Twin Mug Walker · 11 stories
Writes about restaurants and cafes visited around Seoul, Gyeonggi, Daegu/Gyeongbuk, Daejeon/Chungcheong, and Sejong. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés
Meno Ka Mena Ansan is an Indian restaurant on the 2nd floor of Dongseo Core, right in front of Jungang Station in Ansan. On a long-awaited date, the writer ordered the set menu with an added tomato soup and had green salad, lassi, boneless tandoori chicken, naan with butter curry, and rice. Meno Ka Mena Ansan suits a day when you want authentic flavors from an Indian owner-chef in an exotic setting.
Olivus Compagno Sejong Boram Branch is an Italian restaurant on the first floor of Gangnam Plaza, across from Sejong Tax Office in Boram-dong, Sejong. On a first trip to Sejong, the writer pre-ordered through Naver Reservation and tried the salad of the month, vongole pasta, Tuumba pasta and arugula potato pizza. For an Italian meal in Boram-dong during a Sejong trip, Olivus Compagno is worth booking ahead.
Hyoeunok Gyeongju Branch (효은옥 경주분점) is a Korean restaurant serving beef rib hot pot on the restaurant street opposite Donggungwon in Bomun, Gyeongju. The family ordered Hyoeunok's signature Bone-verest, limited to 30 a day, and ate it like a course: ribs, then brisket, then kalguksu noodles, then free gondre (Korean thistle) rice porridge, with Gyeongju minari (water dropwort) cutting the richness of the broth. The verdict: a hearty meal that had the whole family finishing every drop of the broth.
Bubu Duri Tteokbokki Cheongju Geumcheon Branch is a tteokbokki and bunsik (Korean snack food) shop in Geumcheon-dong, Cheongju. After a wrong turn on the way back from Busan, three people stopped in Cheongju and shared the Bubu Duri Set: tteokbokki, glutinous-rice sundae, assorted fried snacks, and plain and spicy fish cake. The Bubu Duri Set was filling enough to skip dinner, making Bubu Duri Tteokbokki an unexpectedly good snack-food find.
Gallilli Daegae Hoe Sikdang (갈릴리대게회식당) is a snow crab and raw fish restaurant inside Jukdo Market in Pohang, Gyeongbuk. A family whose child had begged for crab all year ordered the Russian bakdal (premium snow crab) set for 2 and added a special mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), and the basic spread came out like a meal for 3, with friendly menu explanations in a clean dining room. Verdict: Gallilli Daegae Hoe Sikdang is a great place for a family to feast on crab during a Pohang trip.
Todamok is an earth-house kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and bossam (boiled pork wraps) restaurant up a slope past the underpass in Seonbu-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan. The writer ordered Todamok's 2–3 person set of roe-and-milt kalguksu, chicken kalguksu and a bossam set, and after a fishy bowl in Gangneung, Todamok's roe and milt tasted fresh with no fishy smell, while the salted shrimp and firm-cooked rice were also satisfying. With its earth-house exterior and animal farm, Todamok suits family meals with grandparents or kids.
Memilchon Ansan (메밀촌) is a long-standing makguksu (buckwheat noodle) restaurant on Songho Matgil, the eatery alley near Handaeap Station in Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi. On a weekday evening with no wait, the writer ordered perilla oil makguksu, mul-makguksu (cold noodles in broth) and a potato pancake, with noodle dishes at around 12,000 won; the suyuk (boiled pork) had already sold out, and the serving robot stopped when its battery died. Verdict: house-made buckwheat noodles and a crisp, chewy potato pancake show why Memilchon remains the alley's beloved veteran.
Ppongnamujip is a chicken restaurant in Sapgyo-eup, Yesan, Chungnam, open since 1997 and visited by eater Hibab on the Comedy TV show 'Daesikjwa's Table'. On a family meal with the writer's in-laws and child, the table shared dakgalbi jeongol (spicy chicken hot pot) with extra udon noodles. The meal finished with fried rice cooked in a specially made pot that forms crispy nurungji (scorched rice). Verdict: after the dakgalbi jeongol at Ppongnamujip, the fried rice is a must.
Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch (옳은고기 수원본점) is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Exit 6 of Mangpo Station in Suwon, where staff grill the meat at your table. On a sponsored visit, the writer ordered the Olheun Pork Hansang Set (118,000 won), which brings Hanwoo beef yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), pork belly, pork neck and pork loin trim, plus grilling cheese and a generous steamed egg. The Hanwoo yukhoe served with gamtae seaweed and a first taste of pork loin trim stood out, making Olheun Gogi an easy, filling meal with no grilling effort.
Seosan Jonghap Eosijang (서산종합어시장) is a raw fish and seafood restaurant with old-school outdoor tables on Nambusunhwan-ro in Seosan, Chungnam. On a weekend evening, the writer waited about 30 minutes with her in-laws and child, then ate mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), rockfish and salmon sashimi, and spicy fish stew; the self-serve bar and generous stew stood out. Three generations ate their fill at Seosan Jonghap Eosijang for under ₩100,000, which makes it a recommended spot for a family dinner out.
Three Pasta Hanyang University ERICA branch is a pasta and pizza restaurant in front of Hanyang University ERICA in Sangnok-gu, Ansan, serving pasta and pizza as sets. The 3-person set of garlic pepper oil pasta, shrimp rose pasta, Aussie cheese fries pizza and chicken karaage came to just over ₩40,000, and the pizza tasted even better topped with the rose pasta, salad and jalapeño. For three people, one Three Pasta 3-person set is a filling, good-value pick for a date or a get-together.
