Sunday Mirror Bag · 20 stories

Sunday Compact Case

I write about beauty products I have used and the small details that stay with me. · Writes about: Beauty products · Bars · Restaurants · Cafés · Home & living · Hair & beauty salons · Fashion

PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Teppanyaki lunch for friends trying to conceive in Seomyeon: Karen

Karen Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch is a Taiwanese teppanyaki restaurant in the basement (B1) food court of Lotte Department Store in Seomyeon, Busan. Three of us, friends trying to conceive, shared the Set B for two (36,900 won after discount) and a king prawn and scallop set (15,900 won). With bar seats around an open kitchen, Karen is easy for solo dining, and its NSF-certified grill reassured diners who are careful about what they eat out.

Written May 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Gwangalli pork galbi, downdraft hoods, less smoky clothes: Haean

Haean Sutbul Galbi Gwangalli Main Branch is a charcoal-grilled pork galbi restaurant on Namcheonbada-ro in Suyeong, Busan, a 3-minute walk from Gwangalli Beach. The writer has been back with their partner many times. This visit they ordered the pork galbi set for 2-3 people (₩56,000), which comes with unmarinated pork galbi, marinated pork galbi and a sampler of grilled pork tail, and finished with seafood soybean paste stew. Downdraft hoods mean little smoke or smell on clothes, and both the meat and the side dishes satisfied, so the writer ranks Haean Sutbul Galbi as their top BBQ spot in Gwangalli.

Written May 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Gwangalli makchang and soju with doenjang stew: Mujin Yeontan, Busan

Mujin Yeontan (무진연탄) is a briquette-fire makchang (grilled pork intestine) and BBQ restaurant in Millak-dong, Suyeong, Busan, near Gwangalli, and it says it has carried on the briquette-fire flavor the owners' parents started in 2007 for 19 years. The writer stopped by with a partner for drinks with dinner and had 3 portions of half-salt, half-seasoned briquette makchang, doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), rice and soju, and was pleased by the chewy makchang with no gamey smell and the neat side dishes. Mujin Yeontan is a good spot for makchang and a glass of soju after a walk along the Gwangalli seafront.

Written May 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Seomyeon noodle shop, sauce-free mul milmyeon: Seomyeon Milmyeon

Seomyeon Milmyeon is a milmyeon (Busan-style wheat noodle) restaurant in the Eos Plaza building near Seomyeon Station in Busanjin, Busan. On one of several return visits, the writer ordered mul milmyeon (noodles in cold broth, ₩10,000) with the seasoning sauce left out, plus mandu (dumplings, ₩7,500), and enjoyed the pure flavor of the 72-hour beef bone broth, the chewy noodles and the generous portion. For anyone who likes mul milmyeon straight in its own broth, Seomyeon Milmyeon is a dependable Busan milmyeon spot.

Written May 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanCafés

Jeonpo Café Street bakery: open-kitchen pastries, Upper East Bakery

Upper East Bakery (어퍼이스트베이커리) is a bakery café on the second floor of a building on Seojeon-ro 46beon-gil, in the heart of Jeonpo Café Street in Busan. The writer browsed pastries that the open kitchen reportedly kneads and bakes fresh before dawn each day, then took home a croissant, an egg tart, a kouign-amann and an apple pie. Upper East Bakery is a worthwhile Jeonpo café stop on a Busan bakery crawl.

Written May 30, 2026Sponsored
ProductCeramineBeauty products

Peel-off collagen mask for pores and texture: Ceramine Collagen Pack

Ceramine Collagen Pack is a peel-off collagen mask from Ceramine, made as a two-piece (upper and lower) mesh sheet that is pressed onto the skin with water or mist and peeled off after 15–20 minutes. The writer tried Ceramine Collagen Pack for seasonal dryness and sagging pores, and felt dead skin, sebum and oil being cleared away during peeling, along with a firm, tightening finish. Ceramine Collagen Pack is not a dramatic one-use change, but it is a good home-care mask for days when pores and skin texture both need tidying.

Written Jun 1, 2026Product provided
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Gwangalli Korean BBQ: whole pork jowl with aged kimchi, Gwangan-mok

Gwangan-mok Gwangan Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant on Gwangnam-ro in Suyeong, Busan, near Gwangalli Beach, where staff grill aged pork at your table. On a booked dinner date, the writer ordered the Gwangalli Set (49,000 won, limited to 5 sets a day) and was most impressed by the crispy yet juicy whole pork jowl paired with chimichurri, anchovy salt and aged kimchi (mukeunji). Gwangan-mok Gwangan Branch is a Gwangalli date-night BBQ spot that won over even a diner who doesn't usually enjoy pork jowl.

Written Jun 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanCafés

Solo brunch café in Gwangalli: matcha latte & acai bowl, Famous Benny

Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch is an Australian-style brunch café in Millak-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan, open daily from 8am. Dining alone, the writer took a 2nd-floor window seat and ordered The Famous Benny with salmon (18,000 won), a rich, not-too-sweet matcha latte (5,500 won) and an acai bowl (9,000 won) they liked more than the one they had in Bali. Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch is a good fit for a quiet solo breakfast in Gwangalli.

Written Jun 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Couple's Korean BBQ in Seomyeon, Busan: oxtail taster with soju, Sojay

Sojay Busan Seomyeon is a beef flower galbi (marinated short rib) restaurant near Seomyeon Station Exit 7 in Busanjin, Busan, on the back street behind Lotte Department Store. On a weekend date, the writer and their partner ordered 500g of LA flower galbi, a taster portion of braised oxtail, extra somyeon noodles and soju, and enjoyed the thick, staff-grilled galbi and tender chive braised oxtail with their drinks. Verdict: Sojay Busan Seomyeon is a satisfying Seomyeon date-night spot for drinks with food, especially for couples who love braised oxtail.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Seomyeon chicken pub date, boneless set dipped in pepper salt: Yetnal

Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch (옛날통닭앤탕 서면점) is a newly opened, retro hof-style pub serving fried chicken and dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken stew), tucked inside Seomyeon Food Alley in Busan. On a weekend date dinner with drinks, the stew-loving blogger and a chicken-loving partner shared the 33,000 won boneless stew set with 500cc draft beer. The set paired a spicy dakdoritang loaded with wheat rice cakes and glass noodles with boneless fried chicken made from Harim chicken thigh meat. If one of you is team chicken and the other team stew, one boneless stew set at Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch keeps you both happy.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanHair & beauty salons

No-glue protein lash lift and black tint in Busanjin: Almond Eyelashes

Almond Eyelashes is a reservation-only lash lift and extension salon on Beomil-ro in Busanjin, Busan, near Beomil Station. With short, sparse lashes whose previous lift had dropped after a month and a half, the writer had a no-glue protein lash lift with black tint, and even the shortest lashes curled up naturally, making the eyes look defined without makeup. For anyone with short, thin lashes, the one-on-one consultation lift at Almond Eyelashes is well worth booking.

Written May 31, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSaha, BusanHair & beauty salons

Hadan, Busan lash salon: thio-free perm for sparse lashes, Bitnaneun

Bitnaneun Lash Wax Skin (빛나는속눈썹왁싱피부) is a lash and skin care beauty salon in Hadan-dong, Saha-gu, Busan, open for 12 years. The writer, who has short, sparse lashes, arrived with a grown-out, tangled perm and got a black tinting lash perm with thio-free products and a pH balance clinic in about 1 hour. Because Bitnaneun's custom one-on-one curl lifts the lashes high without touching the eyelid, the writer keeps coming back again and again.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored