Weekday Eater · 45 stories

Everyday Seoul Meals

I write about restaurant meals I come across in Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Bars · Cafés · Shopping

PlaceJeonju, JeonbukRestaurants

Octopus & chicken skewers to go, Jeonju Hanok Village: Munkkocchi

Munkkocchi Mungangjeong Jeonju Hanok Village Branch is a street-food shop selling octopus and chicken skewers on Eunhaeng-ro, the main street of Jeonju Hanok Village. The writer got katsuobushi and cheese octopus skewers (5,000 won each) and teriyaki and cheese chicken skewers (6,000 won each) to go. The owner compared the spicy sauce to Shin Ramyun, but it turned out milder than that. Munkkocchi Mungangjeong is a good Hanok Village skewer stop for spice-shy eaters and for kids who want to pick their own sauce.

Written May 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeonju, JeonbukRestaurants

Jeonju dakgangjeong shop: 3 flavors from one half box, Mannyeon

Mannyeon Dakgangjeong Hanok Village Direct Store is a dakgangjeong (sweet, crunchy Korean fried chicken) shop on Taejo-ro in Jeonju Hanok Village, across from Jungang Elementary School and Ojjang. A Jeonju native who graduated from Seongsim Girls' High School ordered a large half-and-half dakgangjeong (₩30,000) to go. She dipped the plain fried half in the sauce packed on the side to get three flavors from one box, and found the chicken still crunchy after it cooled at home. Mannyeon Dakgangjeong is a good takeout pick for a snack on a Hanok Village stroll or a late-night bite back at your lodging.

Written May 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeonju, JeonbukShopping

Traditional wedding guest hanbok rental in Jeonju: Gwijok Uisangsil

Gwijok Uisangsil Hanbok Jeonju Hanok Village Branch is a hanbok and early modern costume rental shop on Choemyeonghui-gil in Jeonju Hanok Village. A Jeonju native and a companion rented all-day hanbok there (20,000 won each with a Naver booking) to attend a friend's traditional wedding. On staff advice, they paired a pale lilac skirt with a sky-blue hanbok that drew plenty of compliments at the ceremony. If you need an elegant hanbok for a special day, Gwijok Uisangsil is worth booking on Naver before you visit.

Written May 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulShopping

Songpa florist Parents' Day moon jar centerpiece: Helio Flower by Su

Helio Flower by Su is a florist in Block B of the Helio City shopping arcade at Songpa Station Exit 3 in Songpa, Seoul. The writer ordered a premium moon jar centerpiece of dahlias, calla lilies and peonies as a Parents' Day gift, and after hearing about the 3-hour drive to the parents' home outside Seoul, Helio Flower by Su fixed the moon jar to its base so the arrangement arrived safely. Because the moon jar can stay on display as a decorative piece after the flowers fade, it became an anniversary gift the parents especially loved.

Written May 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Sokcho sashimi takeout, spring flounder on aged-kimchi sushi: Hoega

Hoega (회가) is a sashimi takeout restaurant in a residential part of Gyo-dong, Sokcho, that also has dine-in seating. The writer took a small mixed sashimi platter (39,000 won) of flatfish, rockfish, spring flounder and amberjack plus a mulhoe (cold raw fish soup, 15,000 won) back to the lodging, ate the sashimi three ways (with chojang, wrapped in greens and as sushi), and found that the icy mulhoe broth stayed cold to the end. For good-value sashimi at your lodging instead of a 100,000-won sit-down meal in Sokcho, Hoega is a good choice.

Written May 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonCafés

Sokcho egg tart bakery: Original box air-fried after freezing, Doris

Doris Patisserie is an egg tart, madeleine and financier bakery at the end of an alley in Sokcho Central Market in Sokcho, Gangwon. The writer booked a day ahead, picked up an Original box (15,000 won) and a Keuho box (16,800 won), tasted the original, walnut and cream cheese tarts with an Americano, then froze some and reheated them in an air fryer a few days later. The reheated tarts were a little less impressive than the freshly picked-up ones, but the Doris Patisserie original egg tart stayed the writer's top pick.

