Mangwon Blue Plate · 51 stories

The Blue Saucer

I write about my visits to cafes in Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons · Stays · Bars

PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Sinbanpo Station Chinese restaurant: abalone jjamppong, eel rice bowl

The First Seoraehyang Onebailey (더퍼스트 서래향 원베일리) is a Chinese restaurant on basement level 1 of Banpo Onebailey Square in Seocho, Seoul, with a large dining hall and many private rooms. On a weekday lunch, two people shared a private room and ordered samseon jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) with a whole abalone for 17,000 won and a freshwater eel rice bowl served over fried rice. With a varied menu and plenty of private rooms, The First Seoraehyang Onebailey is a solid choice for company dinners and group gatherings around Banpo and the Express Bus Terminal.

Written Apr 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Sinyongsan pork gomtang restaurant: no-break-time 3pm lunch, Baekok

Baekok Yongsan is a pork gomtang (pork bone soup) restaurant between Sinyongsan Station and Yongsan Station in Yongsan, Seoul. A wife and her husband arrived after 3pm on a weekend and ate on the 2nd floor: pork gomtang (₩11,000), yeol gomtang (spicy gomtang, ₩12,000) and mung bean pancake (₩15,000). Baekok Yongsan has no break time, so the late lunch was no problem. Verdict: the clean, non-greasy broth and crispy mung bean pancake left both of them satisfied.

Written Apr 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulCafés

Weekday date café in Seorae Village: decaf ice cream float, Remangdore

Remangdore Seorae Village Branch is a dessert café and bakery on Sapyeong-daero 26-gil in Seorae Village, Seocho, Seoul. On a sunny weekday afternoon, the writer and her husband ordered an ice cream float switched to decaf (9,500 won), a decaf latte (7,300 won) and an original butter scone (4,200 won); the float, made with Sangha Farm ice cream, was smooth and sweet. Remangdore Seorae Village Branch is an attractive Seorae Village dessert café for a relaxed weekday daytime date.

Written Apr 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulCafés

Naebang Station pie café: 8 slices to share with in-laws, Hodukkakki

Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch (호두까끼형제 방배점) is a handmade walnut pie café near Exit 8 of Naebang Station in Seocho, Seoul, that bakes without refined sugar. The writer picked eight pies, one slice each, for 35,900 won and shared them with the in-laws. The milk cream and matcha cream walnut pies were the standouts, and even the mother-in-law, who dislikes sweets, enjoyed the sweet pumpkin pie. Hodukkakki Brothers Bangbae branch is worth recommending when you want lightly sweet pies in several flavors or a dessert gift.

Written Apr 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Hongdae salon: 5-step Bunyad care for thick, frizzy hair, Juno Hair

Juno Hair Hongdae Entrance Branch is a large hair salon that takes up the entire second floor of a building right by Exit 2 of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer, whose fine but very thick semi-curly hair turns frizzy as soon as it grows a little, got Juno Hair's 5-step Bunyad hair care plus a line cut, thinning and a bangs trim. Verdict: Juno Hair Hongdae Entrance Branch was the most satisfying hair salon the writer has ever visited.

Written Apr 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuCafés

Jeju rice cake shop shipping 30 omegi tteok next day: Seomnara

Seomnara Omegi Tteok (섬나라오메기떡) is an omegi tteok (Jeju millet rice cake) shop on Yonghae-ro in Jeju City, near Jeju Airport. On the last day of a Jeju trip, the writer picked 10 kinds of omegi tteok, 3 of each, and shipped all 30 pieces home from the shop, then froze them on arrival the next day and thawed them at room temperature to eat. Seomnara Omegi Tteok suits Jeju travelers who want many flavors in one box delivered to their door.

Written Nov 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwanghwamun Station Japanese dinner with my husband: kaisendon, Ilpum

Ilpum Gwanghwamun is a Japanese restaurant specializing in kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) and sushi, on basement level 2 of 19 Jongno in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. On a return dinner visit, the writer had the Ilpum Kaisendon basic (₩25,000) and Ilpum Today's Sushi (₩28,000) and enjoyed the side dishes of steamed egg and white kimchi, the fried fish cake udon and a mango panna cotta dessert. Ilpum Gwanghwamun is worth recommending as a Japanese restaurant in Gwanghwamun for kaisendon and sushi in one meal.

Written Apr 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulCafés

City Hall café after Lotte shopping: cranberry baguette, Lemangdoré

Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun is a three-story bakery café on Mugyo-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul, between City Hall, Euljiro and Gwanghwamun. After shopping at Lotte Department Store, the writer met her husband, who had just finished a work trip at City Hall, and they shared a hot decaf latte (7,300 won), a vanilla lemonade (6,500 won) and a cranberry walnut cheese baguette (5,800 won) on the quiet 3rd floor. The writer came back because of good memories and wants to visit Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun often.

Written Apr 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuCafés

Jeju Dongmun Market oranda shop revisit: bulk oranda split with Mom

Cheongchuni Oranda (청춘이오란다) Dongmun Market Main Branch is a dessert shop inside Dongmun Market in Jeju City that sells gwajul (Jeju-style puffed rice crackers) and oranda (chewy puffed-grain bars) in many flavors. After loving the snacks on an earlier Jeju trip, the writer returned to Cheongchuni Oranda, tried the samples, and bought a 12-piece puffed gwajul set plus bulk yuzu and manong (garlic) oranda, plenty to split with Mom. If you like oranda or puffed gwajul, Cheongchuni Oranda is a Jeju souvenir worth tasting at Dongmun Market.

Written Nov 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Seongsu pho restaurant after a ballet show: beef pho & hot wings, Noi

Noi Seongsu is a Vietnamese pho restaurant near Seongsu Station in Seoul, close to Ttukdo Market and Musinsa Terrace. On a weekend visit after a ballet performance, the beef pho M (12,000 won), pad thai (14,000 won) and buffalo hot wings (8,000 won) were the order. The pho broth, said to be simmered from 20 natural ingredients, tasted deep, and the pad thai was mild enough for first-timers and kids. Noi Seongsu is an easy recommendation for solo diners and office workers looking for Vietnamese food in Seongsu.

Written Apr 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Hongdae café, mango sold out: 30-min strawberry soufflé, Think Fruit

Think Fruit is a soufflé pancake dessert café on a corner near Exit 7 of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. After dinner, Think Fruit quoted a 40-minute wait for soufflés and the mango soufflé was sold out, so the writer ordered the strawberry soufflé (₩21,000) with a decaf latte and a lemonade (₩7,000 each), and the soufflé arrived in about 30 minutes. The melt-in-your-mouth soufflé and Häagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream made the wait at Think Fruit worth it.

Written May 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong Korean BBQ: half hanwoo sirloin, half pork belly – Jeongyukdo

Jeongyukdo is a charcoal-grill Korean BBQ restaurant serving hanwoo (Korean beef) and Korean pork, less than 100 meters from Exit 5 of Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a weekday evening the writer ordered small portions of hanwoo sirloin and pork belly (150g for ₩17,000), with doenjang stew, rice and mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth), and waited almost 30 minutes for the grill because Jeongyukdo was busy. Jeongyukdo is worth it if you want hanwoo and Korean pork at the same table.

Written May 1, 2026Sponsored