Warm Mug Holder · 8 stories

Warm Mug, Gangwon/Seoul Cafes and Restaurants

Writes about cafes and restaurants found on trips around Gangwon and Seoul. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants

Seoul Korean restaurant: ₩18,500 solo office lunch set, Bapjangin

Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch is a Korean restaurant in the Express Bus Terminal Station underground mall in Seocho, Seoul, between the walkway to Daiso and the walkway to the Gyeongbu and Yeongdong lines. A working mom from Banpo ate lunch alone there, ordering the 18,500 won one-person full set with ramen added to the jjageuri-jjigae (a thick, reduced stew), plus steamed egg and an extra bowl of rice. With generous black rice in a brass bowl, jeyuk-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork) and dedicated solo tables, Bapjangin is a good fit for office workers eating alone near Express Bus Terminal.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Nonhyeon Korean BBQ for two couples: chilled BYO wine, Matbaegogi

Matbaegogi is a hanwoo (Korean beef) BBQ restaurant near Nonhyeon Station Exit 3 in Gangnam, Seoul, where staff grill all of the Gangwon 1++ hanwoo for you. On a weekday evening, the writer and a friend couple ordered both Matbae Special Assorted Sets (149,000 won for 450g and 99,000 won for 300g) and enjoyed 3 bottles of their own wine under a free-corkage offer, with a chilling service. Matbaegogi suits grown-up get-togethers that want hanwoo, wine and a quiet place to talk near Nonhyeon Station.

Written Jul 10, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Station pasta spot with a kid, 50-min Saturday wait: Brivit

Brivit Gangnam Station is a pink-fronted pasta and Western restaurant in an alley between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul. After a Saturday morning at Kyobo Book Centre Gangnam, a family of three (two adults and one child) arrived at Brivit at 12:10, waited 50 minutes, and shared scallion cream corn gnocchi, spicy vongole oil pasta, spicy fried eggplant and a tomato salad in the Green Terrace zone for 56,600 won. Brivit Gangnam Station is a great-value family lunch spot, provided you can handle the walk-up weekend wait.

Written Jul 12, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Bangbae-dong Jeju restaurant, family birthday hairtail: Naegohyang

Naegohyang Jeju (내고향제주) Seoraemaeul branch is a Korean restaurant specializing in Jeju home-style food on Donggwang-ro in Bangbae-dong, Seocho, Seoul. A working mom from Banpo celebrated a family birthday at Naegohyang Jeju with her husband and kids, ordering the boneless braised hairtail (galchi-jorim, 25,000 won) and the Jeju grilled fish and abalone pot rice set (27,000 won), both for 2 or more people. Naegohyang Jeju is a good pick for a warm, low-key Korean meal when your family wants to mark a birthday without a big fuss.

Written Jul 19, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeocho, SeoulCafés

Seocho cake shop, kid-approved Strawberry Mango Flower: Chef Cho

Chef Cho Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam is a fresh cream cake shop in Sweet Park on the B1 floor of Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam, by Express Bus Terminal Station in Seocho, Seoul. A working-mom blogger from Banpo reserved a Strawberry Mango Flower No. 1 (₩53,000), picked it up at 12 p.m. on a Sunday with no wait, and her kids finished even the cream thanks to the three-layer sponge packed with fruit and the not-too-sweet fresh cream. Chef Cho's Strawberry Mango Flower is an easy, no-fuss pick for a summer family birthday.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Gangneung hanok BBQ dinner for 4 at ₩93,000: Gangneungok

Gangneungok Hongje Branch (강릉옥) is a dinner-only Korean BBQ restaurant in a hanok building on Toseong-ro in Gangneung, serving charcoal-grilled seasoned pork galbi. On the first day of their summer vacation, a family of four ate 800g of pork galbi (4 servings), plus doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), gomchwi mul naengmyeon (cold noodles made with wild mountain greens) and two extra bowls of rice, for ₩93,000. With its hanok atmosphere and bamboo-screened seating, Gangneungok is a solid choice for a family dinner with kids.

Written Aug 4, 2026Partially sponsored

PlaceGangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Gangneung tofu restaurant, no-wait 10am chodang sundubu: Matdeurin

Matdeurin Sundubu Haejangguk & Gamjatang (강릉맛드린) is a soft tofu and pork bone soup restaurant on Jukheon-gil near Ojukheon in Gangneung, Gangwon. A family of four visited at 10am on a Wednesday with no wait and ordered two chodang sundubu (Chodang-style soft tofu stew), pork bone hangover soup, a handmade pork cutlet and one order of sundae (Korean blood sausage) for ₩59,000. The verdict: Matdeurin's chodang sundubu, well seasoned even without the soy dipping sauce, makes the best first meal of the day in Gangneung.

Written Aug 8, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangneung, GangwonCafés

Gangneung sand shop for office gifts: 2 new flavors, Gangneung Sand

Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a café and souvenir shop in a five-story Mediterranean-style building in Gangneung, Gangwon, making butter sand cookies as travel gifts; the packaging box lists 23.5% gourmet butter. For office souvenirs, the writer chose the new purple sweet potato and strawberry sand boxes at 17,000 won each, and the 14-day room-temperature shelf life made Gangneung Sand an easy last stop of the trip. Verdict: a convenient, gift-ready pick for coworkers back home.

Written Aug 8, 2026Sponsored

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