Gap Hour Sipper · 36 stories

A Cafe Between Plans

I write about visits to cafes in Gangwon and the impressions they leave. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Bars · Shopping

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ at Yangjae Station: sow pork belly galbi, Gukgojip

Gukgojip (국고집) is a charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant near Exits 3 and 4 of Yangjae Station in Gangnam, Seoul. Three coworkers came for an after-work dinner and ordered 3 servings of boneless handmade fresh galbi (sow pork belly, 19,000 won per 200g), 2 servings of boneless marinated galbi, chewy-barley chogye mul naengmyeon (cold chicken-broth noodles) and bibim naengmyeon. The staff grilling the meat and the green onion kimchi they kept refilling stood out. With a spacious basement floor, Gukgojip is worth revisiting for team dinners of around 8.

Written Jun 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGapyeong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gapyeong octopus grill: cheese and perilla rice balls, Paldang

Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi (팔당직화불쭈꾸미) is a fire-grilled jjukkumi (baby octopus) restaurant near Seorak IC in Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong, Gyeonggi. On the drive home from Gapyeong, two people had the fire-grilled baby octopus and steamed egg set (15,000 won per person) for dinner, adding snowflake cheese and self-made perilla-oil rice balls; the buffet-style self-bar and the seaweed with flying fish roe combination stood out. With so much food for the price, Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi is a Gapyeong restaurant worth stopping at again before getting on at Seorak IC.

Written Jun 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGapyeong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gapyeong Korean restaurant: spicy pollack stew pot for two, Jingogip

Jingogip Donghae Dongtaetang & Kodari Jorim, Gapyeong Seorak branch, is a dongtaetang (pollack stew) restaurant near Seorak IC in Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong, Gyeonggi. Two people stopped at Jingogip on the drive back to Seoul after a weekend at a mountain valley and ordered two servings of spicy pollack stew (₩12,000 each) and a half plate of pollack fritters (₩9,000). The broth was not too salty, the side dishes tasted homemade and rice came free. Jingogip is a dependable pollack stew stop near Seorak IC, open from morning to evening.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Sinnonhyeon Station burger spot after work: Almighty set, Wit N Meat

Wit N Meat Gangnam is a handmade burger restaurant near Exits 4 and 5 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam, Seoul. On a weekday after work, two coworkers shared the Almighty Burger set (₩17,000, plus ₩1,000 to swap in chipotle fries) and a Pastrami Queens sandwich (₩15,500). With an open kitchen, an exotic interior and a taste that never changes, Wit N Meat Gangnam is a Gangnam Station burger spot that easily earns five stars.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Seolleung Station eel bowl for 3 coworkers, unaju vs unadon: Manmok

Manmok is a Japanese restaurant specializing in eel rice bowls near Exit 2 of Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul. Three coworkers had a weekday lunch of the half eel bowl (₩26,000) and the whole eel bowl (₩39,000) at Manmok, and the post also explains the difference between unaju and unadon. Manmok is on the pricey side, but its neat set meal and sansho pickles make it a Gangnam eel bowl spot worth becoming a regular at if your budget allows.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlacePocheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Makguksu dinner with parents near Hillmaru CC, Pocheon: Myeongimong

Myeongimong (명이몽) is a restaurant in Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi, near Hillmaru CC, specializing in house-made buckwheat makguksu (chilled buckwheat noodles) and tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties). On a weekend evening after a day trip with parents, the writer ordered Myeongimong's tteokgalbi set (1 tteokgalbi plus 2 makguksu, 32,000 won) and buckwheat dumplings. The icy mul makguksu, bibim makguksu and tteokgalbi at Myeongimong pleased even picky parents so much that they wanted to come back.

