Combed Lunch Hour · 5 stories

Thin Comb, Seoul Beauty and Restaurants

Writes about small beauty shops and neighborhood restaurants around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Minari shabu-shabu and kalguksu, Sinnonhyeon: Cheongdo Minari Sikdang

Cheongdo Minari Sikdang (청도미나리식당) Sinnonhyeon branch is a minari (water dropwort) shabu-shabu restaurant near Exit 9 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Seocho, Seoul. At dinner the writer ordered minari shabu-shabu for 2 in clear broth and ate beef, minari and potatoes, then finished with kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and porridge. A dip of chojang (sweet-spicy chili vinegar sauce) mixed 1:1 with perilla powder was a surprise favorite. With generous portions and a spacious dining room, Cheongdo Minari Sikdang is a reliable pick for a work lunch, company dinner or evening date.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Mullae clam shabu restaurant for a hearty weekend dinner: Palmi Jogae

Palmi Jogae Kalguksu (팔미 조개칼국수) is a clam shabu kalguksu restaurant near Mullae Station in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. On a weekend evening, the writer ordered the Palmi clam shabu kalguksu set (dinner/weekend ₩18,900 per person). The meal included beef, clam, mussel and abalone shabu, then kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and abalone innards porridge. The portions were so generous that the writer took only two-thirds of the noodles and porridge. Palmi Jogae Kalguksu felt pricey at first, but after the meal the verdict was that it's great value.

Written Jul 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ near Sillim Station: pre-grilled pork belly, Sillim Hwaro

Sillim Hwaro (신림화로) is a Korean BBQ restaurant on Bongcheon-ro in Gwanak, Seoul, about a 6-minute walk from Sillim Station. At dinner the writer ordered the 2-person hwaro grill set (510g, 45,000 won) and kimchi stew (6,000 won). The thick, pre-grilled pork belly and neck, side dishes such as muksabal (chilled acorn jelly soup), green onion kimchi and potato salad, and a complimentary strawberry milk fruit punch all satisfied. For diners who enjoy their side dishes as much as the meat, Sillim Hwaro is a Korean BBQ spot near Sillim Station worth returning to.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Sunday Korean BBQ in Namyeong-dong: three-cut pork platter at Muttuk

Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch is a Korean pork (Handon) BBQ restaurant on Cheongpa-ro, near Exit 10 of Sookmyung Women's University Station (Sookdae Ipgu) in Namyeong-dong, Yongsan, Seoul. On a Sunday evening, two diners shared the Muttuk Handon Platter Set (69,800 won) with pork neck, pork belly and galmaegisal (pork skirt), grilled by staff. They rotated between salt, wasabi, garlic sauce, minari (water dropwort) soy sauce, gim (seaweed) and squid jeotgal (salted squid), then finished with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and rice. Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch suits a dinner for two or a meat-loving group that wants three cuts in one go and enjoys finding its own sauce combinations.

Written Sep 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Seocho brow consultation reading facial muscles, ₩60,000: Minjei

Minjei Makeup Eyebrow Grooming, Gangnam Seocho Branch is an eyebrow grooming and brow consultation shop in a basement near Gangnam Station in Seocho, Seoul. On a weekday evening the writer booked a package worth 60,000 won — 30,000 won for eyebrow grooming and brow design, 10,000 won for brow makeup with a short lesson, and 20,000 won for an asymmetry detail consultation — which took about an hour and included a look at the muscles that move when you change expression, not just face shape. Stray hairs and the left-right lines came out neat at Minjei Makeup, but the arch was softer than hoped, so bring a photo of the brows you want.

Written Aug 7, 2026Sponsored
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