Counter Neighbor · 17 stories

Across the Counter

I write about restaurant meals and small dining moments around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés

PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido sushi restaurant with baby chairs for family lunch: Ilpum

Ilpum Yeouido Branch is a sushi and kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) restaurant on the basement level of Anwon Building, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 3 of National Assembly Station in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. Before a walk in Yeouido Han River Park, the writer had lunch here with a baby and ordered today's sushi set, kaisendon and crab cream croquette, and the staff brought a baby chair right away. With a meal that runs from chawanmushi to mango panna cotta, Ilpum Yeouido Branch works well for a family lunch with a baby or as the first stop on a date.

Written Sep 18, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Late dinner ssambap restaurant in Paju, stroller-friendly: Simhaksan

Simhaksan Deulkkot Ssambap is a ssambap (rice and greens wraps) and home-style Korean restaurant on Dolgoji-gil, near the Paju Outlet in Gyeonggi. On the way home from the outlet with a baby, the writer ordered the deuljeongsik set for two, mixed the stir-fried pork and stir-fried squid into one wrap, and took as many wrap greens as wanted from the self-serve bar. With room for a stroller, a baby chair and even a microwave, Simhaksan Deulkkot Ssambap made a late dinner with a baby easy.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Baby-friendly Bongdam restaurant with yellow croaker set: Hwadamga

Hwadamga is a grilled fish Korean restaurant on Nangnaegi-gil in Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. We ordered the wood-fired mackerel set, the wood-fired bori-gulbi (dried yellow croaker) set and the direct-fire pork set, and a staff member deboned the croaker so we could soak rice in green tea water, with a self-serve side dish bar, sujanghyangmi white rice and doenjang stew alongside. Baby dishes, a microwave and a high chair made Hwadamga an easy choice for a family meal out with a baby.

Written Sep 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Noryangjin Fish Market sashimi, free gizzard shad: Ttangkkeut Maeul

Ttangkkeut Maeul is a sashimi takeout restaurant at Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in Dongjak, Seoul, at Live Fish Section 1F No. 42-43. A small luxury sashimi platter reserved by phone the day before came loaded with black porgy, olive flounder, red seabream, sea bass, salmon, frozen bluefin tuna and a free seasonal gizzard shad service, plenty for two, plus vinegared rice mix so it could be eaten as sashimi and turned into homemade sushi.

Written Sep 9, 2026Sponsored
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