Bundang Swatch Hand · 25 stories

On the Back of My Hand

I write firsthand notes on beauty products after using them. · Writes about: Beauty products · Restaurants · Bars · Cafés · Fashion · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong sashimi pub weekday lunch: flounder namul at Bada Yakbang

Bada Yakbang Yeonnam (바다약방 연남본점) is an aged-sashimi pub on a side street in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. On a weekday lunch with old friends, the writer ordered monkfish liver salt gimbap (25,000 won), aged flounder sashimi tossed with namul (25,000 won) and abalone innards cream pasta (21,000 won), and was happy with every dish, including the complimentary seaweed soup. Bada Yakbang Yeonnam is a Yeonnam-dong bar with an evening mood even at lunchtime, and easy to share with people who don't usually eat raw fish.

Written Jun 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeodaemun, SeoulCafés

Yeonnam-dong bakery: pumpkin cream cheese bread a hater loved, Mandong

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch (만동제과 연남점) is a Yeonnam-dong bakery on Yeonhui-ro in Seodaemun, Seoul, best known for its garlic baguette. This time the writer skipped the garlic bread, tasted the sample slices a staff member cut, then picked bacon ciabatta, Emmental (yellow cheese bread) and sweet pumpkin cream cheese bread to share with family. Since even a pumpkin hater fell for the pumpkin cream cheese bread, Mandong Jegwa is worth a stop for more than its garlic bread.

Written Jun 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Half-and-half brisket tteokbokki in Gangnam: Mil Tteok Factory

Mil Tteok Factory Main Branch is an instant tteokbokki (spicy rice cake cooked at the table) restaurant on a basement floor near Sinsa Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer ordered brisket tteokbokki and sweet & spicy tteokbokki half and half, with butter garlic fries, assorted handmade crispy fritters and a 1L grapefruit ade. The tteokbokki, which came with both ramen and jjolmyeon (chewy wheat noodles), and the crown daisy fritters stood out. Verdict: Mil Tteok Factory Main Branch is recommended for anyone who wants tteokbokki and handmade fritters done properly.

Written Jun 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Apgujeong nail salon fixing torn nails after wedding nails: Naeil Didi

Naeil Didi (내일디디) is a nail salon near Apgujeongnodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul, on the 6th floor of 18 Apgujeong-ro 50-gil, with its second branch, Naeil Didi Sweet, on the floor below in the same building. After wedding nails followed by care-only visits without gel left the writer's nails torn and broken, Naeil Didi Sweet trimmed them short, reinforced them with powder and finished them in a fall nude syrup gel close to her skin tone. The writer was delighted with how well Naeil Didi Sweet shaped even her short nails.

Written Oct 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulBars

Open-air duck bar in Apgujeong with cheese fried rice: Hwaju Yojeong

Hwaju Yojeong (화주요정) Apgujeong main branch is an open-air duck bar on a back street near Apgujeongnodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul. A group of friends ordered half raw roast duck and half marinated duck jumulleok, with the owner grilling everything at the table, then stir-fried cheese fried rice in the leftover sauce on a cool evening outdoors. Hwaju Yojeong is worth a visit when you want both an outdoor bar atmosphere and genuinely good food in Gangnam.

Written Jun 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeonsu, IncheonCafés

Affogato café in Songdo, Incheon: 3 Wunder Gatos, half-and-half wins

Wunder Coffee Bar Hyundai Premium Outlet Songdo Branch is an affogato and ice cream café on B1, near the food court, of Hyundai Premium Outlet Songdo (known locally as Songhyeona, 송현아) in Yeonsu, Incheon. The writer tasted the café's signature Wunder Gato in three versions (hojicha, vanilla, and half hojicha, half vanilla) and compared them. The verdict: the half-and-half Wunder Gato was the most complete combination of the three.

Written Jun 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Daechi-dong solo eel bowl lunch & milk tea-like ice cream: Manmok

Manmok Seolleung (만목 선릉점) is a Japanese eel bowl restaurant on Seolleung-ro 82-gil in Gangnam, Seoul, near Seolleung Station and Daechi-dong. At Manmok's dedicated solo seating, the writer had a whole-eel bowl, chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard) and black tea ice cream that tasted like Gong Cha milk tea for dessert. Verdict: thanks to the open kitchen, the clean restroom and eel served with wasabi, Manmok delivered the best eel bowl the writer had eaten in a long while.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gopchang with kimchi sprout soup in Pangyo: Pangyo Insaeng Gopchang

Pangyo Insaeng Gopchang (판교인생곱창) is a beef gopchang (grilled small intestine) restaurant on the first floor of Pangyo Tower near Pangyo Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. The writer ordered 1 portion of gopchang and 1 portion of makchang (beef abomasum), grilled at the table by the staff, and was happy with the kimchi bean sprout soup served by default, the nutty gopchang with no gamey smell and the makchang that is crispy outside and chewy inside. Pangyo Insaeng Gopchang is a good stop whenever a gopchang craving hits around Pangyo Station.

Written Oct 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Spicy octopus restaurant in Magok that won over a non-fan: Songjjujip

Songjjujip Magok (송쭈집 마곡) is a Korean spicy octopus restaurant on the 2nd floor of Central Tower 2 near Magongnaru Station in Gangseo, Seoul. The order was the snow cheese octopus sari-mongttang (all-in set) for 2 plus cheese fried rice, and in the end 1 more serving of octopus was added. Even a diner who never cared much for octopus wants to go back to Songjjujip Magok for the flame-grilled aroma and sweet-spicy sauce.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulBars

Rainy-day Gangnam Station jazz bar: ₩39,000 course, Shiraz, Flat Nine

Flat Nine is a live jazz bar and course restaurant on the 5th floor of a building on Gangnam-daero 65-gil, near Sinnonhyeon and Gangnam Station in Seoul. On a rainy day the writer walked into Flat Nine, ordered the ₩39,000 Classic Course and a ₩29,000 bottle of Shiraz, and finished every bite of the white ragu pasta and the Jeju black pork tenderloin steak. For a good-value jazz bar course dinner on a date or anniversary, Flat Nine is a satisfying pick.

Written May 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Dosan Park pasta place for a wedding invite meetup: Eulji Darak

Eulji Darak Apgujeong Dosan Park is a Western restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building on Eonju-ro 168-gil near Dosan Park in Apgujeong, Seoul, entered through a door shaped like a bookshelf. For a wedding invitation meetup, where a soon-to-be-married friend treats everyone to a meal and hands out invitations, the group ordered four dishes at Eulji Darak: Darak omurice, spicy crab risotto, katsu sando and brisket perilla oil pasta, and the quiet inner hall was ideal for chatting. There is no parking, but prices are on the low side, making Eulji Darak Dosan an Apgujeong pasta restaurant worth recommending for a wedding invitation meetup.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulBars

Magok bar for groups, extra-tripe gopdori-tang: Yeonnam Jumak 1987

Yeonnam Jumak 1987 Balsan branch is a Korean pub in the Magok bar district near Balsan Station in Gangseo, Seoul. The writer and friends ordered gopdori-tang (spicy chicken stew with gopchang, or intestines) with extra gopchang for 7,000 won, a half-and-half jeon (savory pancakes) and yukhoe bibim noodles (spicy noodles with beef tartare), and the tripe-packed stew was good enough to finish with rice. With tables that work like private rooms and 2 hours of parking, Yeonnam Jumak 1987 Balsan branch is a solid pick for work dinners and get-togethers with friends.

Written Jul 5, 2026Sponsored