Evening Banchan Fan · 27 stories
I write about restaurant meals found around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Stays · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Things to do
Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch is a Bali-style brunch café in Millak-dong, Suyeong, Busan, near Gwangalli. On a day out, a couple ordered the acai bowl, bacon French toast, matcha lemonade, a blueberry smoothie and an iced Americano with a choice of beans, and the wife named the Famous Benny acai bowl the best she has ever eaten. Famous Benny is a relaxed, photogenic Gwangalli brunch café where kids and dogs are welcome.
Jju Baksa Magok Branch (쭈박사 마곡점) is an iron-plate webfoot octopus and pork belly restaurant on a building corner in Magok-dong, Gangseo, Seoul, right in front of Seoul Botanic Park. On a Friday at 3 pm, the writer sat on the outdoor patio and ate iron-plate octopus with pork belly, a pork belly add-on, self-serve rice balls and fried rice for 46,500 won in total. Staff stir-fried everything to the end and brought a free cheese steamed egg. Jju Baksa Magok Branch suits anyone who wants an outdoor octopus meal on a fine day followed by a walk to Seoul Botanic Park.
Hair Geurimi Eungam Branch is a hair salon near Eungam Station in Eunpyeong, Seoul, close to Eungam E-Mart. The writer came in planning a straight perm for summer-damaged hair, but the designer recommended color and a cut instead, and the shorter tassel-cut bob also cut down drying time. For a friendly consultation that checks your hair condition before recommending a treatment, Hair Geurimi Eungam Branch is a good fit.
Boulangerie Copain (블랑제리코팡) is a European-style bakery on Huiujeong-ro in Mangwon-dong, Mapo, Seoul, featured on SBS's Master of Life in 2018 for its baguettes and croissants. On a sponsored visit, the writer picked four items for ₩25,500 in total: a Valrhona chocolate baguette, a ham and cheese baguette sandwich, a chestnut loaf and a raspberry almond croissant. They were eaten at Mangwon Hangang Park. With its luxurious raspberry jam and rich chocolate, Boulangerie Copain is a takeout bakery worth recommending to anyone looking for bread in Mangwon.
Ojo Manggaetteok (오조망개떡) is a traditional handmade manggaetteok (red bean rice cake wrapped in mangge leaves) shop on the first floor of Hongu Building near Saetgang Station in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. The writer reserved Mixed Set A for 50,000 won (15 manggaetteok, 4 lotus leaf yakbap and 8 apple roll tteok or mugwort injeolmi) as a gift for the writer's mother-in-law, and on a weekday visit at 4 PM every rice cake was already sold out. The wrapping and the mild red bean flavor were both excellent, but at Ojo Manggaetteok a reservation is practically a must.
Heukmaneul Boribap is the second branch of a black garlic ssambap (lettuce-wrap rice) restaurant, tucked inside the ssambap alley of Gugyeong Market in Danyang, Chungbuk. The suyuk (boiled pork) barley rice set costs 17,000 won per person, and a set for 2 at 34,000 won came with five side dishes for bibim (mixing into rice), three banchan, crab doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), and extra barley rice for 1,000 won. Wrapping Heukmaneul Boribap's black garlic sauce suyuk with pickled radish kimchi is the bite that matters most, and it earned a 100% revisit verdict.
Danyang Heukmaneul Nurungji Dakgangjeong is a dakgangjeong (crispy sweet-glazed Korean fried chicken) shop inside Gugyeong Market in Danyang-eup, Danyang, Chungbuk, serving black garlic-glazed chicken with nurungji (crispy scorched rice). After tasting the double garlic and original flavors in front of the shop, the writer took out one double garlic dakgangjeong and 2 bottles of black garlic makgeolli, and the chicken was still crispy after cooling slightly on the way to the accommodation. The black garlic makgeolli, with its subtle ginseng-like aroma, paired well with the garlic-glazed chicken for a great Danyang travel snack combo.
Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is a takeout-only mugwort choco pie shop near Exit 7 of Jongno 5-ga Station, at the entrance of Gwangjang Market in Jongno, Seoul. For Chuseok, the writer bought a 3-piece set and a 6-piece set as a snack gift for her parents, and the whole family cut the Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort red bean and Nonsan strawberry pies into quarters and shared them over coffee. Her parents were very pleased. If you want a light holiday dessert gift for older relatives, Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is a good fit.
Kkochi Naege is a street-level flower shop tucked inside an alley in Janggi-dong, Gimpo, Gyeonggi, where a florist with nine years of experience asks about the occasion and your taste and builds each bouquet one-on-one. An L-size bouquet ordered on an 80,000 won budget for a wife's birthday arrived full of greenery for real volume, in soft muted tones with wrapping paper chosen to match. For a bouquet that shows genuine effort on a special day, Kkochi Naege is worth the trip.
Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant with private group rooms, a 5-minute walk from Exit 6 of Mangpo Station in Suwon, Gyeonggi. Scouting the place for a work dinner, three of us ordered the Olheun Pork Table Set (₩118,000) and the Goma Marbled Wagyu Fresh Bone-in Rib (₩36,000), and the staff grilled everything at the table. Olheun Gogi is open from noon to 3am, so it works for a late-starting company dinner or a second-round spot.
Ari Chuksan is a Korean pork and beef butcher shop on Gangbyeon-ro in Cheongpyeong, Gapyeong, sitting next to a Hanaro Mart and right on the way to car-camping spots and pensions. On this visit Ari Chuksan sold pork belly (ogyeopsal) at 3,150 won per 100g, pork gabrisal at 3,750 won and pork jowl (hangjeongsal) at 6,980 won, all grilled on a campsite grill, with free Korean beef tendon and enoki mushrooms added in. At these Korean pork prices, that level of freshness makes Ari Chuksan excellent value.
Urban Slow City is a riverview campground on Gaonggae-gil in Nam-myeon, Chuncheon, Gangwon, where glamping, caravans, tent camping, car camping and water sports are all available in one place. A couple stayed one night car camping and checked out the 24-hour self-serve store, the shared fridge and microwave, the playground and trampoline, and the spots right in front of the river. With carefully maintained facilities and generously spaced sites, Urban Slow City works just as well for couples as it does for families.
