Night Drawer Peeker · 4 stories

Night Shelf, Seoul and Gangwon Bars and Restaurants

Writes about neighborhood bars and small restaurants encountered while getting around Seoul and Gangwon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars

PlaceDongdaemun, SeoulBars

Sinseoldong pub: bossam and kettle fish cake soup at Buo Sanghoe

Buo Sanghoe is a two-floor Korean pub about a 5-minute walk from Sinseoldong Station in Dongdaemun, Seoul, serving bossam (boiled pork) samhap platters with octopus, cockles or long-arm octopus and fish cake soup served in a kettle. On a spontaneous Friday after work, the writer ordered a medium bossam (₩25,000) and the judaengtang, or kettle fish cake soup (₩20,000), with somaek (soju mixed with beer), and the tender boiled pork and fish cakes said to come from Seomyeon in Busan were the highlights. Buo Sanghoe is worth recommending as a first-round pub in Sinseoldong for a hearty bossam spread finished with rich fish cake broth.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ for a regulars' meetup, kimchi fried rice: Cham

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch (참돼짓간 종로본점) is a pork belly Korean BBQ restaurant on the ground floor of the Piccadilly CGV building near Jongno 3-ga Station in Seoul. On this visit, a regular and friends ordered 2 servings of pork belly and 2 of pork neck, grilled by staff, then finished with 2 kimchi fried rice made with the leftover kimchi. With a spacious dining room, a custom-made grill and a clean indoor restroom, Cham Dwaejitgan is a reliable spot for meetups with friends in Jongno.

Written Jul 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceIksan, JeonbukRestaurants

Iksan Chinese restaurant fried rice and light tangsuyuk: Hwangbihong

Hwangbihong (황비홍) is a Chinese restaurant on Busong-ro in Iksan, Jeonbuk, known for its seafood siraegi jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup with dried radish greens) and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork). Before a full weekend day of thesis writing, the writer arrived right at opening and ordered a mini tangsuyuk (12,000 won), seafood siraegi jjamppong (11,000 won) and fried rice (10,000 won); the tangsuyuk was lighter and softer than guobaorou, and the chive-noodle jjamppong sat easy afterward. For a filling, good-value meal, Hwangbihong's fried rice and tangsuyuk combination is a satisfying choice.

Written Oct 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ with soybean stew rice: Meongseokjip

Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in a hanok building in Ikseon-dong, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station. Pork belly costs 18,000 won per serving, skirt steak (galmaegisal) 18,000 won per serving and soybean paste stew 8,000 won, and the visit added a second serving of pork belly plus the restaurant's famous green onion kimchi from the self-serve bar. There is no exhaust fan so the smoke builds up, but wide table spacing, a glass ceiling and strong air conditioning make Meongseokjip an easy date spot.

Written Aug 12, 2026Sponsored
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