Jungnang Blue Hour Pilgrim · 7 stories

Blue Hour, Seoul Counters and Bars

Writes about Seoul's restaurants, cafes, bars, and beauty counters, usually the ones tucked into ordinary streets. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Bars · Cafés

PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Conveyor sushi with Mom in Nowon: sea bream and squid at Sushi Ianen

Sushi Ianen Nowon Station is a conveyor sushi restaurant on the 3rd floor of a building on Nowon Culture Street in Nowon, Seoul, where every plate costs a flat ₩1,990. The writer and her mom arrived at the 11:30 opening and ate sea bream, swordtip squid, salmon and shrimp nigiri. The opening-run event added a free udon topped with shrimp tempura, and the pair cleared 17 plates in 30 minutes. For a great-value sushi lunch near Nowon Station, Sushi Ianen Nowon Station is best visited right at opening time.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongdaemun, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Dongdaemun hair salon toning down faded red long hair: Park Seung Chul

Park Seung Chul Hair Studio Dongdaemun-oedae is a hair salon on the 2nd floor of Imun I'Park Xi in Dongdaemun, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Oedaeap Station. The writer's long hair had been left untouched for more than 3 months after a red dye, leaving light brown ends and dark brown roots. Park Seung Chul Hair Studio toned it down darker to match the root color, and a massage-chair shampoo room and 5 minutes of steam care left the hair feeling even softer after coloring. Park Seung Chul Hair Studio Dongdaemun-oedae is worth considering if you want patchy, uneven long hair brought back to one tone.

Written Jun 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongdaemun, SeoulBars

Hoegi Station izakaya date: scallion skewers, seafood yakisoba, Hamaru

Hamaru Hoegi (하마루 회기점) is an izakaya near Hoegi Station in Dongdaemun, Seoul, right in front of Kyung Hee University. On an early-summer weeknight, a married couple ordered Asahi draft beer, seafood yakisoba, 8 kinds of skewers and seafood fried rice at Hamaru Hoegi. With friendly staff and a room that never got noisy, Hamaru Hoegi made a satisfying date spot in Hoegi.

Written Jun 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Junggye-dong Korean BBQ after work, flower chuck flap: Junggye Gogi

Junggye Gogi Party Nowon Branch is a charcoal-grill Korean BBQ restaurant in Junggye-dong, Nowon, Seoul, right in front of Suam Elementary School. On a rainy weekday after work, the writer returned with their parents, ordered the Premium Set (sirloin, chuck flap and emperor beef rib finger meat), added flower chuck flap, and finished with mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) and beef doenjang sulbap (soybean-paste stew with rice). With strong charcoal heat, three salts and three sauces, a clean self-serve bar and generous desserts, Junggye Gogi Party was a satisfying family dinner spot in Junggye-dong.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Weekday Korean dinner in Jonggak: octopus with jjolmyeon, Bonghyejane

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch (봉혜자네주방 종로타워점) is a Korean octopus stir-fry restaurant on level B2 of Jongno Tower, connected underground to Jonggak Station in Seoul. On her second visit to Bonghyejane Jubang after the Yeongdeungpo Times Square branch, the writer and her husband ordered whole octopus stir-fry for two on the mild setting one weekday evening, with muk-sabal (chilled acorn jelly soup), grilled fish that tasted like sweet-and-sour fried fish, and jjolmyeon (chewy noodles). The mild level was a little tame for spice lovers, but the plump whole octopus and generous portions make Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower worth recommending for a Jonggak lunch too.

Written Oct 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Geumho-dong salon: curl-first perm for straight hair at Toro With Geek

Toro With Geek Singeumho Branch (토로위드긱 신금호점) is a hair salon with many male customers, on the 2nd floor of a building near Singeumho Station in Geumho-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The writer's husband has near-straight hair that lets perms drop easily and was growing his hair out until his fringe poked his eyes, so after a consultation at Toro With Geek he chose a perm that puts curls ahead of root volume, with a nutrition treatment beforehand, a thorough shampoo and a curl cream finish. Toro With Geek Singeumho Branch is worth recommending as a Geumho-dong salon that patiently guides men who aren't sure what style they want.

Written Jul 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJungnang, SeoulRestaurants

Sunday lunch set for five at Meokgol Station hanjeongsik Sanchaega

Sanchaega Hanjeongsik Meokgol Main Branch is a cauldron-rice hanjeongsik (Korean set-menu) restaurant near Exit 5 of Meokgol Station in Jungnang, Seoul. A Sunday lunch at 12:30pm with a reservation for five brought the gondre cauldron rice special set: an enormous pot of rice, perilla leaf and angelica namul, jeyuk (stir-fried pork), grilled fish, grilled hwangtae (dried pollack), grilled deodeok root and nurungji (scorched rice) to finish. Every side dish at Sanchaega tastes like home cooking, which makes it an easy choice for a meal with parents.

Written Aug 19, 2026Sponsored
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