Clean Bowl Club · 27 stories
I write about meals at restaurants I visit in Busan and Gyeongnam. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Bars
De Mer (드메르) is a dog-friendly ocean-view brunch café on the coastal road in Ilgwang, Gijang, Busan. The writer visited De Mer with family and ate vodka rosé pasta, a fruit waffle and button mushroom soup while looking out at the Ilgwang sea through floor-to-ceiling windows. Verdict: De Mer offers the view, good food and care for pets all in one Gijang brunch café.
Hana Donkatsu Songjeong Beach Branch is a tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant on Songjeonggwangeogol-ro in Haeundae, Busan. After finishing a class as a senior cognitive-training instructor, the writer ate alone at a window seat at Hana Donkatsu, ordering a 2-piece spicy loin cutlet with extra curry and cold soba noodles on the side. Dipping the crispy spicy loin cutlet into the thick curry was the highlight of this solo meal.
Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch is a Chinese restaurant at Dalmaji-gil 117beon-na-gil in Haeundae, Busan. After finishing evangelism outreach with a pastor, the writer ordered black vinegar pork tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), beef brisket jjamppong (spicy noodle soup), poached-egg pork belly ganjjajang (dry black bean noodles) and seafood jjamppong for ₩64,000 in total. With a warm, stylish feel unlike a typical Chinese takeout spot, Bueokgan Chinese is a good Haeundae pick for sharing jjajang, jjamppong and tangsuyuk.
Purity Cafe is a bakery and brunch café on Chaseong-ro in Gijang, Busan. Hungry after a lecture, the blogger ate alone at Purity Cafe, ordering a margherita pizza, burrata basil pasta, pineapple ade and ice cream for dessert, and found the roomy two-floor space and large parking lot made a solo meal easy. With mild brunch dishes that let the ingredients speak, Purity Cafe suits anyone in Gijang looking to dine alone and recharge.
Hongmigwan (홍미관) is a Chinese restaurant near Deokcheon Station in Gupo, Buk-gu, Busan, reportedly run by an owner who used to be a Chinese chef at a luxury hotel. After a walking class, the writer had a solo lunch of japtangbap (mixed seafood stir-fry over rice) and a mini tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) with the sauce poured on, and liked the smoky, seafood-packed japtangbap best. Hongmigwan serves well-made Chinese-Korean food at easy prices and is a good spot for eating alone.
Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch is a hagfish (gomjangeo) restaurant inside Haeundae Traditional Market in Busan, with seating for 100 to 200 people. The writer and her sister took their 93-year-old father there and ordered the extra-large hagfish. Staff showed them the live hagfish, then cleaned and pre-grilled it for salt-grilled and seasoned versions, followed by fried rice to finish. Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch is a good Haeundae pick for a family meal of fresh hagfish with an elderly parent.
Dallae Haejang Busan Dongnae (달래해장 부산동래점) is a hangover soup restaurant near Dongnae Station and Dongnae-gu Office in Busan, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The writer and a friend shared a whole-beef hangover soup (sohanmari haejangguk) and a stone-pot spicy pork (dolsot jaeyuk), enjoying the rich broth packed with fillings and the sweet-spicy pork that stayed hot to the last bite. With private rooms, group seating, takeout, delivery, reservations and 1 hour of parking support at the Rock Motel lot, Dallae Haejang works for everything from solo meals to work dinners in Dongnae.
Smith's Farm (스미스씨네농장) is an Italian restaurant on Haeun-daero 483 Beonga-gil in Haeundae, Busan. The writer returned to Smith's Farm after a few months with friends and shared stone octopus steak, margherita pizza, grilled romaine salad, Smith's house cabbage and decaf Americanos. Thanks to the tender stone octopus steak, said to be cooked for 6 hours, and service that brings each dish out at the right temperature, Smith's Farm is a confident pick for a friends' get-together in Haeundae.
Bueokgan Chinese Marine City Branch is a sea-view Chinese restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Adelis building in Marine City, Haeundae, Busan. After church outreach, the writer and a church elder arrived before 5 PM, took a window seat and ordered black-vinegar pork sirloin tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and beef brisket jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), whose broth stayed rich even as it cooled and was finished to the last drop. For good food, ocean views and friendly service together, Bueokgan Chinese is a Haeundae spot worth returning to.
Obio Esthetic Suyeong Branch is a one-on-one custom skin care salon on Yeonsu-ro in Suyeong, Busan. After a stretch of walking workouts left her with melasma, a dull tone and less firmness, the writer tried Obio Esthetic's Face Fit Tox with three ampoules (Slim Fit, Wrinkle Fit and Volume Fit). She found it so painless she nearly fell asleep, and after one session her skin texture and face line felt more refined. Verdict: Obio Esthetic's Face Fit Tox is worth considering if you want double chin and firmness care without injections or clinic procedures.
Moshi Moshi Sushi, Lotte Department Store Dongnae Branch, is a Japanese restaurant on the 8th-floor dining level of Lotte Department Store in Dongnae, Busan. Three friends ordered Set 4 (18 pieces of sushi, shrimp tempura and seafood yaki udon) for lunch, upgraded it to the "better sushi selection," and enjoyed the fresh sushi, crispy shrimp tempura and seafood-packed yaki udon. Moshi Moshi Sushi Dongnae is an easy recommendation for a lunch with friends before or after shopping or a movie.
Hets Jeonpo Branch is a Japanese-style tonkatsu (pork cutlet) restaurant near Jeonpo Station in Busanjin, Busan. After finishing a lecture, the writer came across Hets in a Jeonpo-dong alley and ate alone at a bar seat: a black pork top loin cutlet that was crisp outside and juicy inside, a meat curry generous with meat and a slightly spicy doenjang (soybean paste) soup. For an easy solo tonkatsu meal near Jeonpo Station, Hets Jeonpo Branch is a place worth returning to.
