Dining Out Calendar · 27 stories

Days Dining Out

I write about meals at restaurants I visit in Busan and Gyeongnam. · Writes about: Beauty products · Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceJung-gu, BusanRestaurants

Nampo Station Japanese eatery: tempura udon & big karaage, Daidokoro

Daidokoro Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch is a Japanese restaurant in the 10th-floor restaurant area of the main building at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok, near Nampo Station in Busan. The writer had lunch at Daidokoro: a mentaiko (pollock roe) set for ₩17,500, a meat udon set for ₩15,500 and a big karaage (Japanese fried chicken) plate à la carte for ₩14,900. The mentaiko rice bowl, mixed with a burst soft-yolk fried egg, and the vegetable tempura soaked in udon broth stood out, making Daidokoro worth considering for clean, good-value Japanese food at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok.

Written Jun 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanCafés

Millak-dong brunch café: Mom's clean-plate Turkish egg, Famous Benny

Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch is a standalone two-floor brunch café in a residential street of Millak-dong, Suyeong, Busan, near Millak Raw Fish Center. With her mom, the writer ordered two Americanos (₩5,500 each), The Famous Benny with bacon (₩18,000), a garlic butter egg, also called Turkish egg (₩14,000), and a yogurt bowl (₩7,000). The bacon Benny disappeared in no time and Mom scraped the garlic butter egg plate clean. With roomy tables and dog-friendly outdoor seats, Famous Benny is worth considering for a brunch date in Millak-dong.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, BusanRestaurants

Bupyeong-dong beef short rib BBQ and chili ramyeon: Bueongi Maeul

Bueongi Maeul (부엉이마을) is an old-school Korean BBQ restaurant in Bupyeong-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, across from Bupyeong Kkangtong Market. Still full from lunch, the writer skipped the pork ribs for one 400g plate of Emperor beef short rib (48,000 won). The beef was tender enough to need no scissors and very juicy. A 3,000 won hangover ramyeon loaded with hot green chili, ordered after spotting it at the next table, came out fiery and bracing. Verdict: Bueongi Maeul is a recommended Korean BBQ spot if you're near Nampo-dong.

Written Oct 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Millak-dong sashimi bar with corkage, thick 4-fish platter: Gwanganda

Gwanganda Jjji Gwangalli Main Branch (광안다찌 광안리본점) is a sashimi restaurant serving a 55,000-won-per-person dachi set (a multi-course seafood spread) on the 6th floor of Sanbada Hoetown, in front of Millak Waterside Park in Suyeong, Busan. The writer visited as a party of 2 and was served, in order, starters, seafood dishes, an assorted platter of olive flounder, red sea bream, marbled flounder and sea bass, then spicy stew and abalone porridge. The sashimi was thick and the portions generous, which surprised the writer for the price. Gwanganda Jjji is worth recommending to anyone in Millak-dong looking for a varied seafood spread that is good value for money.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Yangjeong Station Exit 3 BBQ, gochujang pork belly: Jirisan Kkul Tong

Jirisan Kkul Tong Galbi Busan Yangjeong Branch is a charcoal-grilled marinated galbi (pork rib) restaurant near Exit 3 of Yangjeong Station in Busanjin, Busan. The writer ordered 500g of honey-pot marinated galbi and 100g of gochujang pork belly as one 600g order, then finished with jar Chapagetti; the marinade wasn't harsh, and the strong charcoal fire kept the meat tender. With marinated galbi at 3,900 won per 100g, Jirisan Kkul Tong Galbi is a local Yangjeong BBQ spot worth returning to.

Written Oct 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongnae, BusanHair & beauty salons

Dongnae hair salon: tassel bob cut + root volume magic, Chamer

Chamer is a hair salon in Oncheon-dong, Dongnae-gu, Busan, near Lotte Department Store Dongnae. At Chamer the writer asked for tidier flyaways, more root volume and hair that only needs a blow-dry, and got a tassel bob cut plus volume magic (a root-volume straightening perm) in about 2 hours. Even with a loosely described request, Chamer delivered a clean, neat tassel bob, making the visit a satisfying one.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDong-gu, BusanRestaurants

Busan Station pork galbi lunch set for two: Choryang Hyeongje Galbi

Choryang Hyeongje Galbi is a second-generation pork galbi (marinated pork ribs) restaurant on the Choryangcheon pork galbi alley in Dong-gu, Busan. The writer ordered the Hyeongje Lunch Set (형제점심밥상, ₩13,000) for 2, which came with the same side dishes as dinner, 2 servings of pork galbi, doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) and rice; staff grilled the marinated pork galbi, which was well seasoned and tender. For a good-value Korean BBQ lunch near Busan Station, the Hyeongje Lunch Set at Choryang Hyeongje Galbi is a solid choice.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSaha, BusanCafés

Hadan, Busan rice cake shop: daycare thank-you injeolmi, Hohobak

Hohobak (호호박) is a takeout-only handmade injeolmi (chewy rice cake) shop near Hadan Amoling in Saha, Busan. A large black sesame castella injeolmi from Hohobak came cut into bite-size pieces in a pink box, with a subtle, nutty black sesame coating and a chewy yet fluffy texture. Hohobak's injeolmi tastes natural rather than artificial, making it a good pick for a kids' snack or a daycare thank-you rice cake gift.

Written Jun 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, BusanRestaurants

Lotte Gwangbok Japanese eatery: mentaiko bowls for 2, Daidokoro

Daidokoro Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch is a Japanese home-cooking restaurant in the 10th-floor dining hall of Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch's main building in Nampo-dong, Jung-gu, Busan. During a packed lunch hour, two mentaiko (salted pollock roe) rice bowl sets at ₩17,500 each and one à la carte chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken) at ₩15,900 were ordered. The mentaiko rice bowl, with salty roe, a soft-boiled egg and popping flying fish roe, and the crispy karaage were both clean-tasting and delicious, making Daidokoro a Japanese lunch spot in Nampo-dong worth revisiting.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, BusanRestaurants

Nampo, Busan burger shop: cheeseburger & avocado burger, Downtowner

Downtowner Busan Lotte Gwangbok is a handmade burger shop on B1 of Aqua Mall at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok in Jung-gu, Busan. The writer ordered the Classic Cheeseburger (8,900 won) and the new Chimichurri Avocado Burger (12,900 won) as sets and swapped the fries for Garlic Butter Fries. Downtowner Busan Lotte Gwangbok is clean and the food is reliably good, so it is worth considering if you want a burger inside Lotte Department Store Gwangbok.

Written Jul 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Non-greasy loin tonkatsu set on Jeonpo Tool Street: Katsu Gimseondo

Katsu Gimseondo (카츠김선도) is a Japanese-style tonkatsu restaurant at the entrance to Jeonpo Tool Street in Busanjin, Busan. At Katsu Gimseondo, the loin tonkatsu set (13,000 won) and the half-and-half tonkatsu set (15,000 won) never felt greasy, even down to the fatty edges, and the staff gladly brought a second bowl of rice. Katsu Gimseondo is a light, clean-tasting tonkatsu pick in Seomyeon and Jeonpo, even for people who dislike greasy food.

Written Oct 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHaeundae, BusanCafés

Haeundae bakery: plain salt bread that won over a skeptic, Zoblack

Zoblack is a salt bread bakery in the Marine City Xi shopping arcade in Haeundae, Busan. On a second visit to Zoblack, the writer took away 4 plain salt breads (₩10,000), a basil tomato salt bread and a Dubai salt bread. The nutty, soft plain salt bread changed the mind of a writer who had thought salt bread was just salty. Zoblack is a bakery worth recommending to anyone looking for proper salt bread in Marine City.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored