Gap Hour Sipper · 39 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

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
PlaceGyeongju, GyeongbukRestaurants

Gyeongju pot rice restaurant: sunset dinner by Daereungwon, Handa Sot

Handa Sot Gyeongju (한다솥 경주점) is a Korean pot rice (sotbap) restaurant on Cheomseong-ro, right by Daereungwon in Gyeongju. For a last dinner before heading back to Seoul, two diners ordered the pressure-cooker mackerel kimchi jjim (braised kimchi) set for 19,000 won and the pork jowl pot rice for 16,000 won, then ate at a second-floor window seat at sunset with 8 side dishes and sungnyung (scorched rice tea). Handa Sot Gyeongju is an easy stop before or after a Daereungwon walk, and its baby chairs make it a Gyeongju restaurant worth returning to with a child.

Written Aug 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNamyangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Makchang BBQ in Byeollae after Sandeulsori Arboretum: Chodaechang

Chodaechang Byeollae Branch (초대창 별내점) is a grill restaurant serving daechang (beef large intestine), makchang (beef abomasum) and teukyang (premium beef tripe) in the food alley behind Byeollit Village in Byeollae-dong, Namyangju. After an outing to Sandeulsori Arboretum, the writer and a friend booked a table and shared Mixed Grill B (57,000 won) with all three cuts, which the staff grilled over charcoal cut by cut until done while explaining which sauce goes with each. With its makchang quality and grilling service, Chodaechang Byeollae Branch is a gopchang restaurant well worth a return visit.

Written Jul 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGyeongju, GyeongbukRestaurants

Gyeongju Korean restaurant, post-checkout perilla oil noodles: Goyu

Goyu (고유) is a fusion Korean restaurant on Sajeong-ro along Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju. After checking out of their accommodation, two diners ordered gangdoenjang ssambap (lettuce-wrap rice with thick soybean paste), crispy bulgogi, and Korean beef yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) buckwheat noodles tossed in perilla oil. The ssambap topped with chilled boiled pork was so well balanced it felt like fine dining. Goyu is a Hwangnidan-gil lunch spot worth a promise to return on the next trip to Gyeongju.

Written Jul 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Jokbal restaurant in Myeongdong with a Japanese friend: Miss Jokbal

Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch is a jokbal (braised pork trotters) restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, between Euljiro 1-ga and Myeongdong stations, open from 11am to 3am. The writer and a Japanese friend visiting Seoul shared one Emperor Jokbal (58,000 won), which came with 10 sides including gimbap (seaweed rice roll), japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) and cheongpomuk muchim (seasoned mung bean jelly), plus free kimchi kalguksu and chewy, tender jokbal. Miss Jokbal Myeongdong is a no-fail pick when you want to show a foreign friend real Korean food.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gwangju lamb skewer restaurant with parking cash back: Sinbaegok

Sinbaegok Lamb Skewers Taejeon Branch is a lamb skewer restaurant in Taejeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, occupying the entire second floor of a shopping building on Taebong-ro. After a 10-minute wait on a weekend evening, the Sinbaegok Value Couple Set (58,000 won) brought original and seasoned lamb skewers, guobaorou (sweet and sour fried pork) and egg fried rice, with free garlic and ice cream for dessert. Even when the lot out front is full, Sinbaegok hands back 3,000 won in cash at the counter for parking at Taejeon Grocery Mart 50m away, so parking is barely a worry.

Written Aug 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam kaisendon restaurant with Suntory highballs after work: Ilpum

Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a kaisendon (Japanese seafood rice bowl) restaurant on basement level 1 of Seocho Town Trapalace, near Gangnam Station Exit 6 in Seocho, Seoul. Two coworkers visited after work and ordered kaisendon for 26,000 won, the special Ilpum-don for 30,000 won, a 3-piece maguro sushi plate for 8,000 won and a Suntory highball for 10,000 won, then finished with cold udon and mango pudding. Ilpum Gangnam Branch gets busy enough that walk-ins without a reservation often wait, but one bite of the kaisendon dipped in sashimi soy sauce shows why people line up.

Written Aug 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Sokcho Beach buckwheat noodle restaurant, 30-min August wait: Topgol

Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is a buckwheat noodle (makguksu) restaurant with noodles made in-house, right next to Sokcho Beach and the Sokcho Eye Ferris wheel in Sokcho, Gangwon. On a peak-season Monday in August, the writer and a friend arrived at 12:30 p.m., waited 30 minutes on-site and ordered perilla oil buckwheat noodles (₩13,000), buckwheat noodles with seasoned raw pollack (₩13,000) and a large plate of suyuk (boiled pork slices, ₩30,000). Park in the public lot out front and give staff your license plate number for a parking discount. Sokcho Topgol Makguksu was worth the wait.

Written Aug 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Open-kitchen taco restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul: Chilango Seolleung

Chilango Seolleung Main Branch is a Mexican taco restaurant in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, a short walk from Seolleung Station Exits 1 and 2. Meeting an old friend for dinner, the writer ordered the taco plate for two at 54,000 won, which came with six kinds of salsa and tortillas for rolling up the fillings, and parked free in the private lot on the left side of the building. With its open kitchen and soft lighting, Chilango works just as well for a family dinner or a group get-together in Gangnam.

Written Aug 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Sadang hanwoo daechang for two after a 1-hour Friday wait: Bareun

Bareun Hwangso Gopchang is a hanwoo (Korean beef) offal restaurant in Dongjak, Seoul, between Sadang Station Exit 10 and Isu Station Exit 7. Arriving at 8pm on a Friday, the writer signed the waiting board outside, waited an hour, then ordered two servings of hanwoo daechang (beef large intestine) at 24,000 won each, grilled in the kitchen until crisp outside and juicy inside and served with grilled heart and fish cake soup. With Onnuri gift certificates taking another 7% off, Bareun Hwangso Gopchang made for an easy Friday night unwind.

Written Aug 18, 2026Sponsored