Bag Mirror Traveler · 17 stories
Writes about cafes, restaurants, and beauty spots found while traveling through Daegu/Gyeongbuk, Gwangju/Jeolla, Busan/Gyeongnam, Jeju, and Daejeon/Chungcheong. · Writes about: Hair & beauty salons · Restaurants · Cafés · Shopping
La Bridge Doan (라브리지 도안점) is a reservation-only, one-stylist hair salon run by its head stylist in Doan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, near Mokwon University. At La Bridge Doan, the writer's half-curly, frizz-prone hair got a layered cut with restrained layers so the ends come together neatly, plus blow-drying and hair-care tips and styling. La Bridge Doan is worth booking if you want a cut alone to tame curly, frizzy hair.
Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap (중문고등어쌈밥) is a spacious Jeju local-food Korean restaurant on Iljuseo-ro near the Jungmun Tourist Complex in Seogwipo, Jeju. The writer arrived just after noon and ordered grilled tilefish, abalone stone pot rice, sea urchin seaweed soup and abalone porridge, along with self-bar side dishes and free spicy pork, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and sikhye (sweet rice drink). With a large parking lot and baby chairs, Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap is a good fit for a family meal on a Jeju trip.
Bakery Onyu (Bakery Onyu Jeju Oedo Branch) is a family bakery on Ujeong-ro in Oedo-dong, Jeju City, run by a master baker father with his son and daughter-in-law. At Bakery Onyu the writer tasted five breads: Meotjaengi Tomato (tomato bread), salt bread, garlic baguette, mocha bread and a cream cheese bread, and picked Meotjaengi Tomato as the favorite. With a large private parking lot and bread that gets the basics right, Bakery Onyu is a good bakery stop near Jeju Airport.
Myeonjumak Jeju Main Branch is a Korean restaurant on Beonyeong-ro in Jocheon-eup, Jeju, near the Saryeoni Forest Trail, specializing in pork noodles and dombe-gogi (sliced boiled pork). While staying in Pyoseon for a week in Jeju, the writer visited with a 15-month-old baby and ordered pork noodles, pork bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles), a half portion of dombe-gogi and rice. The tangy bibim sauce was worth a refill and the dombe-gogi was soft and juicy, and with wide-spaced tables and free baby noodles up to 36 months, Myeonjumak Jeju Main Branch suits families with babies.
Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo (경북산꼼장어) is a third-generation hagfish grill in Choryang Traditional Market, beside Choryang Stream in Dong-gu, Busan, open since 1963. The writer parked at Sintaeyang Parking Lot, received a 1-hour parking pass, watched the owner sear live hagfish over a coal briquette fire, and ate a medium half salt-grilled, half seasoned order for 2, followed by fried rice. With its chewy texture, smoky briquette flavor and Korean mint and cumin at the self-service corner, Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo makes a great first meal after arriving at Busan Station.
Aewol Eomma (애월엄마) is a breakfast hangover soup restaurant near the Aewol coastal road, close to Sineom Middle School in Aewol-eup, Jeju. The writer ate at Aewol Eomma with her mom, sister and baby, ordering the Aewol Eomma hangover soup, soft tofu stew, brisket hangover soup and a squid pancake (hanchijeon). The kohlrabi pickle side dish and the Le Creuset pots that kept the soup steaming hot to the last spoonful stood out. Verdict: Aewol Eomma is worth revisiting for a family breakfast before or after a drive along the Aewol coastal road.
Onjeong Jorim Jeju Hyeopjae Branch is a restaurant specialising in braised and grilled hairtail and mackerel, right in front of Hyeopjae Beach in Hallim-eup, Jeju. After wading in the sea at Hyeopjae, the blogger, the blogger's mom and one more companion had the signature Jeju garlic (manong) mixed stew of hairtail and mackerel (₩15,000 per person) for dinner, and Mom raved that the mackerel was truly fresh with no fishy smell. For a good-value braised fish dinner straight from the beach, Onjeong Jorim Jeju Hyeopjae Branch is a great fit.
Don J Busan Seomyeon is a thatched-farmhouse-themed Korean BBQ restaurant near Seomyeon Station in Busan, where staff grill pork belly and pork neck on a cast-iron pot lid. A 600g half-belly, half-neck set (38,000 won) came with extra minari (water dropwort), doenjang (soybean paste) stew and pig rice (2,000 won). The standouts were the basic side dishes of breadcrumbs and tonkatsu sauce, which turn grilled pork into instant tonkatsu, and a doenjang stew loaded with sea squirt and crab. For good-value pork BBQ in Seomyeon, Don J Busan Seomyeon is worth a visit at least once.
Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch is a yukjeon naengmyeon (cold noodles with beef pancake) restaurant on Modeok-ro in Jinju, Gyeongnam, and the first Jinju naengmyeon restaurant designated a Centenarian Store (Baengnyeon Gage), listed in the Blue Ribbon Survey in both 2024 and 2025 and featured on Heo Young-man's Sikgaek and Jun Hyun-moo Plan. The writer ordered water naengmyeon, bibim naengmyeon and yukjeon (thin beef pancake), tasting a hanu beef broth with added seafood savoriness, house-made buckwheat noodles and yukjeon dipped in the broth. For anyone curious about the original depth of Jinju yukjeon naengmyeon, Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch is a local restaurant worth a stop on a Jinju trip.
Burger Forest is a handmade burger restaurant on Wangji 4-gil near Jorye Lake Park in Suncheon, Jeonnam. The writer ordered the Triple Mushroom Burger and the Avocado Burger at Burger Forest and was won over by the rich truffle aroma, the creamy sauce and the nutty balance of avocado and cheese. For a burger with a distinctive flavor before or after a walk around Jorye Lake Park, Burger Forest's Triple Mushroom Burger is a great choice.
Miga Pork Raw Galbi (미가돼지생갈비) is a pork galbi restaurant in Jorye-dong, Suncheon, Jeonnam, behind Myeongseong Sauna. The blogger and their mother ordered 2 servings of raw pork galbi and 1 serving of marinated king galbi, and were happy with the 200g-per-serving ribs that staff grilled to the end over Jirisan charcoal, the cold cucumber soup and the clean dining room. Miga Pork Raw Galbi suits anyone in Jorye-dong who cares about both hygiene and generous portions.
Monster Bagel Café Suncheon is a bagel café on Namsan-ro in Pungdeok-dong, Suncheon, with a red heart sign, a lawn and picture-window seats. The writer visited around 2 p.m. on a weekday and missed the sold-out signature green onion bagel. Instead they took a blueberry bagel, a triple cheese bagel, a red bean mochi mugwort bagel and fig cream cheese to a bench by Dongcheon for a picnic. Taking Monster Bagel bagels to Dongcheon makes a relaxing outing worth recommending on a nice-weather day.
