Backyard Outing Fan · 7 stories

Back Porch, Gyeonggi/Gangwon/Incheon

Writes about restaurants, cafes, bars, and everyday things to do around Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Incheon, along with notes from home. · Writes about: Restaurants · Things to do · Cafés · Home & living · Bars

PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiThings to do

Indoor zoo in Dongtan: Naver ticket discount and pelicans at Artis

Artis Theme Park is an indoor eco-education theme park combining a zoo and an aquarium on the 9th floor of Sinyu Medi Plaza in Dongtan, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. The writer visited Artis Theme Park on a weekend with a child, saw rabbits, lizards, turtles, rays, starfish and pelicans, tried animal feeding, and booked tickets on Naver for less than the regular ₩32,000 child and ₩35,000 adult prices. Verdict: Artis Theme Park is a rain-or-shine indoor family outing in Dongtan.

Written Jun 14, 2026Sponsored

PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Crispy Dongtan tonkatsu: ₩15,000 flower katsu & 3 dips, Kkot Gatsu

Kkot Gatsu Dongtan Main Branch is a handmade tonkatsu restaurant using Korean Handon pork, on Wangbaesan 3-gil in Mokdong, Dongtan (Hwaseong, Gyeonggi). The ₩15,000 flower katsu (kkot katsu) set was eaten dipped in lemon salt, truffle salt and wasabi, and the premium loin katsu was tried with tonkatsu sauce. With a thin coating, thick juicy pork and dried radish at the self-serve bar, Kkot Gatsu suits anyone after tonkatsu that is crisp outside and tender inside.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGoyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Deogyang-gu Chinese restaurant: wrapped radish bar, tofu jjamppong

Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch (짬뽕지존 서오릉점) is a Chinese restaurant specializing in jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) on Seooreung-ro in Deogyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi. At Jjamppong Jijeon the writer ordered jjamjjamyeon (half jjamppong, half jjajangmyeon), soft tofu jjamppong, sticky-rice tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and fried mandu (dumplings), and especially liked the large parking lot, roomy seating, the self-bar with individually wrapped pickled radish and the after-meal drink corner. Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch is an easy recommendation in Goyang for family meals with kids or group gatherings.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Jeju pork BBQ near Sunae Station with grilled fern: Jeju Monteurak

Jeju Monteurak Bundang Sunae Branch (제주몬트락 분당수내점) is a charcoal BBQ restaurant serving Jeju pork near Sunae Station in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi. The order was Jeju five-layer pork belly (ogyeopsal) and Jeju pork neck, both pre-seared and grilled at the table by staff, with fern and white kimchi roasted on the same grill to bring out the flavor of the meat. With a spacious dining room and table-side grilling, Jeju Monteurak Bundang Sunae Branch is a solid pick for a team dinner near Sunae Station.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Manseok Park, Suwon shabu-shabu with kids' cinema zone: Sodamchon

Sodamchon Suwon Jeongja Branch (소담촌 수원정자점) is a shabu-shabu and Vietnamese spring roll restaurant next to Manseok Park in Jeongja-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon. Since its renovation, Sodamchon Suwon Jeongja Branch has marble tables, partitioned group seating and a kids' cinema zone; the writer ordered the 23,900-won-per-person mushroom shabu (120g) with half brisket, half chuck and a split mild and spicy broth, then used the in-store café for free. If you tried Sodamchon Suwon Jeongja Branch before the renovation and felt indifferent, it is well worth another visit.

Written Jul 23, 2026Sponsored

PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan cypress-steam buffet, peanut sauce & 10-min wait: Pyeonbaek

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch (편백회관 동탄점) is an all-you-can-eat restaurant for pyeonbaek-jjim (meat and vegetables steamed in a cypress box) and beef shabu-shabu on the 2nd floor of Granvia Star at Dongtan Station in Hwaseong, priced at ₩16,900 for weekday lunch and ₩19,900 for weekday dinner, weekends and public holidays. On an early-evening visit, the writer used the 10 minutes the cypress steam takes to cook to hit the salad bar first, then ate a tray of cypress steam with peanut sauce, half-and-half bonito and spicy mushroom shabu-shabu, rice paper rolls, kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), long-simmered sujebi (hand-torn dough soup) and misugaru (roasted grain drink). With such a varied menu, Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Dongtan Branch is worth considering for a Dongtan work lunch or family meal where tastes differ.

Written Oct 5, 2026Sponsored

PlaceOsan, GyeonggiRestaurants

Osan Chinese restaurant with free parking and bottled water: Dami Sik

Dami Sik (다미식) is a Korean-Chinese restaurant on Sumogwon-ro 49beon-gil in Nueup-dong, Osan, Gyeonggi, known for stone-plate jjajang (black bean sauce) and dongpo pork (braised pork belly). A family of four ordered the stone jjajang and dongpo pork set for 48,000 won and remembered the free parking beside Dami Sik, the individual bottled water and the green onion kimchi side dish. The verdict: Dami Sik's jjajang stays hot on the stone plate to the last bite, and the leftover sauce mixed with rice makes a very satisfying finish.

Written Aug 7, 2026Sponsored

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