Nowon Tote · 8 stories

Loose Thread, Seoul Eats and Finds

Writes about neighborhood restaurants, cafes, and small shops around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Shopping · Cafés

PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Anguk Station udon restaurant: ₩31,000 dinner set for two, Jemyeonso

Insadong Jemyeonso is an udon and rice bowl restaurant on the 3rd floor of Annyeong Insadong (the Nine Tree Hotel building) on Insadong-gil in Jongno, Seoul, and a spin-off of the Cheonaebu brand. Before a friend's gender reveal, the writer arrived after 7 p.m. and paid ₩31,000 for a two-person set of tempura cold udon, daechang-deopbap (grilled beef intestine rice bowl), house-made karaage and a drink, adding 5 house-made shrimp tempura; the tempura bits in the cold udon stayed crunchy to the last bite. Every dish ordered is worth recommending, which makes Insadong Jemyeonso a satisfying Insadong restaurant with no break time.

Written Jun 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Conveyor sushi lunch with Mom at Nowon Station: 22 plates, Sushi Ianen

Sushi Ianen Nowon Station (스시이안앤 노원역점) is a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant on Nowon Culture Street, near Exit 2 of Nowon Station (Line 4) in Seoul, where every plate costs 1,990 won. For a late-June birthday-month lunch, the writer and her mom ate 22 plates of belt and made-to-order sushi, and the free lunch-event cold soba and the salmon yukhoe aburi (torched seasoned raw salmon) were the highlights. Sushi Ianen Nowon Station is a flat-price conveyor sushi spot near Nowon Station where quality worries disappear, and you can order from the menu too.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Cheongdam pufferfish boksamtang to restore Dad's energy: Bogi-o Boguk

Bogi-o Boguk (복이오복국) is a pufferfish soup restaurant on Dosan-daero in Cheongdam, Gangnam, Seoul, now on the 2nd floor of the Cheongdam Deokyeong Building after 10 years in the Prima Hotel annex. To restore the energy of a dad who had lost his appetite in the heat, the writer and both parents ordered one boksamtang (pufferfish soup with live abalone and live octopus, 40,000 won) and two domestic milbok pufferfish clear soups (21,000 won each), and both parents lifted their stone pots to finish every drop. With a clean broth that has no fishy taste even without pepper, Bogi-o Boguk is a family meal worth taking your parents to.

Written May 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon sushi buffet, same-day birthday booking: salmon belly at Kuu Kuu

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch (쿠우쿠우 노원점) is a 300-pyeong sushi buffet on the 6th floor of the Seoul Oncheon building, between Hagye Station and Junggye Station in Nowon, Seoul. For a birthday, the writer and both parents booked Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch the same day, walked in with no wait, and tried the newly added raw salmon (belly and regular cuts), the Food Party menu's Uljin red snow crab soup, ube tea and bingsu (Korean shaved ice). At about 30,000-something won per person, Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is an easy recommendation for a family gathering in Nowon.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Food court burger truck in Yeouido: late rainy-day lunch, Lil' Burger

Lil' Burger The Hyundai Seoul is a handmade burger food truck in the B1 food court of The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul. On a rainy weekday, just after the lunch rush, the writer and a friend shared a Classic burger combo with sweet potato fries (16,900 won), a Cheese burger combo with sweet potato fries (14,900 won) and crispy onion rings (13,800 won), and were surprised by how thick the burgers were and how big the sides were. Verdict: the crispy onion rings were the most memorable thing on the Lil' Burger menu.

Written Jul 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Korean restaurant in Yeongdeungpo: squid vs Shin Ramyun heat, Gangmun

Gangmun Times Square Branch (강문 타임스퀘어점) is a Korean restaurant on the B1 floor of Times Square in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. After a perfume one-day class in Mullae Art Village, the writer stopped by around 4:30 pm for an early dinner of the 18,000 won spicy squid set for one and a 14,000 won squid rice bowl. For a writer with low spice tolerance, Gangmun's spicy squid was a little hotter than Shin Ramyun, just as the staff said, but its savory depth and smoky, fire-grilled flavor made it worth finishing.

Written Jul 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongdaemun, SeoulRestaurants

Rainy Boknal galbitang with Mom near Kyung Hee University: Hoegi Wang

Hoegi Wang Galbitang (회기왕갈비탕) is a galbitang (beef short rib soup) restaurant on Imun-ro in Dongdaemun, Seoul, between Hoegi Station and Kyung Hee University. On a rainy day around Boknal, the hottest days of summer, the writer and Mom ordered the Stamina Recovery special galbitang (18,000 won) and the beef shank galbitang (19,000 won), plus deodeok salad from the self-serve bar, unlimited rice and barley gangjeong for dessert. With slow-simmered ribs that slip off the bone and a clean broth, Hoegi Wang Galbitang is a good place to take your parents for a restorative meal.

Written Jul 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Gongneung ramen shop: mother-daughter mazesoba with rice, Torikokoro

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store is a Japanese ramen restaurant with house-made noodles on the lower-ground floor of Gongneung-ro 35-gil in Nowon-gu, Seoul. A mother and daughter visited on a weekday at 1:30 pm and ordered karai miso tsukemen (₩11,000, 200g) and mazesoba (₩10,500), adding ajitamago (marinated egg) and chicken thigh chashu. They finished by asking for free rice to mix into the leftover mazesoba sauce. The mazesoba was a 200% match for the writer's taste, but the tsukemen broth is salty, so you can ask for less salt.

Written Aug 5, 2026Sponsored
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