Midday Bencher · 11 stories

A Bench by the Noon Line

Writes about small restaurants around Seoul found while wandering between errands. · Writes about: Restaurants

Café near Songdo Central Park with Nuts Einspänner: Standard Square

Standard Square is a dessert café in Songdo, Incheon, in Songdo Prugio Complex 1, with 3 hours of underground parking covered and a spacious interior. The writer ordered a decaf Nuts Einspänner, a decaf signature cream latte and a Dwaeji Bar cookie at Standard Square, then took a walk through Songdo Central Park. Standard Square's rich peanut coffee and smooth cream latte make it a good Songdo date stop when you need a sugar fix.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Magok taco restaurant: grilled chicken tacos & Chupa Chups, Taqueros

Taqueros Magok Main Branch (타케로스 마곡본점) is a Mexican taco restaurant on the 2nd floor of Magok GMG Tower, near E-Mart Traders in Magok, Gangseo, Seoul. Arriving before 6 pm as the first dinner guests, the writer and a partner ordered the Signature Couple Set (fajita plate for two plus chicken tacos) and a mango ade, and the grilled rather than fried meat kept the meal light. Verdict: the first tacos rolled in the kitchen taste best, and Taqueros Magok Main Branch suits both dates and team dinners.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored

PlaceNamdong, IncheonRestaurants

Mansu-dong gukbap dinner: no-offal sundaeguk and bone soup at Yennal

Yennal Gyeongseong Sundaeguk Guwol Moraenae Market Station Branch is a sundaeguk (Korean blood sausage soup) and bone hangover soup restaurant near Moraenae Market Station in Namdong, Incheon. The writer visited around 8:30 pm with a partner, ordered the sundaeguk set with the offal left out (sundae only) and the ugeoji bone soup with dried cabbage greens, and was impressed by the clean, rich broth and tender meat falling off the bone. Yennal Gyeongseong Sundaeguk suits anyone looking for gukbap with a clear, milky broth.

Written Jul 5, 2026Sponsored

PlaceYeonsu, IncheonRestaurants

Songdo sushi restaurant, weekday dinner: non-fishy ankimo, Sushi Doku

Sushi Doku The Songdo is a sushi restaurant on the 2nd floor of Onesta Mall in Songdo, Yeonsu, Incheon. On a weekday around 6pm, two diners ordered the Premium Sushi Set at 25,900 won each, which comes with 10 pieces of nigiri plus chawanmushi, salad, 3 pieces of tempura and udon, and both left full. Even a writer with a lasting fear of fishy ankimo (monkfish liver) found the ankimo at Sushi Doku The Songdo clean-tasting and delicious, making it a satisfying pick for sushi in Songdo.

Written Jul 21, 2026Sponsored

PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido tteokbokki bar after 8pm: ₩25,000 bone-broth set, Hyeonseonine

Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is a Korean snack bar in Yeouido, Seoul, in the underground passage linking IFC Mall and The Hyundai Seoul, run by a tteokbokki shop that has operated in Yongsan since the mid-2000s. The writer arrived after 8pm, when instant tteokbokki could no longer be ordered, and had the ₩25,000 Hyeonseonine Set at mild heat instead, with a rich broth tasting of beef bone soup and especially fresh sundae (Korean blood sausage) liver. Generous enough for two, Hyeonseonine is worth a stop for anyone craving old-school tteokbokki like the kind sold outside schools.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMichuhol, IncheonRestaurants

Cheek-meat sundae soup, early dinner at Juan Station, Incheon: Suraok

Suraok Sundaeguk Juan Station Branch is a sundae soup (Korean blood sausage soup) restaurant right in front of Juan Station in Michuhol, Incheon. On an early-evening visit with a partner, the writer ordered the meat-only sundae soup (said to be made only with cheek meat) and the classic Suraok sundae soup, ₩10,000 each, scooped off the dadaegi (red chili paste) to eat them as white broth, and added a Trevi sparkling water. With rich, deep bone broth and plump sundae, Suraok Sundaeguk served the best sundae soup the writer has had lately, and every bowl was finished.

Written Jul 27, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Balsan Station bar for non-mala nakgopsae with plump shrimp: Gungmin

Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch is a nakgopsae (octopus, beef intestine and shrimp hot pot) restaurant near Balsan Station in Gangseo, Seoul, that also serves jeongol (hot pot) and dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken). The signature hanwoo daechang nakgopsae (medium), ordered in the original flavor instead of mala, came with big shrimp rather than cocktail shrimp, thick octopus and rich Korean beef large intestine, tasted spicier than expected, and one extra fried rice made the portion generous. Verdict: thanks to its chunky ingredients, the hanwoo daechang nakgopsae at Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch is highly recommended both with evening drinks and as a full meal.

Written Jul 25, 2026Sponsored

PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Bucheon jokbal restaurant with batter-free crispy skin: Kkalkkali

Kkalkkali Jokbal Bucheon Branch is a fried jokbal (crispy pig's trotters) restaurant a 5-minute walk from Bucheon Station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi. The writer ordered the small fried jokbal with rice balls and finished both the bean sprout soup that comes with every meal and the handmade fruit makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) given free during the opening event. Because the skin is boiled and then fried with no batter, it turns out springy and chewy — a good spot for jokbal with a glass of soju.

Written Aug 12, 2026Sponsored

PlaceBupyeong, IncheonRestaurants

Bupyeong haemuljjim restaurant: spicy seafood stew for two

Haemokjeong Bupyeong Branch is a haemuljjim (spicy braised seafood) restaurant in Sangok-dong, Bupyeong, Incheon, across from Sinchon Elementary School and near Baegun Station. On Malbok, the last dog day of summer, two diners ordered haemuljjim for two plus two bowls of rice and cleared a hot plate of octopus, squid, webfoot octopus, milt, roe, monkfish and rice cake. The smoky sweet-spicy sauce and springy seafood at Haemokjeong made side dishes unnecessary.

Written Aug 18, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGyeyang, IncheonRestaurants

Duck grill with cabbage and house sauce in Gyeyang: Ganaandeok

Ganaandeok Gyeyang Branch is a duck restaurant on Jangje-ro in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, where raw duck is grilled over charcoal at the table. The visit covered one whole charcoal-grilled raw duck eaten with cabbage and the house special sauce, then a sweet potato roasted right in the charcoal to finish. Between the smoky aroma, the clean, lean texture and the roomy private parking lot, Ganaandeok Gyeyang Branch is worth a return trip.

Written Aug 20, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong restaurant by Gyeongui Line Forest: guobaorou and beer

Ttasijia Yeonnam is a Singaporean shrimp noodle restaurant near Exit 3 of Hongik University Station, beside the Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul. The order was a small guobaorou (sweet and sour pork) with beer, followed by shrimp broth fried noodles and shrimp noodles, and the flavor came strikingly close to the shrimp noodles eaten in Singapore. For anyone who loves shrimp, Ttasijia Yeonnam is worth booking for a Yeonnam-dong date dinner.

Written Sep 21, 2026Sponsored

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