Backroad Buckwheat · 37 stories

Buckwheat and Back Roads

I write about restaurant meals and quiet stops around Gangwon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Food & snacks · Things to do · Hair & beauty salons · Shopping

PlaceChuncheon, GangwonRestaurants

Namchuncheon noodle spot, spring date, 3-cheese sujebi: Hyeondae Memil

Hyeondae Memil (현대메밀) is a buckwheat restaurant in an alley by Namchuncheon Station in Chuncheon, Gangwon, set in a renovated old house that once held a supermarket and a barbershop. On a mild spring date, our first Hyeondae Memil visit of the year, we ordered bibim makguksu (spicy buckwheat noodles, 8,600 won), buckwheat cream sujebi (hand-torn dough soup) with 3 cheeses (11,600 won) and sous vide tenderloin suyuk (boiled sliced meat, 20,600 won). With a menu that goes beyond the usual makguksu restaurant and a warm wood-toned interior, Hyeondae Memil made a satisfying date meal near Namchuncheon Station.

Written Apr 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceChuncheon, GangwonRestaurants

Chuncheon Japanese restaurant: pork jowl don, not gyukatsu, Ijawa

Ijawa Chuncheon Hupyeong-jeom (이자와 춘천후평점) is a Japanese restaurant on a main road in Hupyeong-dong, Chuncheon, best known for gyukatsu. On this visit, the writer skipped the gyukatsu and shared dontoro-don (pork jowl rice bowl, 13,500 won), loin katsu (12,000 won) and cold soba (9,500 won), and the rice bowl, fried cutlet and noodle combination worked well together. With 2 hours of free parking at the Eunhasu-geori public parking lot, Ijawa Chuncheon Hupyeong-jeom made for a satisfying, easy-parking Japanese meal in Hupyeong-dong.

Written Apr 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNamyangju, GyeonggiCafés

Byeolgaram Station bakery: vanilla egg tart, mocha salt bread, Byway

Byway Bakers Byeollae Branch is a bakery right in front of Byeolgaram Station in Byeollae, Namyangju, offering salt bread, financiers, egg tarts, cakes and baked sweets. At Byway Bakers Byeollae Branch, the writer tried the golden egg tart filled with vanilla bean custard, the mocha salt bread and a Hong Kong pineapple bun with salted butter, and confirmed that buying in packages earns a discount. Byway Bakers is worth a stop if you want trendy desserts and group snacks near Byeolgaram Station.

Written May 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceChuncheon, GangwonRestaurants

Chuncheon Myeongdong noodle house right by the bus stop: Sinbi Myeonok

Sinbi Myeonok Chuncheon Myeongdong (신비면옥 춘천명동점) is a naengmyeon (cold noodle) and galbitang (beef rib soup) restaurant on Jungangno in Myeongdong, Chuncheon, right in front of the bus stop by Woori Bank. The writer had Hamhung-style mul naengmyeon and mixed naengmyeon (10,000 won each) with charcoal-grilled bulgogi (9,000 won) and a giant meat dumpling (6,000 won), and the boldly seasoned, bibim-style mixed naengmyeon was the standout. Verdict: Sinbi Myeonok is an easy, no-fuss cold noodle meal in downtown Chuncheon, whether you come by bus or by car.

Written Jun 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Quiet Gangnam café terrace, peach cheesecake: Something About Coffee

Something About Coffee is a three-floor dessert café in the back alley behind the CGV near Gangnam Station, Seoul. At the 2nd-floor dessert showcase of Something About Coffee, we ordered an egg cookie (₩5,900), a peach cheesecake (₩9,500), a matcha choco latte (₩8,500) and an Americano (₩6,500), then enjoyed them on the quiet 3rd-floor outdoor terrace. If you want a date café near Gangnam Station for quiet conversation over dessert, Something About Coffee is a good fit.

