Apron Peg Regular · 37 stories

The Apron Hook

I write about restaurants I visit around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés

PlaceSeodaemun, SeoulRestaurants

Sinchon 24-hour restaurant: seolleongtang solo set, Pyeongando Sikdang

Pyeongando Sikdang Sinchon Branch (평안도식당 신촌점) is a 24-hour sundae gukbap (blood sausage and rice soup) restaurant on Yeonse-ro 4-gil in Sinchon, Seoul, open every day of the year, with offal soup, gamjatang, yukgaejang and seolleongtang (ox bone soup) on the menu besides sundae-guk. On an upset-stomach day, the writer ordered the seolleongtang one-person set with pyeonyuk (sliced boiled meat) and sundae plus a beer, and the thin, tender meat and mild broth you season yourself meant lifting the earthenware bowl to drink every last drop. For a Sinchon gukbap spot where eating alone is easy even before dawn, the seolleongtang one-person set at Pyeongando Sikdang Sinchon Branch is a safe choice.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Hapjeong pub for dawn hunger: squid salad, scallop soup at Bako Jumak

Bako Jumak (바코주막) is a Korean pub on Dongmak-ro 7-gil near Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul, that stays open until dawn. After staying out until the early hours, the writer returned hungry and ordered the usual water dropwort and squid salad (minari ojingeo chomuchim), tried the mussel and scallop soup for the first time, and snacked on the free corn puffs served as a side. With few bars open this late around Hongdae, Sangsu and Hapjeong, Bako Jumak is a good spot to satisfy late-night hunger.

Written Oct 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Hapjeong izakaya for rainy solo drinks: ginkgo & cartilage, Soottori

Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong is a charcoal-grilled skewer izakaya on Dongmak-ro 9-gil in Mapo, Seoul, between Hapjeong and Sangsu Station. Ducking in from a sudden rainy-season downpour, the blogger took a bar seat at Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong, started with a skewer set and Sapporo draft beer, then added cartilage, ginkgo, chicken skin, shishito pepper, pork belly–wrapped scallion and bacon rice cake skewers one by one. With soft lighting, cute decor and smoky charcoal skewers, Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong is a perfect spot for drinking alone on a rainy night.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae jokbal restaurant with garlic sauce cabbage wraps: Manjok

Manjok Ohyang Jokbal Hongdae Station Branch is a five-spice jokbal (braised pig's trotters) restaurant about a 3-minute walk from Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer and a companion shared the smallest size there. They dipped shredded cabbage in the special garlic sauce, which comes one per person, and made wraps, with a refill of rice cake dumpling soup (tteok-mandutguk) and somaek (soju mixed with beer) on the side. Manjok Ohyang Jokbal's meat is glossy without being greasy and even the lean cuts are tender, so the garlic sauce wraps stay delicious to the last bite.

Written Jul 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGeumcheon, SeoulRestaurants

Doksan-dong restaurant, cuttlefish and salted squid bar: Gim Myeongtae

Gim Myeongtae Spicy Braised Short Ribs Gasan Branch is a Korean restaurant on Gasan-ro in Geumcheon, Seoul, centred on braised pollock (kodari-jjim) and braised short ribs. With an upset stomach on the way in on Line 1, the writer stopped at Gim Myeongtae and ate braised cuttlefish and dried pollock hangover soup with pot rice, adding seaweed wraps and salted squid from the self-bar. It was a hearty, protein-rich meal that shows why Gim Myeongtae has so many regulars.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae halal takeout for a team's late-night beers: Halal Steaks

Halal Steaks is a halal restaurant near the Red Road in Hongdae, Mapo, Seoul, serving platters on yellow rice and sandwiches on pita bread. The writer took out one platter and one sandwich from Halal Steaks as late-night beer snacks for a team in the middle of construction work, mixed them with a Subway salad, and found the cumin-scented sauces and smoky, flame-kissed meat especially addictive. Halal Steaks is worth recommending when you want to try Middle Eastern food in Hongdae as a solo meal or late-night takeout.

Written Jul 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeonju, JeonbukRestaurants

Jeonju baby octopus spot, rainy-day dinner with Mom: Jjukkumi Sinhwa

Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch is a stir-fried baby octopus (jjukkumi) restaurant in Inhu-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju. On a pouring-rain evening the writer booked ahead, went with Mom and ordered jjukkumi for 3. Staff stir-fried everything on the tabletop grill, so they ate the springy baby octopus in lettuce wraps without lifting a finger. Even the regular spice level was properly hot, Mom loved it, and the rainy-day dinner date at Jjukkumi Sinhwa was a big success.

Written Jun 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Sinchon Thai restaurant with no break time & free cilantro: Fong Thai

Fong Thai Sinchon Main Branch is a Thai restaurant on the second floor of a building on Baekbeom-ro near Sinchon Station in Mapo, Seoul, known for its pad thai. On a weekday visit around 2 pm, the writer had shrimp fried rice (10,000 won) and tom yum rice noodles (around 12,000 won) with a daytime drink, and was most impressed by the thumb-sized shrimp and the free extra cilantro. For good-value Thai food without worrying about a break time, Fong Thai Sinchon Main Branch is a solid choice.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hot pepperoni pizza & takeout oven spaghetti in Yeonnam-dong: Sunny's

Sunny's Pizza Market is a pizza and draft beer restaurant on the 2nd floor near Yeontral Park in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. On a Saturday evening, with delivery riders lined up, the writer ate a regular half combination, half hot pepperoni pizza with draft beer and took a cheese oven spaghetti home. Sunny's Pizza Market is a crowd-pleasing pizza-and-beer spot, with a medium-thick crust, stretchy cheese and well-balanced grease and seasoning.

Written Jul 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Sangsu private-room bar with yukhoe and squid mulhoe: Hongdae Gonggam

Hongdae Gonggam (홍대공감) is a private-room bar on the club street near Sangsu Station in Mapo, Seoul, with a ceiling decorated in pink flowers. On a gloomy day, the writer had somaek (soju mixed with beer) and a mulhoe (cold raw seafood soup) that combines beef yukhoe, conch and swordtip squid in one bowl. The squid was tender, the conch fresh and the broth tasty. Hongdae Gonggam suits anyone who wants mulhoe and a quiet conversation away from the noisy club street.

Written Jul 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Hapjeong hair salon scalp care for highlight-damaged hair: Pieum Hair

Pieum Hair Hapjeong Main Branch is a hair salon in Hapjeong, Mapo, Seoul, less than a 3-minute walk from Hapjeong Station, offering scalp care and hair clinic treatments together. The blogger, whose fine, thin hair was badly damaged by highlights, had scalp care, a clinic treatment and a blow-dry that took between 1 and 2 hours, and hair that used to catch on the fingers came out soft and smooth. Thanks to a quiet owner-stylist, Pieum Hair Hapjeong Main Branch suits anyone who wants to relax through a treatment without small talk.

Written Jul 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Date bar near Sangsu Station for cabbage roll hot pot: Dambaek Jujeom

Dambaek Jujeom (담백주점) is a Korean cooking pub on Yanghwa-ro 6-gil near Sangsu Station in Mapo, Seoul, so popular as a date bar that about nine in ten customers are women. On this visit the writer ordered cabbage roll hot pot, stir-fried octopus and gamtae (thin seaweed) rice balls, then finished every drop of broth and every grain of rice, plus a whole bottle of water. For couples who want clean, light bar food, Dambaek Jujeom is a sure bet.

Written Jul 21, 2026Sponsored