Warmth Collector · 50 stories

Warm Cups, Northbound

I write about restaurants and cafés I visit in Seoul and Gangwon. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Bars · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongno rainy-day hot pot: two broths, kimchi dumplings, Jongga Mandu

Jongga Mandu (종가만두) is a handmade dumpling hot pot restaurant near Jongno 3-ga Station in Seoul that was formerly called Seonggyeong Mandu (성경만두); only the name has changed. On a humid, rainy day the writer had Jongga Mandu's half-and-half dumpling hot pot with pollack broth and red broth, plus dumplings handmade in the shop and fresh kimchi from the self-serve bar, and enjoyed all of it. Jongga Mandu is worth a return visit whenever a rainy day calls for hot broth and kimchi dumplings.

Written May 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulBars

Seochon café-wine bar lunch with Mom: ₩4,000 wine swap, Wine Stein

Wine Stein Seochon is a café and wine bar on the 3rd floor of a building beside the Seochon alleys in Jongno, Seoul, about a 7-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 5. The writer and their mother ordered Lunch Club Set B (croissant sandwich and mushroom soup) and Set C (salad and pasta with mushroom soup), paying 4,000 won extra per person to swap the free coffee for wine, and ate with hanok views in the sunshine. Verdict: the Wine Stein Seochon Lunch Club with the wine swap is a great Seochon brunch to take your parents to.

Written May 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Chicken noodle shop, Gangnam Station: white jjamppong broth, Yujinok

Yujinok Gangnam is a chicken noodle restaurant on basement level 1, just off Exit 5 of Gangnam Station in Seocho, Seoul. The writer swapped the noodles in the basic chicken noodle soup for rice and added tangpadak (crispy chicken-breast tangsuyuk with lemon sauce). The writer especially loved the gently smoky broth, which tastes like white jjamppong (non-spicy Korean-Chinese seafood noodle soup), and the juicy tangpadak. Reachable underground without getting wet on rainy days, Yujinok Gangnam suits both solo meals and group lunches.

Written May 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGuro, SeoulRestaurants

Gudi Korean restaurant for team dinner: millstone tofu, Maetdolloroman

Maetdolloroman Guro Branch (맷돌로만 구로점) is a handmade tofu Korean restaurant on the first floor of Byucksan Digital Valley 6 in Guro Digital Complex (Gudi), Seoul, where soybeans are ground daily on a millstone inside the shop. After work, the writer ordered the bossam jeongol set for 2 (boiled pork with a hot pot) and enjoyed the thick handmade tofu, boiled pork with no gamey smell, and a refreshing broth that tastes like blue crab stew even though there is no crab in it. With refills on soft tofu and side dishes, Maetdolloroman Guro Branch is a solid pick for an after-work team dinner in Gudi.

Written Nov 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

New gukbap restaurant at Yeoksam Station: mild pork soup, chive salad

Gyeongsangdo Galbi Gukbap Main Branch is a newly opened Gyeongsang-style gukbap (rice soup) restaurant on Teheran-ro 25-gil near Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, Seoul. Craving a clean broth, the writer ordered the clear Korean pork gukbap and was happy with the light, mildly seasoned soup, the generous amount of pork, the chive salad and the well-ripened kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi). With its tidy dining room and seats for solo diners, Gyeongsangdo Galbi Gukbap Main Branch is a solid pick for a Yeoksam office lunch or a meal on your own.

Written Nov 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gyodae Station Korean restaurant: tilefish & abalone pot rice, Huiyeol

Huiyeol Seocho Gyodae Branch is a Korean restaurant specialising in sotbap (rice cooked in a stone pot), located on the B1 floor of a building on Beobwon-ro 1-gil near Gyodae Station in Seocho, Seoul. For a hearty lunch on a sweltering day, the tilefish pot rice and abalone pot rice were ordered à la carte: two whole tilefish on one pot, a green abalone rice rich with abalone innards, chunky nakji jeotgal (salted octopus) on the side, and nurungji sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) and puffed corn to finish. With parking, private rooms and a free-corkage event, Huiyeol Seocho Gyodae Branch is a satisfying choice for a filling pot rice lunch near Gyodae Station.

