Daylight Swatcher · 16 stories
I write about beauty products and the textures, colors, and details I notice while using them. · Writes about: Beauty products · Cafés · Fashion · Restaurants · Shopping · Things to do
The Meda Bag rattan bag is a summer rattan shoulder bag with a zip top, a soft lining and an open pocket inside. A blogger who received the Meda Bag rattan bag for free chose the brown one and carried it as a daily bag with the kids' things, drinks, snacks and even an iPad. The Meda Bag rattan bag is light and keeps its shape when full, making it a good pick for anyone after a roomy summer daily bag or a holiday bag.
Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is a sushi and seafood buffet on the 6th floor of the Seoul Oncheon Building on Nowon-ro in Nowon, Seoul, with a kids' playroom and baby chairs. A seafood-loving couple visited Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch with their kids on a weekend and enjoyed salmon sushi, unlimited steamed crab and shrimp, and weekend-only bead ice cream; weekend prices are ₩35,900 for adults and ₩18,900 for elementary school students, and the busy crowds kept the sushi turning over fresh. Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is a good fit for a Nowon family gathering where everyone can eat their fill of seafood with the kids in comfort.
Sallering Daehak-ro is a poke, salad and sandwich shop on Daehak-ro 10-gil in Hyehwa, Jongno, Seoul. On a Seoul National University Hospital appointment day, the writer ordered a solo takeout lunch at the Sallering Daehak-ro kiosk: a pepper chicken breast bibim poke (mixed poke bowl) on a brown rice and barley base with sweet soy dressing, plus a ham, cheese and egg sandwich, both ready 5 minutes after ordering. Sallering Daehak-ro suits anyone who wants a quick, light but filling lunch in Hyehwa.
Barirus is a large bakery café on Bongseosan-ro in Paju-eup, Paju, Gyeonggi, open until 2 a.m. from Friday to Sunday. After a night at a campsite during the kids' summer break, the writer stopped at Barirus for a late brunch of jambon caprese, long sausage bread, castella cream bread and an iced americano. With its spacious second floor and filling brunch, Barirus is an easy addition to a day out in Paju.
Hwangbuja Twigim (황부자튀김) is a tempura and squid sundae (stuffed squid) shop on the main street of Sokcho Jungang Market in Sokcho, Gangwon. For a snack with the kids back at their lodging, the writer ordered takeout nude shrimp tempura and a half-and-half set of regular squid sundae and nurungji squid sundae, and Hwangbuja Twigim griddled the squid sundae as soon as it was ordered. The nurungji squid sundae, pressed and griddled instead of dipped in egg wash, stayed chewy even after cooling and was the couple's favorite.
Daecheongmaru (대청마루) is a Korean restaurant specializing in tofu and dried pollack on Gwangwang-ro in Sokcho, Gangwon. On the first morning of a summer vacation, the writer brought the babies and ordered spicy sundubu (soft tofu stew) and sanchae bibimbap (mountain-vegetable rice bowl). The meal came with a full table of side dishes, including grilled tofu, biji jjigae (soybean pulp stew) and soy sauce shrimp. Daecheongmaru's sanchae bibimbap was rich in flavor even without gochujang, and the babies each finished a bowl of rice mixed into the mini dried pollack soup served alongside.
Hanggu Hwareo (항구활어) is a snow crab and live raw fish restaurant in Building S of Daepo Harbor Fish Market in Sokcho, Gangwon, open daily until 2am. On a summer trip to Gangwon, the family ordered Hanggu Hwareo's snow crab E course for 2. The E course brought basic side dishes with three kinds of seafood, assorted raw fish, steamed snow crab, fried rice made with crab innards in the shell, and spicy fish stew with ramyeon noodles. The verdict: Hanggu Hwareo's crabs are meaty and come with the legs already cut, which makes the meal easy for families with kids.
Hwangbuja Jeotgal (황부자젓갈) is a jeotgal (salted seafood) shop on the main food alley of Sokcho Central Market in Sokcho, Gangwon. The writer bought 700g of squid jeotgal, her husband's favourite, and 1kg of octopus jeotgal, packed in a cooler bag with ice packs. The squid jeotgal was chewy without being tough, and the octopus jeotgal had large, crunchy chunks. Neither was too salty, and both paired well with white rice and nurungji (scorched rice).
Deungdae Gotgan (등대곳간) is an ocean-view Korean restaurant on the 2nd floor right in front of Deungdae Beach on Yeongnang-haean-gil in Sokcho, Gangwon. Deungdae Gotgan opens at 8am. For breakfast the writer ordered jjageul nakji (spicy octopus stew) for 2 with udon noodles, 2 bowls of rice and a pork cutlet for the kids, cooked the stew at the table and finished with seaweed-flake bibimbap. If breakfast on a trip is always awkward to sort out, Deungdae Gotgan is the answer for a filling morning meal.
Cafe Neorae (카페너래) is a large café with Ulsanbawi Rock views in the Haksapyeong sundubu (soft tofu) village of Sokcho, Gangwon, running from the 2nd floor up above the ground-floor Yetgoeul Sundubu restaurant. On a midsummer heatwave day, the writer went up to Cafe Neorae after lunch for the signature Neorae Latte, an Americano and choco snail bread, then looked around the rooftop. Verdict: Cafe Neorae makes an easy post-meal dessert stop, and the window seats facing Ulsanbawi head-on are the best in the house.
Eoneu Dal (어느달) is a pasta-and-pilaf Italian restaurant on Jeongmundong-gil in Pocheon, Gyeonggi. After about a 30-minute weekend lunch wait with the kids, the family ordered shrimp rosé pasta at regular spice and beef tomato pasta and cheese pilaf made mild, then shared everything. Ordered for a cheese-loving daughter, the cheese pilaf, crispy like scorched rice, turned out to be the must-eat dish at Eoneu Dal.
Dalgom's is a takeout-only dakgangjeong (Korean sweet crispy fried chicken) shop in Jeil Market, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi. A one-and-a-half chicken order split into three flavors — Sweet, Garlic Soy and Bburinkle — fed two adults and two children, and the box with punched air holes kept the coating crisp all the way home. The seasoning at Dalgom's is mild, so it works well for sharing with preschool-age kids.