Written Jun 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Station pasta restaurant, steak pasta tossed tableside: Brivit

Brivit Gangnam Station (브리비트 강남) is a European-style pasta restaurant on Gangnam-daero 102-gil near Gangnam Station in Seoul. The writer tried the signature scallion cream corn gnocchi (18,900 won) and the 50cm fresh noodle steak pasta (32,900 won), whose sauce is tossed through the noodles right at the table, and was pleased with both the quiet atmosphere and the quality of the food. For a blind date or a lunch meetup near Gangnam Station, Brivit Gangnam Station combines atmosphere, flavor and easy access.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Multi-floor Sinnonhyeon café: Earl Grey canelé, Upper and Under

Upper and Under is a large, multi-floor dessert café near Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer ordered an Americano (₩6,500), an Einspänner (₩8,000), a yangzhi ganlu cake (₩8,500) and an Earl Grey canelé (₩4,500), and was especially pleased with the Einspänner's soft cream and the canelé's subtle Earl Grey aroma. With spacious, cozy floors and a wide range of baked goods and cakes, Upper and Under is a café worth recommending for working or a date near Sinnonhyeon Station.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
ProductPreeteaFood & snacks

Caffeine-free pumpkin tea for puffiness on a diet: Preetea Pumpkin Tea

Preetea Pumpkin Tea (Preetea 호박수) is a caffeine-free teabag tea for puffiness that the brand says is made from 100% aged pumpkin. After cutting back on americanos to start a diet, the writer drank Preetea Pumpkin Tea every day (on an empty stomach in the morning, after workouts and cold-brewed in a tumbler), found it nutty and clean like barley tea without ever getting tired of it, and felt lighter. For anyone cutting down on coffee who wants to drink more water, Preetea Pumpkin Tea is an easy, low-effort substitute.

Written Jun 20, 2026Product provided
ProductPreeteaFood & snacks

Zero-caffeine diet tea that's easy at night: Preetea Cutting Shot

Preetea Cutting Shot is a tea-bag diet tea, sold as a "burning tea," that blends fermented chestnut inner skin, fermented mature pumpkin and psyllium husk. The writer received 2 sets from the brand and drank one cup of Preetea Cutting Shot on an empty stomach, feeling less heavy and thinking less about snacking. Verdict: being zero sugar, zero calories and zero caffeine, so it is easy to drink even in the evening, is Preetea Cutting Shot's biggest strength.

Written Jun 21, 2026Product provided
PlaceSokcho, GangwonShopping

Sokcho market snack shop: sikhye & oranda to go, Sokcho Yetgokgan

Sokcho Yetgokgan (속초옛곳간) is a traditional snack shop inside Sokcho Tourist & Fish Market (Sokcho Central Market) in Sokcho, Gangwon, selling old-style cookies, oranda (crunchy grain clusters bound with syrup), gangjeong (crispy grain-and-nut bars) and sikhye (sweet rice drink). Looking for family gifts on the last day of the trip, the writer bought gangjeong, oranda and sikhye to go from Sokcho Yetgokgan, shared them at the lodging and back home, and enjoyed their light, not-too-sweet flavors. Sokcho Yetgokgan makes an easy final market stop for gifts for parents or snacks on the road.

Written Jun 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonCafés

Sokcho market gangjeong shop: easy-to-carry souvenir set, Ibuja Mayak

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan (이부자마약곳간) is a grain gangjeong (puffed grain bar) shop at Stall 137 on the 1st floor of Sokcho Tourist & Fish Market (Sokcho Jungang Market) in Sokcho, Gangwon. Looking for a Sokcho souvenir, the blogger bought the 8-piece 5-color grain gangjeong set for ₩10,000; the neat packaging made it easy to carry around on the trip, and the flavor was mild rather than overly sweet. If you want a Sokcho souvenir that travels well, Ibuja Mayak Gotgan's grain gangjeong is worth picking up.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonShopping

Sokcho market jeotgal: squid & flatfish sikhae 400g ₩14,000, Hwangbuja

Hwangbuja Jeotgal is a salted seafood (jeotgal) shop inside Sokcho Jungang Market (Sokcho Tourist & Fish Market) in Sokcho, Gangwon. Looking for a souvenir to give her parents and to keep as side dishes at home, the writer tasted samples at the front of Hwangbuja Jeotgal, then took home squid jeotgal and gajami sikhae (fermented flatfish with rice) at 400g each for ₩14,000 apiece. Not overly salty and full of the ingredients' own flavor, Hwangbuja Jeotgal's jeotgal made a Sokcho food souvenir worth reaching for long after the trip.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored