Narrow Cupboard · 6 stories

A Narrow Shelf in Ansan

Writes about restaurant visits scattered across Gyeonggi's smaller towns. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés

Garosu-gil couple's restaurant with non-alcoholic beer: Awesome Rose

Awesome Rose is a steak and pasta restaurant in a basement on Garosu-gil (Apgujeong-ro 10-gil) in Gangnam, Seoul. On a revisit with her boyfriend, the writer ordered the Rose Set for two (72,000 won): mushroom soup, a White Rose Pasta made spicy through the request box, and a medium-rare Hanwoo Rose Steak, with the wine swapped for non-alcoholic beer because he was driving. With movie clips playing for a romantic mood and fair prices, Awesome Rose is a date and anniversary spot worth returning to again and again.

Written Oct 16, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Pangyo gyukatsu restaurant: Set B with spicy tantanmen, Ichigyu

Ichigyu Avenuefrance Pangyo is a gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurant on the 2nd floor of Avenuefrance near Pangyo Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, where every table has a personal grill for searing tenderloin and striploin cutlets yourself. The writer ordered the tenderloin + striploin Set B (45,000 won) and spicy tantanmen (11,000 won), got karaage through a Naver review event, and stirred the free-refill rice into the ramen for a hearty meal. At Ichigyu, the melt-in-your-mouth tenderloin gyukatsu is the cut to order.

Written Jun 19, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Seongsu Station burger date: butter-bun double cheese, bd Burger

bd Burger Seongsu is a handmade burger restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building near Exit 3 of Seongsu Station in Seongdong, Seoul. On a date, the couple ordered the Buldak shrimp set (18,400 won) and the double cheeseburger set (17,900 won). They swapped the sides for cheese fries and fried eggplant, added fried mushrooms (7,900 won), and loved the butter bun and juicy double cheese patty. Portions at bd Burger Seongsu were generous enough to take the leftover sides home, making it a filling Seongsu date burger spot.

Written Jun 30, 2026Sponsored

PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Sadang-dong tonkatsu restaurant, spicy gyudon set and ₩2,000 shrimp

Kosi Isu Branch is a Japanese restaurant near Isu Station Exit 9 in Sadang-dong, Dongjak, Seoul, specializing in tonkatsu and udon with house-made noodles. Near the writer's office and long on the writer's list, Kosi Isu Branch served a 14,500-won mixed katsu, a spicy gyudon set, a 3,500-won sweet potato cheese croquette and 2,000-won fried shrimp, with crunchy fried food and chewy udon noodles. The only small letdown was that the croquette came without a dipping sauce; every dish was satisfying, and the writer plans to return to Kosi Isu Branch.

Written Jul 22, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeocho, SeoulCafés

Seocho cake shop, last after-work mango cake in peach slices: Chef Cho

Chef Cho Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam is a fruit cake shop on B1 of Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam in Seocho, Seoul, connected to Express Bus Terminal Station, and was featured on the Korean TV show Master of Living (생활의 달인) as one of the "Big 4" cake shops. The writer visited after work in July and picked up the last mango cake left, packed with mango on top and inside, wrapped in thin peach slices along the sides and balanced by light dairy fresh cream. If you want a cake with plenty of fruit, go to Chef Cho Gangnam early and pick the mango cake.

Written Jul 31, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Straw-smoked tuna birthday lunch at Pangyo sushi bar Suyori Sikdang

Suyori Sikdang is a reservation-only sushi omakase restaurant in the underground arcade at Pangyo Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. For a birthday lunch, the 45,000 won course ran to 18 items, including truffle-topped flounder, young tuna smoked over rice straw with basil pesto, and sea urchin with gamtae (seaweed). Every piece arrived with a different sauce and aroma, so Suyori Sikdang is an easy recommendation for good-value omakase near Pangyo.

Written Sep 18, 2026Sponsored

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