Written May 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Sokcho market snack bar: sundae set & beer back at the stay, Ddogi-ne

Ddogi-ne Twigim (서민갑부 똑이네 튀김) is a Korean snack bar in the chicken gangjeong alley of Sokcho Jungang Market in Sokcho, Gangwon, and the original maker of nurungji squid sundae (squid stuffed with filling, finished with a crispy scorched-rice crust). The blogger took out the nurungji squid sundae and abai sundae (North Korean-style sausage) set for 24,000 won and a small squid tempura for 5,000 won, then ate them with beer back at the accommodation; the nurungji squid sundae was crispy outside, moist inside and never greasy. For squid sundae in Sokcho Jungang Market, the Ddogi-ne Twigim nurungji squid sundae set made a satisfying beer snack for the night.

Written May 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Sokcho crab takeout: ₩25,000 red crab box with crab innards, Yes Susan

Yes Susan is a takeout red crab and snow crab shop next to the rest area on the first floor of Sokcho Jungang Market (Sokcho Tourist Fish Market) in Sokcho, Gangwon. The writer took a Yes Susan red crab lunchbox (25,000 won) and a flying fish roe and marinated crab fried rice set (8,000 won) back to the lodging, and was happy with the prepped red crab meat, the crab-shell innards and the fried rice topped with seed jeotgal (salted seafood relish). For Sokcho red crab without spending over 100,000 won on a restaurant snow crab set, Yes Susan takeout is a good choice.

Written May 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonShopping

Sokcho market jeotgal: matssiat for meat, frozen portions, Hwangbuja

Hwangbuja Jeotgal (황부자젓갈) is a jeotgal (salted seafood) shop in Chicken Alley of Sokcho Tourist & Fish Market (Sokcho Central Market) in Sokcho, Gangwon. After tasting samples cut by the staff, the writer bought 400g of squid jeotgal for 14,000 won and 700g of matssiat jeotgal (맛씨앗젓갈) for 15,000 won, froze both in small portions at home and ate them with rice and meat. Verdict: Hwangbuja Jeotgal's squid jeotgal is not too salty and works well with rice, and its matssiat jeotgal is a satisfying side for meat.

Written May 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Sokcho tofu restaurant with free valet parking, café 10% off: Yetgoeul

Yetgoeul Sundubu (옛고을순두부) is a spacious soft tofu restaurant in Haksapyeong Sundubu Village in Sokcho, Gangwon, with its own parking lot, free valet parking and a separate dog-friendly room. The writer ate abalone jjamppong sundubu (spicy seafood soft tofu stew, ₩19,000), chodang sundubu (mild soft tofu, ₩14,000) and perilla-oil pan-fried tofu (₩9,000), then showed the Yetgoeul Sundubu receipt for 10% off at Café Neorae on the 2nd floor. If you can't decide where to eat in Haksapyeong Sundubu Village, Yetgoeul Sundubu's fresh soft tofu, pot rice and generous side dishes make it a solid choice.

Written May 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonCafés

Sokcho café above a tofu restaurant: sweet corn cake, Cafe Neorae

Cafe Neorae is a large café in Sokcho, Gangwon, on the 2nd and 3rd floors and rooftop of the Yetgoeul Sundubu (soft tofu restaurant) building on Wonamhaksapyeong-gil, facing Seoraksan's Ulsanbawi Rock. On a day when clouds hid Ulsanbawi Rock, the visit included Neorae tea, a sweet corn latte and a sweet corn fresh cream cake (₩7,500 each), along with roomy seating, a wide bakery range, many photo zones and free valet parking. Even without the Ulsanbawi view, Cafe Neorae's space and menu make it a satisfying large café in Sokcho.

Written May 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulBars

Gunja Station pub: bean sprout tower hanu stew & jjukkumi, Saechamjip

Saechamjip Gunja (새참집 군자직영점) is a Korean pub with private rooms on the 2nd floor of a building near Exit 5 of Gunja Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. At Saechamjip Gunja we ordered jjukkumi minari muchim (webfoot octopus and water dropwort salad, 13,900 won) and Jirisan hanu daedoritang (29,900 won), served under a tower of bean sprouts. We got free refills of the acorn jelly soup and bean sprouts and finished with udon noodles. Saechamjip Gunja is a good-value, private spot near Gunja Station for a date for two or a group dinner.

Written May 26, 2026Sponsored