Low Bookshelf Visitor · 11 stories
Writes about cafes and small restaurants across Seoul and the Busan-Gyeongnam area. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés
Le Vegie Wang Seongsu Space (르베지왕 성수공간) is a poke and salad restaurant hidden down a side alley off Yeonmujang-gil in Seongsu, Seoul. On a return visit, the writer ordered a steak bowl with extra chicken thigh, a tomato soup with sweet potato and a green smoothie, about 30,700 won for all three. Given Seongsu prices, Le Vegie Wang is a good-value healthy meal worth coming back for.
bd Burger Seongsu is a handmade burger restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building on Yeonmujang-gil, near Seongsu Station Exit 3 in Seoul. On a return lunch visit, after a walk-in line with no waiting kiosk, a double cheeseburger set, a bd Grilled Shrimp Avocado, a bd Wasabi Shrimp and a milkshake came to 50,600 won, and the bd Grilled Shrimp Avocado was the top pick. As long as you take the stairs to the 2nd floor instead of walking into the 1st-floor wine bar, bd Burger is a good-value handmade burger spot near Seongsu Station that is worth the wait.
Hekbap Konkuk University Main Branch is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant on the 2nd floor between Konkuk Univ. Station and Children's Grand Park Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. On an early-summer revisit, the writer hit break time, came back 2 hours later and ordered the Hanwoo daechang (Korean beef large intestine) bowl set for 16,900 won and the pork jowl bowl for 11,900 won. With a wide menu, a clean dining room and a generous set, Hekbap is a Konkuk Univ. meal spot worth returning to.
Café Ohkam (카페 오캄) is a dessert café spread over floors 1–3 of a converted detached house in a bar alley near Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. On a return visit, the writer ordered a coconut Einspänner (₩6,500), a fresh mango cake (₩9,500) and a cream cheese financier (₩3,500), and the fresh mango cake was soft and not too sweet, so one slice felt like too little. The prices are a little high, but the seasonal cakes and four Einspänner drinks make Café Ohkam a Konkuk Univ. cake café worth returning to.
Daily Fix Gangnam Main Branch is a handmade burger joint in Gangnam, Seoul, between Yeoksam Station Exit 3 and Gangnam Station Exit 1, known for its wide-open windows and outdoor-patio feel. The classic burger (₩11,900), chicken burger (₩11,900) and double cheese burger (₩15,900) were ordered together to compare them, and the spicy coleslaw and the juicy Hanwoo (Korean beef) patties stood out most. Of the three, the top pick at Daily Fix was the classic burger with its tangy sauce.
Something About Coffee is a three-floor dessert café in a side street near Exit 11 of Gangnam Station, Seoul. At the second-floor dessert counter, the writer picked a pistachio raspberry gâteau (10,500 won) and a choco pudding cookie (6,200 won), with an Einspänner (7,500 won) and a matcha choco latte (8,000 won) to drink. Thanks to its cheesecake and a different mood on each floor, Something About Coffee is a Gangnam Station café that suits dates and photos.
Ieo Coffee Roasters Gongdeok Branch is a roastery café in a quiet alley near Gyeongui Line Forest Park, between Daeheung Station and Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a Gyeongui Line Forest Park walk, the writer tried the signature cream almond (5,800 won), basil milk tea (5,500 won) and Basque cheesecake (5,700 won). The nutty house-made almond milk and the soft cheesecake dipped in cream stood out. With outdoor tables and fair prices, Ieo Coffee Roasters is a great Daeheung Station café for a break after a walk.
Raymond's Hongdae is a New York-style slice pizza shop near Exit 8 of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer ordered the Monde Set (₩51,900), which brings 4 slices of 4 different pizzas, boneless fried chicken, truffle fries and 5 sauces on one tray, and especially liked the not-too-salty thin-crust pizza and the bacon Hawaiian. Verdict: the Raymond's Hongdae Monde Set is a good-value, filling choice for 3–4 people sharing pizza or chicken with beer.
Boulangerie Copain is a European-style bakery on Mangridan-gil in Mangwon-dong, Mapo, Seoul, run by a baker featured on the Korean TV show The Master of Living (생활의 달인). Around 12 noon in midsummer, the writer took bus 7011 to Boulangerie Copain and bought 4 breads for ₩24,500: a basil sandwich, a fig cream cheese baguette, a basil crunch and a corn cheese sausage croissant. The corn cheese sausage croissant, picked with no expectations, came out on top. Verdict: Boulangerie Copain is a great-value Mangwon bakery with fair prices for its generous sizes.
Pasta Go Hongdae Branch (파스타고 홍대점) is a budget pasta, risotto and pizza restaurant on the second floor of a building across from Hongik University in Mapo, Seoul. A shrimp toowoomba cream pasta, a garlic butter cream risotto with shrimp, a gorgonzola pizza and a Pepsi Zero came to ₩29,100 at discounted prices. The risotto, with thick cream and firm, chewy rice, was the best dish of the day. Pasta Go Hongdae Branch, a sunny mint-coloured room with floor-to-ceiling windows, suits a Hongdae date when you want toowoomba and risotto cheaply.
Sinchon Yangpuni Seomyeon Main Branch is a Korean pub serving spicy braised pork back ribs (galbijjim), tucked inside the Baedaepo alley in Seomyeon, Busan. The writer, a regular for 10 years, returned with a family of 3 and ordered 4 portions of Yangpuni galbijjim at 14,000 won each, plus the pour-over cheese topping and Seomyeon No. 1 fried rice, and the amount was just right. With spice levels from 1 to 4, Sinchon Yangpuni is a Seomyeon pub where spice-shy eaters and spice lovers can share one table.