Written Jul 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceWonju, GangwonRestaurants

Hangover soup restaurant near Wonju Terminal: galbi-jjim, Yukdaejang

Yukdaejang Dangye Musil-jeom (육대장 단계무실점) is a 24-hour yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) restaurant about a 5-minute walk from Wonju Bus Terminal in Gangwon. Before catching their bus to Seoul, three coworkers on a business trip shared galbi-jjim (braised beef short ribs, ₩50,000, regular spice), yukgaejang (₩12,000) and summer-only brisket mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles, ₩10,000), and were pleased with the tender rib meat and the scallion-packed yukgaejang broth. When you need a hangover soup before a bus from Wonju Bus Terminal, Yukdaejang Dangye Musil-jeom is worth going back to.

Written Jul 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Braised skate and squid set at a Sokcho restaurant: Jungang Sanghoe

Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe (속초중앙상회) is a Korean restaurant specializing in steamed skate, on the ground floor of the Centum Mark Building right next to Sokcho Jungang Market in Sokcho, Gangwon. On the last evening of a Sokcho trip, two diners shared the small Gao Hansang set (55,000 won) of braised skate, stir-fried squid and octopus seaweed soup in beef-bone broth, and liked the tender skate that came off the bone easily, the clean dining room and the 2 hours of free parking. Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe is a Sokcho braised fish restaurant the writer wants to revisit with their parents.

Written Jul 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gyodae Station lamb skewers: first mala crayfish tails at Hanseong

Hanseong Yanggalbi Yangkkochi (정통 한성 양갈비 양꼬치) is a lamb skewer restaurant near Exit 14 of Gyodae Station in Seocho, Seoul, and it is the original first branch on the Gyodae side. A regular visited Hanseong with a friend after work on a weekday, ordered lamb skewers (17,000 won) and lamb sirloin skewers (23,000 won), tried mala crayfish tails (28,000 won) for the first time and also explained what the name 'mala longxia' means. Hanseong's lamb skewers have no gamey smell, and with the numbing, spicy mala crayfish tails they make an excellent pairing with drinks.

Written Jul 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ in Seolleung for a friend's wedding invite meetup: Hwaseol

Hwaseol Seolleung Direct Branch (화설 선릉직영점) is a camping-themed charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant on the ground floor of the VNS Building near Exit 1 of Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul. For a high school classmate's wedding invitation meetup, 3 adults ordered 2 servings of galbi-samgyeop (rib-style pork belly) and 300g of snowflake pork neck, grilled at the table by staff, and enjoyed side dishes on par with a Korean set-course meal plus the premium doenjang (soybean paste) stew. With private rooms, a spacious hall and staff grilling, Hwaseol Seolleung Direct Branch makes a friends' get-together like a wedding invitation meetup easy to host.

Written Jul 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Seocho Korean restaurant, dad's birthday abalone pot rice: Naegohyang

Naegohyang Jeju (내고향제주) is a Jeju-style Korean restaurant in Bangbae-dong, Seocho, Seoul, near Naebang Station and Seorae Village. For dad's birthday, a family of three whose parents had been feeling run-down booked a private room at Naegohyang Jeju. They ordered the restorative grilled Jeju silver hairtail and abalone pot rice set for two at 36,000 won and a 20,000-won seafood hot pot, and found nothing to fault from the valet parking and side dishes to the plum tea dessert. Verdict: Naegohyang Jeju is worth returning to for a parent's birthday meal in Seocho or Gangnam.

Written Jul 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Yeoksam eel rice bowl with my parents, hitsumabushi explained: Unagiwa

Unagiwa is a hitsumabushi eel rice bowl restaurant near Yeoksam Station Exit 7 in Gangnam, Seoul. On a weekday lunch break from work, the writer and their parents shared two standard hitsumabushi sets (38,000 won each) and one mini (26,000 won), and the review explains what hitsumabushi means, how to eat it in 4 steps and how it differs from unaju. Unagiwa's eel, raised on the restaurant's own farm on Ganghwa Island, is lightly seasoned, and all three diners picked the seaweed, scallion and wasabi combination as the best bite of a restorative family lunch.

Written Jul 26, 2026Sponsored