Tote Bag Wanderer · 9 stories

Hanbat Mornings, Suwon Evenings

Writes about restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and things to do around Seoul, Gyeonggi and the Daejeon and Chungcheong area. · Writes about: Restaurants · Shopping · Bars · Cafés · Things to do

PlaceYongin, GyeonggiBars

Seongbok Station Korean pub, ₩30,000 chicken + pork jeon set: Gorae

Gorae Byeoljang Suji Branch (고래별장 수지본점) is a Korean pub (yojeom jujeom) near Seongbok Station in Seongbok-dong, Suji-gu, Yongin, serving chicken, yukjeon (pan-fried battered pork) and soft tofu hot pot alongside draft beer. Gorae Byeoljang was full, so after a short wait the blogger ordered the ₩30,000 Byeoljang Set of Eungdapara Chicken and Jeonju-style pork yukjeon; the chicken dipped in a sweet-and-sour yuringi-style sauce and the pork yukjeon topped with shredded scallion salad stood out. Gorae Byeoljang Suji Branch is a Seongbok-dong pub that delivers on portions, flavor and set-menu value.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Haenggung-dong café in Suwon: iced latte & London Fog, Jeongjiyoung

Jeongjiyoung Coffee Roasters Hwahongmun Branch is a café in a vintage-style renovated old house on the Suwoncheon stream, right beside Hwahongmun Gate in Haenggung-dong, Suwon. The writer had found the signature coconut coffee sweet at the Janganmun branch, so at the Hwahongmun Branch they ordered an iced café latte and a London Fog milk tea (6,500 won each), and the rich, nutty latte suited them far better. If you find sweet drinks too much, order the café latte at Jeongjiyoung Coffee Hwahongmun Branch.

Written Jun 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Mangpo, Suwon barley rice buffet for a taste of home cooking: Boriook

Boriook Main Branch is an all-you-can-eat barley rice Korean buffet near Mangpo Station in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, right behind Fantasium. Living away from home and missing namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes, the writer ordered the soy-glazed pork set and the mackerel set (half fish), then made full use of the namul self-bar and dessert corner. At Boriook Main Branch you can eat your fill of gentle, home-style Korean food for ₩10,000–₩20,000, which makes it a good pick for a family meal out with parents.

Written Jun 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiThings to do

Ring workshop date in Haenggung-dong, Suwon: window-view room, Loventa

Loventa Suwon Haenggung is a one-day couple ring class workshop in Haenggung-dong, Suwon, that opened on June 8. In a private room with a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Haenggung-dong, the writer spent 30 minutes choosing the Ether design and about 1 hour shaping the rings by hand, then ate and played claw machines in Haenggung-dong before picking up the rings the same day, with classes costing ₩75,000–145,000 per ring. Loventa Suwon Haenggung suits couples looking for an unusual Haenggung-dong date where they can focus on each other instead of the usual meal-and-café route.

Written Jun 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ for groups of 100 at Gangnam Station: Kkondae Kim

Kkondae Kim Bujang Gogi-jip Gangnam Station Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Exit 11 of Gangnam Station in Seoul, where staff grill the aged pork belly for you, with group bookings for up to 100 people, a private room for 24 and a terrace. On a Friday evening the writer ordered aged pork belly, ododdok oddol galbi (crunchy pork cartilage ribs), pork skin and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), and the thick aged pork belly was so good that the table ate 4 portions of pork belly alone. For a large company dinner or wedding-invitation gathering near Gangnam Station, Kkondae Kim Bujang Gogi-jip Gangnam Station Branch is a good fit.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Pizza & beer date in Suwon: 4-flavor Quarter Street, Backstreet Pizza

Backstreet Pizza is a topping-loaded pizzeria on the second floor of a Buksu-dong alley near Haengridan-gil in Haenggung-dong, Suwon. The writers shared the regular-size Quarter Street (33,000 won), which comes with two slices each of Shrimp Gangster, Cheese & Patty Bomb, Potato Killer and Pepperoni Shotgun; it took a while to arrive, but both named Shrimp Gangster the best. For a pizza-and-beer date in Haenggung-dong, Backstreet Pizza's Quarter Street is a solid pick.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulThings to do

Ex-Bellavita wedding hall in Gangnam: bridal room, low ceiling, Arbe

Arbe Wedding Hall is a house-wedding-style single hall on the B1 floor of SK Leaders View on Bongeunsa-ro in Gangnam, Seoul, opened as a renovation of the former Bellavita. During a consultation visit, the writer toured the Rafine Hall and a bridal waiting room with a private restroom and photo zone, tasted the buffet served in a separate banquet hall, and flagged drawbacks such as off-site parking and a low ceiling. For couples who want a bright, greenery-filled small wedding in Gangnam, Arbe Wedding Hall is worth considering, quote included.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulCafés

Manga café near Sports Complex Station: weekend Switch rooms, One Play

One Play Jamsil Branch is a manga café near Sports Complex Station and Jamsil Saenae in Songpa, Seoul, offering Nintendo Switch, PS5, board games, manga and OTT streaming in one place. During weekend peak time, a couple found every Switch room with a TV connection taken, played Mario Kart and Mario Party on the console's own screen instead, and read the original Viral Hit (싸움독학) manga up to volume 4 on the 3rd floor. The base plan is ₩4,000 per hour, and if you want to play Switch on a big screen at One Play Jamsil Branch on a weekend, ask whether a TV room is free when you check in.

Written Jun 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Sinnonhyeon Korean BBQ with minari beef tartare and naengmyeon: Sansol

Sansol Sinnonhyeon is a Korean BBQ restaurant specialising in 1+ grade aged pork, set in the food alley near Exit 3 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam, Seoul, where staff grill the meat from start to finish and a downdraft duct keeps the smell off your clothes. The writer ordered an extra round of the San assorted platter for 2-3 people (₩56,000), plus minari (Korean water parsley) hanwoo beef tartare, kkakdugi (radish kimchi) fried rice, and both mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon, and every side dish was satisfying. For a relaxed Korean BBQ dinner with easy conversation in Sinnonhyeon, Sansol Sinnonhyeon's San platter followed by kkakdugi fried rice is the combination to order.

Written Oct 11, 2026Sponsored
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