dressing. HEOD Gongdeok is a good Gongdeok and Daeheung brunch spot for a meal with forest park views followed by a walk.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Gongdeok Station health food for one: yuzu salmon oat box, Why Starve

Why Starve Diet Gongdeok Main Branch is a protein box, tofu noodle and salad shop in the basement arcade of Lotte Castle President, connected to Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. At Why Starve Diet the writer ate in with a salmon oat protein box with yuzu dressing (₩12,900) and a smoked duck tofu noodle protein box (₩11,900), and the wall-facing solo seats and kiosk ordering made eating alone easy. Why Starve Diet suits solo diners at Gongdeok Station who want a filling meal with both protein and carbs.

Written Oct 12, 2026Sponsored
PlacePohang, GyeongbukRestaurants

Night-view restaurant in Songdo, Pohang: shrimp rosé pasta at Plan A

Plan A Restaurant (플랜에이레스토랑) is an ocean-view Western restaurant on the 4th floor of a building right in front of Songdo Beach in Pohang. We visited Plan A Restaurant in the evening for the night view of the sea and ordered a burrata cheese salad, shrimp rosé pasta and beef pilaf. The rosé pasta generously packed with shrimp and the pilaf with whole pieces of steak were the highlights. Plan A Restaurant's perfectly seasoned food is even more memorable than its night view of the sea.

Written Oct 11, 2026Sponsored
PlacePohang, GyeongbukRestaurants

Pohang mulhoe restaurant, 45-min wait that took 15 at 2 pm: Ppwang

Ppwang Mulhoe (퐝물회) is a mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) restaurant on Haean-ro in Pohang, right in front of Yeongildae Beach. Ppwang Mulhoe was full after 2 pm on a weekday and quoted a 45-minute wait, but the table came in 15 minutes, followed by flounder mulhoe, squid pajeon (savory pancake) and a Hanwoo bulgogi rice bowl. With good mulhoe and a self-serve bar that even includes tteokbokki and fried snacks, Ppwang Mulhoe works well for a family meal with kids.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNam-gu, UlsanCafés

Ulsan rice cake shop, pumpkin milk vs sikhye: Baekho Tteokbang

Baekho Tteokbang (백호떡방) is a rice cake shop specializing in pumpkin injeolmi (chewy rice cake) on Beonyeong-ro in Sinjeong-dong, Nam-gu, Ulsan. On a trip to Ulsan, the writer tried a medium Baekho tteok coated in castella crumbs (₩8,000) along with pumpkin sikhye (sweet rice drink) and pumpkin milk (₩4,500 each), and of the two drinks the pumpkin milk tasted better. Baekho Tteokbang is a good fit if you want to enjoy traditional tteok like a dessert and have it gift-wrapped too.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDong-gu, UlsanRestaurants

Daewangam, Ulsan Chinese restaurant: 250°C jjamppong, shrimp menbosha

Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong is a Chinese restaurant in Dong-gu, Ulsan, near Daewangam Park, specializing in stone-plate jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup). During a trip to Ulsan, the writer had dinner at Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong: nurungji (scorched rice) stone-plate jjamppong served on a 250°C stone plate, which changed flavor three times, from soup to stir-fry to yakiudon (Japanese-style fried udon), and handmade macaron menbosha (shrimp toast) packed with plump shrimp. Eating one plate of jjamppong from the noodles down to the scorched rice makes Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong a memorable meal.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Gyukatsu spot at Seoul Station: hamburg omurice, 35-min wait, Ichigyu

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is a Japanese restaurant on basement level 1 of the LG Seoul Station Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, where diners grill gyukatsu (beef cutlet) themselves on a tabletop iron plate. On a weekday around 12pm the wait was 6 groups (an estimated 35 minutes), and the order was the gyukatsu set (₩19,500) and the hamburg steak omurice (₩17,000): thick gyukatsu grilled in Isigny butter and a fluffy omurice with a large hamburg steak inside. For a different Japanese lunch near Seoul Station, Ichigyu is worth it with the gyukatsu and hamburg steak omurice ordered together.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored