Bookmark Table · 35 stories

Shelf Hours in Dongducheon

Writes about restaurants, cafes, bars, beauty spots, and bookshops across Gyeonggi, Seoul, and Daejeon-Chungcheong. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons · Books & stationery · Bars

PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Gangnam Station café, evening solo dessert set: Selected Nicks

Selected Nicks is a large multi-floor tiramisu café near Exit 3 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. On an evening visit, the writer ordered the 17,800-won solo set of a decaf Americano, a choco banana tiramisu and a fig almond financier, and was pleased with the coffee's flavor and the moist, individually wrapped financier. Open until midnight with its own parking lot, Selected Nicks is an easy place to relax late into the evening near Gangnam Station.

Written Jun 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan fusion noodle lunch: mazesoba-style doenjang kalguksu, Chunsik

Chunsik Kalguksu Dongtan Main Branch is a fusion kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) restaurant run by a Japanese-cuisine chef in the Dongtan Central Park dining area of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. At lunch the writer ordered the two signature dishes, Hanwoo Daechang Kalguksu at 12,000 won and Stir-fried Doenjang Bibim Kalguksu at 13,000 won: the doenjang mixed noodles tasted like mazesoba, and the beef intestine noodle soup like a Korean take on rice noodle soup. Chunsik Kalguksu is an easy pick for a lunch that goes beyond ordinary kalguksu, whether with kids or on a date.

Written Jun 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Perilla vs basic samgyetang for a 30s energy boost at Dongtan: Dream

Dream Samgyetang (드림삼계탕) is a samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) restaurant on the 2nd floor of Jungang Park View near Dongtan Station in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. The writer and a companion ordered one basic Dream Samgyetang (17,000 won) and one perilla seed samgyetang (19,000 won), tasted them with ginseng liquor, and both agreed the perilla samgyetang was better. With roomy seating, building parking and friendly service, Dream Samgyetang is a good pick for a Boknal meal or a group dinner near Dongtan Station.

Written Jun 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Chinese fish restaurant in Byeongjeom for the spice-shy: garlic kaoyu

Banxianyao Kaoyu Dongtan (반티엔야오카오위 동탄점) is a kaoyu restaurant, specializing in Chinese freshwater fish grilled and simmered in broth, on Banwolcheyukgongwon-gil in Byeongjeom, Hwaseong. A writer who struggles with spicy food tried kaoyu for the first time there, ordering the garlic kaoyu made with Ningbo fish (₩43,000) plus the self bar for two, and loved the tender, nutty fish with no muddy taste alongside the savory garlic. For anyone who can't handle heat, choosing garlic kaoyu over mala at Banxianyao Kaoyu Dongtan is a choice you won't regret.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Family Indian brunch in Jeongja: tandoori chicken salad at Kari

Kari Bundang Jeongja Café Branch is an Indian restaurant in Jeongja-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, on basement level 1 of Dongyang Paragon Building 105. Kari Bundang Jeongja Café Branch was named a Blue Ribbon restaurant in 2026 and has no weekday break time. The writer's family of 3 had the Shah Jahan brunch course there on a weekend: a naanwich, corn soup, tandoori chicken salad and three curries (tikka masala beef, butter chicken and korma prawn). Verdict: of the Indian curry houses the writer visited recently, Kari Bundang Jeongja Café Branch was by far the best.

Written Jun 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Cool Mangpo Station dessert café for injeolmi ice cream toast: Hongrad

Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch is a spacious dessert café on the 4th floor of a building near Mangpo Station in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon. On a hot weekday afternoon, the writer ordered the Hongrad Toast (7,000 won), which is topped with injeolmi (soybean-powder rice cake), red bean, rice cake and vanilla ice cream, along with an iced Americano and a coconut latte, and found the café cool from the air-conditioning and quiet enough to rest. For injeolmi lovers who want a summer escape with dessert, Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch is a recommended stop.

Written Jun 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Seongsu dessert café with melon cream cake and dujjonku: La Avenue

La Avenue Seongsu is a cake-focused dessert café on the ground floor of the Seongnak Holiness Church building, near Exit 1 of Seongsu Station in Seoul. Between Seongsu pop-ups, the writer had the melon fresh cream cake (₩8,500), a dujjonku (Dubai chewy cookie, ₩5,900) and an Americano made with Vegas beans; the 100% dairy cream cake was not heavy, with a good balance of sponge and cream. Ordering one drink per person covers 1 hour in the building's parking lot, so La Avenue Seongsu is a good fit if you want a cake café in Seongsu with parking.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Hwaseong Japanese restaurant with hair ties at the table: Sindong Lab

Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch is a Japanese restaurant in Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, near the Yunggeolleung royal tombs. On a weekend family visit the writer ordered the sukiyaki set, served in a 2-tier tray with furikake rice hidden below, a mazesoba (brothless ramen) set with a mini pork cutlet, and a jumbo gyukatsu (beef cutlet) grilled with butter and kirimochi (rice cake), and noticed the wood-toned, plant-filled decor, a handwashing area and hair ties on every table. Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch is worth recommending for families with different tastes or for a date.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Udon restaurant after a Seoulsup walk: kabocha tempura cold udon, Kosi

Kosi Seongsu Branch (코시 성수점) is a Japanese udon and tonkatsu restaurant near Seoulsup in Seongdong, Seoul, a 1-minute walk from Exit 6 of Ttukseom Station. After a Seoulsup outing, the writer walked in without a wait on a weekday evening and ordered the tempura bukkake udon set (16,000 won). It came with chewy cold udon noodles, crispy shrimp and kabocha squash tempura, a bigger-than-expected tonkatsu and large inari sushi (sweet tofu-pocket rice). For chewy noodles and a filling meal, the cold udon set at Kosi Seongsu Branch is the answer.

Written Jun 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Pangyo family restaurant: minari tendon hot pot + tteokgalbi at Useum

Useum Pangyo Branch (우슴 판교점) is a Korean gastropub near Pangyo Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, serving hanwoo (Korean beef) eobokjaengban (beef platter hot pot), suyuk (boiled sliced beef), gomtang (beef bone soup) and hot pots. On an early weekend lunch, the family ordered the hanwoo dogani seuji jeongol (beef knee-tendon hot pot, for 2-3) and tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties); the bone broth, made with natural stock and no MSG, was rich, with generous minari (water dropwort) and knee tendon. The hanwoo knee-tendon hot pot at Useum Pangyo Branch is mild and clean-tasting, a good choice for a family meal with older relatives.

Written Jul 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiCafés

Jeongja café: Dubai cookie vs convenience store, Butter & Shelter

Butter & Shelter Bundang Jeongja is a dessert café specialising in butter sands and Dubai chewy cookies (dujjonku), located on the Jeongja café street in Bundang, Seongnam. After a weekend lunch, the blogger ordered 2 iced americanos, a crème brûlée butter sand, a Dubai butter sand and a 2,900 won Dubai chewy cookie, which was cheaper than the convenience store version yet had a thin shell and a packed filling. The good-value Dubai chewy cookie alone makes Butter & Shelter Bundang Jeongja worth a visit.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Weekend dinner kalguksu in Giheung with fresh minari wraps: Jangwongap

Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch is a shabu kalguksu (knife-cut noodle hotpot) restaurant in Gomae-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin, near Lotte Outlet Giheung and IKEA Giheung. Two people waited on a weekend evening, then shared 2 servings of brisket-minari wrap shabu kalguksu (₩15,500 each) and a whole-shrimp seafood pajeon (₩13,500). The meal ran from fresh minari (Korean water parsley) wraps to house-made noodles, free perilla-oil kkakdugi fried rice and a misutgaru (roasted grain) slush. Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch has a wait, but tables turn over fast, so it is worth the queue.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored