Compact Companion · 59 stories

Beside the Compact

I write about beauty stops and products I encounter around Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Hair & beauty salons · Restaurants · Cafés · Bars

PlaceSejongRestaurants

Sejong Italian date: daytime white wine & truffle cream panne, Olivus

Olivus Compagno Sejong Boram Branch is a pasta and pizza restaurant on Sicheong-daero in Boram-dong, Sejong. For a special day, the writer booked ahead and paired truffle cream panne (pasta served in a bread bowl), spicy aglio e olio and arugula potato pizza with a chilled bottle of white wine, then took a walk along the Gangbyeon riverside right outside. With a relaxed atmosphere and reasonable prices, Olivus Compagno is a solid pick for a date or family meal when you want to treat yourself.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongRestaurants

Sejong pho restaurant: free cilantro & broth refills at Mekong Thai

Mekong Thai Sejong Naseong Branch is a pho and Southeast Asian restaurant on the 2nd floor of the NS Building on Naseong-ro in Naseong-dong, Sejong. On a weekend visit at 1:30 PM, the blogger ordered a large beef pho and nasi goreng, added cilantro, lemon, bean sprouts and chili for free, and finished the beef pho down to the last drop after a broth refill. For two adults, a large beef pho plus one more main at Mekong Thai makes a filling lunch.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Mapo Station Korean BBQ for a pre-wedding catch-up: Usijang Hoegwan

Usijang Hoegwan (우시장회관) Mapo branch is a charcoal-grilled beef and gukbap (rice soup) restaurant right in front of Mapo Station in Seoul. Three friends met after work ahead of a wedding and shared the 3-person set: a mixed beef platter, yuksashimi (beef sashimi) and clam and beef gukbap, and all were happy with the tender, well-marbled beef and the refreshing yet hearty gukbap. For a friends' get-together or an after-work dinner near Mapo Station, Usijang Hoegwan is a solid recommendation.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Daeheung Korean BBQ, minari hanwoo sirloin: Gogikkun Kim Chunbae

Gogikkun Kim Chunbae Gongdeok Direct Store (고기꾼김춘배 공덕직영점) is a hanwoo and handon (Korean beef and pork) BBQ restaurant between Gongdeok Station and Daeheung Station in Mapo, Seoul, right in front of Gyeongui Line Forest Park. The writer, a regular at the Hongdae branch, found Gogikkun Kim Chunbae by chance on a walk along the forest trail and ordered the 600g beef and pork set for two (124,000 won), half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles) and kkakdugi (radish kimchi) fried rice, enjoying both the well-marbled hanwoo sirloin grilled with minari (water dropwort) and the pre-seared pork. Gogikkun Kim Chunbae is worth remembering for a Gongdeok date: Korean BBQ followed straight by a stroll on Gyeongui Line Forest Park.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Pork cutlet after squash at Magok Station: clay-pot katsu, Tteudon

Tteudon Magok Branch (뜨돈 마곡점) is a pork cutlet restaurant on the 2nd floor of the building right in front of Magok Station in Gangseo, Seoul. After a squash session, the writer had lunch there: a clay-pot Tteudon katsu (12,900 won), a Tteudon sweet potato cheese katsu (13,900 won) and fried shrimp. The meal came with a self-bar of tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), soup and morning rolls, ice cream for dessert and a kids' room. Tteudon Magok Branch is a good pick for office workers and families looking for a generous, good-value pork cutlet near Magok Station.

Written Jun 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido gyukatsu restaurant, reunion with a college junior: Izawa

Izawa Yeouido Direct Store is a gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Yeouido General Shopping Center, in front of Exit 5 of Yeouido Station in Seoul. On a weekday evening, catching up with a college junior for the first time in several years, the writer ordered the steki set and the gyukatsu set (18,000 won each) and grilled them on a tabletop brazier, and the calm atmosphere kept the conversation flowing. For a quiet, talk-friendly date or meetup near Yeouido Station, Izawa Yeouido Direct Store is a safe choice.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ at Mangwon Station with 200g pork neck: Dwaejibangatgan

Dwaejibangatgan (돼지방앗간) is a pork belly and pork neck Korean BBQ restaurant on the 2nd floor of the building right in front of Exit 2 of Mangwon Station in Mapo, Seoul. Three women shared 5 servings of fresh pork neck and pork belly, perilla oil Jjapaghetti (instant black bean noodles), bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles) and Bangatgan sesame oil bibimbap; the meat came out pre-grilled, so it was easy to cook, and at 200g per serving the portions were generous. If you want a clean Korean BBQ restaurant with parking in Mangwon, Dwaejibangatgan is well worth a visit.

Written Jun 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Post-meal Hapjeong café: Cherry Velvet & Lotus tiramisu, Central Site

Central Site Hapjeong is a roastery café that roasts its own beans, right outside Exit 2 of Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. After a meat dinner with friends, the writer stopped by Central Site Hapjeong for a second round and had a Colombia Cherry Velvet hydro-honey drip, a Bolivia Gesha drip and a classic tiramisu (8,500 won), then liked the tiramisu so much they also ordered a Lotus tiramisu (9,000 won). If you want both fragrant coffee and moist tiramisu, Central Site Hapjeong is a satisfying choice.

Written Jun 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheonan, ChungnamRestaurants

Cheonan sashimi spot: tuna with aged kimchi, no soju, Donghae Bada

Donghae Bada Hoetjip is a raw fish restaurant (hoetjip) near the Dujeong-dong food alley in Cheonan, Chungnam, with a large outdoor parking lot. The writer ordered the mixed sashimi and seafood jjim (braised spicy seafood) set for 2 (110,000 won) and had complimentary side dishes, a tuna and white fish sashimi platter, and seafood jjim loaded with roe and milt, finishing with coffee. Donghae Bada Hoetjip is a good pick for a team dinner or family gathering when you are driving and want sashimi and seafood jjim in one meal.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Korean lunch course after a movie with a friend: MUSEO

MUSEO (무제오) is a Korean-based course restaurant on the basement level of 20 Gangnam-daero 47-gil in Seocho, Seoul. After a movie in Gangnam, the writer and a friend booked MUSEO's Premium Combination Meals lunch course through Naver Reservation. The course ran smoothly from steamed egg, Hanwoo ox-foot skewers and seafood mulhoe to a Hanwoo chuck beef tartare namul bibimbap set and ice cream. If pricey fine dining feels like too much but you want a quiet course meal in Gangnam, MUSEO is a good fit.

Written Jun 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jonggak Korean BBQ after World Cup cheering: Gogikkun Kim Chunbae

Gogikkun Kim Chunbae Jongno (고기꾼김춘배 종로직영점) is a charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant on the 5th floor of a building on Jonggak Station's Youth Street in Jongno, Seoul. After cheering for the World Cup in Gwanghwamun, the writer and a younger sibling ordered the recommended set at ₩99,000 (today's hanwoo 150g, pork neck 200g, pork belly 150g) with kkakdugi fried rice and half-and-half naengmyeon, and staff grilled everything from the beef and pork to the charcoal corn. Gogikkun Kim Chunbae Jongno is a solid pick in Jonggak for a team dinner or date when you want beef and pork in one sitting.

Written Jun 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Shabu restaurant in Magok, Seoul: rainy-day spicy broth with gnocchi

Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu, Magok Main Branch is a shabu-shabu and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) restaurant with herbal broth, on the first floor of Botanic Park Plaza right outside Exit 6 of Yangcheonhyanggyo Station in Magok, Seoul. On a rainy weekend evening, the writer ordered the basic special set for 2 in spicy broth, added gnocchi, extra meat and vegetables, then moved on to black garlic kalguksu and perilla oil five-color porridge. For a family meal or a nourishing dinner after a walk in Seoul Botanic Park, Yangcheon Shabu Son Kalguksu is a good fit.

Written Jun 22, 2026Sponsored