Written May 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulRestaurants

Owner-grilled hanu gopchang near Konkuk Univ. Station: Eunseong

Eunseong Hanu Gopchang Geondae Station branch is a newly opened hanu (Korean beef) gopchang (beef intestine) restaurant near Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. After work, the writer and a friend ordered the mixed grill for 2 with Jinro soju. They loved the owner grilling everything at the table, from heart to gopchang, daechang and makchang, along with homemade green onion kimchi, icy dongchimi, soju served in an ice basket and a 1+1 opening drinks event. For a clean, attentive gopchang spot near Konkuk Univ., Eunseong Hanu Gopchang is worth a return visit.

Written May 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Jamsil pub after Lotte shopping: torched tuumba risotto, Horanggul

Horanggul Bangi Branch (호랑이굴 방이점) is a gopchang (beef tripe) hot pot pub in the Bangi-dong food alley in Jamsil, Seoul. After weekend shopping at Lotte in Jamsil, the writer cooked the Horanggul gopchang hot pot at the table on a 9-minute timer, then finished with a tuumba (creamy Toowoomba-style) risotto: staff stir-fried mushrooms in the leftover broth and torched the cheese on top. Chewy gopchang and the smoky tuumba risotto made Horanggul Bangi Branch a satisfying weekend date dinner.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Bossam set dinner with Mom in Myeongdong, cold noodles: Miss Jokbal

Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch is a jokbal (braised pig's trotters) and bossam (boiled pork) restaurant in an alley across from Lotte Department Store Myeongdong in Jung-gu, Seoul, busy with foreign tourists even on weekday evenings. On a weekday dinner with her mom, the writer ordered the bossam set with steamed egg and yeolmu guksu (cold young radish kimchi noodles), plus the kimchi kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) served free on arrival, and her mom loved the tender bossam and refreshing yeolmu noodles. For a soft, easy-to-eat meat meal with parents in Myeongdong, the Miss Jokbal bossam set is a solid choice.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hanwoo restaurant in Gongdeok: birthday champagne & melon sorbet, Usu

Usu is an all-private-room hanwoo (Korean beef) restaurant on basement level 2 of the Lotte Castle President arcade, connected to Gongdeok Station Exit 2 in Mapo, Seoul. For a partner's birthday, the writer had a dinner course at Usu that ran from bite-sized starters to hanwoo grilled on a personal brazier, birthday seaweed soup, a champagne toast and a Korean melon sorbet. For a birthday or anniversary dinner near Gongdeok Station, Usu's private rooms and birthday celebration make it a dependable choice.

Written May 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceEunpyeong, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonsinnae solo bar-seat tonkatsu, soba & side curry: Katsu Monster

Katsu Monster Yeonsinnae Branch (카츠몬스터 연신내점) is a tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant a 2-minute walk from Yeonsinnae Station in Eunpyeong, Seoul. Eating alone at a single-seat bar table, the writer ordered the one-person tonkatsu and cold soba set with a side curry, which was generous enough to mix into the rice and dip the cutlet in, and the bite-size tonkatsu, chilled sauce and cold soba paired well. For good-value solo tonkatsu near Yeonsinnae Station, Katsu Monster Yeonsinnae Branch is a satisfying choice.

Written Jun 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam poke restaurant, cool brown rice bowls for a hot day: Ola Poke

Ola Poke Gangnam is a poke restaurant in the underground arcade on Teheran-ro 4-gil near Gangnam Station, Seoul. On a hot day with little appetite, the writer ordered a garlic shrimp poke with cheongyang (Korean green chili) mayo and a smoked duck poke with its own duck sauce. The generous shrimp topping and cool brown rice kept both bowls refreshing to the last bite. With well-set-up solo seating, Ola Poke Gangnam is a good spot for a filling solo meal at Gangnam Station.

Written Aug 4, 2026Sponsored