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Second Mirror, Seoul, Daejeon/Chungcheong and Gyeonggi Beauty and Restaurants

Writes about beauty counters and neighborhood restaurants across Seoul, Daejeon/Chungcheong, and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Bars · Cafés

PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Solo lunch at a Suwon Station kalguksu restaurant: suyuk set, Daseon

Daseon Kalguksu Main Branch is a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant on Hyanggyo-ro in Paldal-gu, Suwon, at the far end of Rodeo Street. On a suddenly cold day, the writer went alone at 12 noon for the kalguksu set (kalguksu plus suyuk, boiled pork) and half-and-half mandu (dumplings); the moist suyuk, the barley rice served before the meal and the clam kalguksu kept the chopsticks moving even after the writer was full. Daseon Kalguksu Main Branch is well worth a solo meal, but it gets busy quickly at lunch, so arrive before 12.

Written Nov 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukRestaurants

Cheongju Korean BBQ, back after a sell-out for chewy fat: Ttukbangjip

Ttukbangjip (뚝방집) is a briquette-grilled gochujang pork restaurant near Musimcheon Stream in Seowon-gu, Cheongju, open only 4 hours a day for lunch. After being turned away once when Ttukbangjip sold out, the writer returned before noon for 2 servings of briquette gochujang pork with the included cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) and self-serve side dishes, and fell for the charcoal aroma and chewy pork fat. Verdict: Ttukbangjip is a Musimcheon lunch spot worth reaching before 12pm at the latest, ideally right at opening.

Written Oct 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukRestaurants

Cheongju octopus restaurant for a spicy date night: Podong Nakji

Podong Nakji is a griddle octopus restaurant in Yullyang-dong, Cheongju, newly opened where a jokbal (braised pig's trotters) shop used to be. The writer, who loves spicy food, shared a medium griddle octopus with steamed egg, somen noodles and fried rice with her boyfriend; the octopus simmers like a hot pot and gets spicier as it cooks, leaving her sweating but unable to stop eating. Podong Nakji suits spice-loving couples on a date or group dinners, and the crispy rice fried rice finish is just as satisfying.

Written Oct 31, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukRestaurants

Lunch-only retro donkatsu date in Cheongju: Hyeongje Donkkaseu-ui Jip

Hyeongje Donkkaseu-ui Jip (형제돈까스의집) is a retro Western-style donkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant on the 2nd floor on Sajik-daero 361beon-gil in the Seongan-gil area of Cheongju, open for lunch only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On a Seongan-gil date with her boyfriend, the writer ordered the donkatsu & spaghetti and donkatsu & jumbo shrimp sets and ate the freshly fried, crispy cutlets with soup, morning rolls and rice from the self-bar. Hyeongje Donkkaseu-ui Jip is worth a lunch visit for couples or families who love old-school Western-style diner nostalgia.

Written Oct 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukRestaurants

Cheongju pork BBQ, special cuts platter on a rainy Sunday: Anmin

Anmin Yullyang is a pork and samgyeopsal (pork belly) BBQ restaurant on a side street in Yullyang-dong, Cheongju, where staff grill the meat for you over charcoal. On a rainy Sunday at 5 p.m., the writer and her boyfriend arrived with a reservation and ordered 2 servings of the fresh pork special-cuts platter, skin-on pork jowl, Masite soyu ramen and white cheese fried rice. The galmaegisal (pork skirt meat) and loin edge with the sauces, plus the surprisingly good ramen pairing, stood out. Anmin Yullyang feels like a neat, Japanese-style take on a Korean BBQ restaurant, and a reservation is a must.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukCafés

Chungbuk Univ café rainy-day lunch: chicken tender poke, Eopcheonri382

Eopcheonri382 Chungbuk National University Branch is a café and poke and sandwich shop near Chungbuk National University in Cheongju. On a rainy weekend lunch, the writer and her boyfriend shared a bulgogi poke set, a chicken tender poke salad, a chicken tortilla wrap and a dolce choco cheese foam latte. The chicken stayed crispy even after cooling, and the low-sugar oriental sauce was especially tasty. Eopcheonri382 Chungbuk National University Branch does great poke as well as misugaru (roasted grain drink) and sandwiches, so it covers a meal and a café visit in one stop.

