Break Postcard · 127 stories
I write about visits to cafes in Gangwon and the small details I notice along the way. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons · Bars · Things to do · Food & snacks
Gagas Pizza is a retro-style pizzeria selling pizza by the slice in Sokcho, Gangwon, a 2–3 minute walk from Sokcho Beach. After eating White Mushroom, Super Combo and Hawaiian slices at Gagas Pizza, the writer boxed a few more slices for a picnic with a kid on the sand at Sokcho Beach. Going from a sit-down meal at Gagas Pizza straight to a beach picnic was the best moment of the Sokcho trip.
Sokcho Sulppang is a famous market bakery inside Sokcho Jungang Market (Sokcho Tourism & Fish Market) in Sokcho, Gangwon, selling makgeolli sulppang, a steamed bread fermented with unpasteurized rice wine. A mom, her husband, their child and her own mother queued together for the ₩5,000 sulppang, and although it was bought for the grandmother, the child ate the most. When the line is long, check Sokcho Sulppang's second branch inside the market first.
Cafe Neorae is an Ulsanbawi Rock–view café on Wonamhaksapyeong-gil in Sokcho, Gangwon, near Haksapyeong Soondubu (soft tofu) Village. On the second day of a Sokcho trip, after a soondubu lunch, the family ordered Cafe Neorae's caffeine-free signature Neorae tea made from kongbiji (soybean pulp), a Tropical Sunset ade and an espresso, and spent a long time gazing at Ulsanbawi through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Cafe Neorae has drinks children can share and is good for a long stay, a fit for families who want a mountain view instead of an ocean view.
Samsam Goroke is a croquette shop inside Sokcho Central Market in Sokcho, Gangwon, frying six croquettes, including red crab, fire jjamppong and pollack roe cream, in an open kitchen. On a 3-day, 2-night Sokcho trip, the Samsam Goroke 6-flavor set cost 18,000 won and was eaten alongside dakgangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken) as a family late-night snack at an ocean-view stay, with the leftover croquettes reheated in an air fryer the next day. For families who want something other than dakgangjeong at Sokcho Central Market, the Samsam Goroke 6-flavor set is a solid choice.
Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip (서민갑부 시장닭집) is a dakgangjeong (sweet, crispy Korean fried chicken) shop in Sokcho Jungang Market in Sokcho, Gangwon, that cooks every order fresh and is best known for its deodeok dakgangjeong, made with deodeok (bonnet bellflower root). The writer's family usually buys Manseok Dakgangjeong, but the long line and free samples drew them to Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip, so they took the deodeok dakgangjeong back to their lodging and ate it looking out at the sea. The deodeok aroma that follows the sweet glaze kept the chicken from getting cloying to the last piece, making it a worthwhile pick for anyone after a different kind of dakgangjeong in Sokcho.
Hanamato Sangam DMC (하나마토 상암DMC점) is a two-floor izakaya on Woldeukeopbuk-ro 44-gil in Mapo, Seoul, near Sangam's Seoul World Cup Stadium. After the writer's daughter took part in a player escort kids event and the family watched the match, they shared 5 kinds of oden with added udon noodles, 5 charcoal-grilled yakitori, chicken karaage, yaki gyoza and tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty). Adults can pair yakitori with draft beer while a child makes a dinner of udon in oden broth, so Hanamato Sangam DMC is a perfectly good izakaya to visit with kids.
Uahan Meori Wangsimni Centras Branch is a hair salon in the Wangsimni Centras complex (Building H) in Seongdong, Seoul. A 7-year-old girl who had begged for a bob for more than 2 years got a kids' bob cut while her perm waves were still growing out. The layers were adjusted so the bob fell lightly instead of clumping, and she ended up with matching hair with her mom. If you want to turn a child's leftover perm into a natural bob, Uahan Meori Wangsimni Centras Branch is a salon you can trust.
Raymond Pizza Isu Branch is an American, New York-style big-slice pizza shop near Isu Station in Dongjak, Seoul. Unsure about a recommendation from local mom forums, the writer visited on a weekend with a child, ate Big Cheese, Big Pepperoni and Big Bacon Hawaiian slices, and carried the leftover slices in the box to a nearby park for a picnic. Raymond Pizza Isu Branch's dough doesn't get very soggy even as takeout, so it suits both dining in and a park picnic.
Beefjeong Gogi Jip is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Sindang Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, serving hanwoo beef and pork. The writer visited with her husband and child and had Korean pork neck grilled by staff from start to finish, plus jjagyechi (black bean instant noodles with egg and cheese) with Irion scallion kimchi, the Beefjeong burger and soy sauce egg rice. Beefjeong Gogi Jip pairs good meat with unusual sides, making it a solid pick for a family meal with kids.
Didi's Pizza Pub Jongno Main Branch is a pizza pub on the ground floor of Doosan We've Pavilion near Exit 2 of Jonggak Station in Jongno, Seoul, and it shows baseball games on big TVs. After a date at Kyobo Book Centre Gwanghwamun, a mother and her daughter watched a fall postseason game at Didi's Pizza Pub and shared a large Double Delicious thin pizza in four flavors: pepperoni, spicy chicken, Hawaiian and gorgonzola. With a cheering atmosphere you don't get watching at home, Didi's Pizza Pub Jongno Main Branch is a good place to eat with a child while watching baseball.
Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road is a pub-style Goobne Chicken branch on the Red Road alley in Hongdae, Mapo, Seoul. On a chicken-and-beer date, the writer checked out the terrace and bar setting, then ordered the Original double portion with Marbling sauce by table QR code. The meat was moist and sat light enough to keep strolling the Hongdae alleys afterward. Goobne Chicken Hongdae Red Road may feel plain if you love crispy fried chicken, but it is worth a visit for a Hongdae date that values atmosphere and a light finish.
Poongi Seosunra-gil branch is an American-style casual bar on Seosunra-gil near Jongno 3-ga Station in Jongno, Seoul, and in October its storefront and outdoor seating are covered in Halloween decorations. A mom visited with her Halloween-loving kindergarten-age daughter and ordered the brown cream chicken stew with garlic rice, the LA chili cheese hot dog, the Home Alone mac and cheese and a mango ade. Although Poongi Seosunra-gil branch is a bar, its non-spicy stew, mac and cheese and ade make it a good fit for enjoying the Halloween atmosphere with a child.