Written Oct 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae salmon-free rice bowl: tarako-don & cream croquettes, Jongno

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant on basement level 1 near Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Yeonnam-dong, Hongdae, Seoul. On a solo weekend lunch I ordered the tarako-don (whole pollock roe rice bowl) and the handmade potato cream croquettes (3 pcs). The salty roe paired well with the rabbit-shaped mayo sauce, and the croquettes were crispy outside and almost runny-soft inside. For anyone put off by the texture of raw salmon, the tarako-don at Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a clean, satisfying alternative.

Written Oct 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukBars

Cheongju date pub: chicken neck stir-fry with bunmoja, Seonganggoldak

Seonganggoldak Sinae Main Branch (성안꼴닭 시내본점) is a retro pocha-style pub on Seongan-gil in Cheongju, Chungbuk. On a Saturday evening the writer and her boyfriend were the first guests at Seonganggoldak, ordering the chicken neck stir-fry with added bunmoja (chewy starch noodles) alongside soju and somaek (soju mixed with beer), and the charcoal-smoky chicken neck and chewy bunmoja were good enough that they scraped the pan clean. For a first-round meal with drinks or a second-round date bar on Seongan-gil, the chicken neck stir-fry at Seonganggoldak Sinae Main Branch is worth ordering.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Suwon Station Japanese restaurant, Crayon Shin-chan yakisoba: Jojo

Jojo AK Plaza Suwon is a Japanese yakisoba spot in the B1 food court of AK Plaza at Suwon Station in Suwon. On a weekday visit around 2 PM there was no wait, and the solo yakisoba set at the bar table beat expectations: the sweet-salty yakisoba tasted just like the one imagined from the Crayon Shin-chan movies, and the mentaiko (pollock roe) gyoza tasted like a seafood ball. Jojo's yakisoba set is a filling meal worth recommending before catching the subway at Suwon Station.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukRestaurants

Cheongju Korean restaurant, tilefish set & seaweed soup: Jeju Badang

Jeju Badang (제주바당) is a Korean restaurant specializing in Jeju seafood, on the 2nd floor of a building on Seohyeonnam-ro in Gagyeong-dong, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju. On the way home from a trip, the writer shared the 3-person grilled tilefish set with her boyfriend and his mother. The meal came with seaweed soup and spicy stir-fried pork, a free salad bar with refilled chicken and japchae (glass noodles), and boneless silver hairtail stew. His mother said Jeju Badang tasted even better than the food in Jeju itself, which makes it a great Cheongju Korean restaurant for kids and parents.

Written Oct 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Suwon Station café for Colombia anaerobic hand drip: Jeong Ji-young

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters AK Plaza Suwon is a roastery café on the 3rd floor of AK Plaza at Suwon Station. The writer stopped by around 2 pm on a weekday after a meal and had the Colombia El Paraiso Double Anaerobic Lychee Peach hand drip, which balanced acidity and sweetness with a bright lychee-and-peach aroma. Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters is a good stop for fans of acidic coffee or anyone with awkward time to fill before a train at Suwon Station.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored
PlacePyeongtaek, GyeonggiRestaurants

Cousin dinner of naengmyeon and suyuk in Pyeongtaek: Seoul Myeonok

Seoul Myeonok (서울면옥) is a long-established Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodle) restaurant right in front of Pyeongtaek Station in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi. After first eating alone at Seoul Myeonok in the dead of winter and returning many times since, the writer came on a weekday evening with a cousin and ordered Pyongyang naengmyeon, bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) and a half plate of Korean pork belly suyuk (boiled sliced pork); the first-time suyuk and bibim naengmyeon were both satisfying. For a rich, full-flavored Pyongyang naengmyeon in Pyeongtaek, Seoul Myeonok is well worth recommending.

Written Jul 14, 2026Sponsored