Gangseo Last Bite · 37 stories

First Sip, Last Bite

I write about restaurant meals and small dining moments around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Japanese lunch course for two near One Grove, Magok: Weanssi Sushi

Weanssi Sushi Magok Main Branch is a sushi and Japanese course restaurant with private rooms in Magok, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Magok Station. On a weekday, a couple ordered the Weans Special lunch course at ₩35,000 per person. The course included porridge, 15 pieces of sashimi across 4 kinds, 7 pieces of sushi per person, grilled fish, and shrimp and sweet pumpkin tempura. Thanks to thick, fresh sashimi and grilled fish that is crisp outside and moist inside, Weanssi Sushi ranks among the best-value sushi courses near Magok Station.

Written Oct 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Balsan Korean BBQ: marinated pork & free kiosk pear sherbet, Ihwajeong

Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch is a roughly 200-pyeong (about 660 m²) Korean BBQ restaurant with private rooms near Balsan Station in Gangseo, Seoul. The writer ordered the 300g marinated grilled pork (23,000 won) and Hanwoo beef yukhoe (19,000 won), then finished with a pear sherbet that comes free when ordered via the kiosk. With a pear marinade that isn't too sweet and staff who grill the meat from start to finish, Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga suits family gatherings and group dinners well.

Written Oct 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

DMC Korean restaurant: suyuk hotpot, squid jeon & bingsu, Ongdoenjang

Ongdoenjang Sangam is a Korean restaurant built around doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and jeongol (hotpot) near Digital Media City Station in Sangam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. On a weekend visit for two, the writer and her husband ordered the small mixed suyuk (boiled meat) hotpot for 25,000 won, the squid minari jeon (squid and water dropwort pancake) for 20,000 won and old-style patbingsu (red bean shaved ice) for 5,000 won, loving the clear, refreshing hotpot broth and the crispiest jeon she has ever had. For a healthy, filling Korean lunch or a meal with traditional liquor in Digital Media City, Ongdoenjang Sangam is a great fit.

Written Jun 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Mexican restaurant on Mangridan-gil: window room fajitas at Taco Dot

Taco Dot Mangwon Market Main Branch is a Mexican restaurant on Mangridan-gil in Mangwon-dong, Mapo, Seoul. After about a 30-minute wait at lunchtime, a couple took a window seat in a small room and ordered the triple fajita platter (₩38,900), a pulled pork taco and a Coke Zero, then took one leftover taco home because they were full. With plenty of tortillas and house-made sauces, Taco Dot is an easy place for two people to eat a generous Mexican meal without holding back.

Written Jun 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Sukiyaki near Balsan Station: anniversary couple's revisit at Okso Ban

Okso Ban Magok Main Branch is a Japanese hot pot restaurant serving sukiyaki and shabu-shabu on Magokjungang 6-ro near Balsan Station in Gangseo, Seoul. A couple who first came for last year's wedding anniversary returned for the mild sukiyaki. They ordered Dinner Set C with chuck flap (21,900 won per person) for two, refilled the vegetables up to 3 bowls, and finished with kimchi fried rice and pomegranate tea. Okso Ban is a good fit for couples, dates and family meals when you want sukiyaki that is lightly seasoned and easy on the stomach.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Euljiro wine bar lunch: polpo risotto & truffle gnocchi at Athlonga

Athlonga is a rooftop wine bar and pasta restaurant on the 3rd floor near Exit 7 of Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, in the Euljiro area. A married couple who couldn't forget the food at Athlonga's Yeonsinnae branch visited the Athlonga main branch for a weekend lunch, took a window seat and ordered the polpo risotto (octopus risotto, ₩27,000) and truffle cream gnocchi (₩22,000), loving the whole octopus leg and the generous truffle cream sauce. For a date lunch with a view near Dongdaemun DDP, Athlonga is a good fit.

Written Jun 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Yongsan tteokbokki shop, weekend date with my husband: Hyeonseonine

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch (현선이네 용산본점) is a tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) and Korean snack shop between Sinyongsan Station and Yongridan-gil in Yongsan, Seoul. On a weekend lunch, the writer and her husband waited over 30 minutes, then shared the ₩25,000 Hyeonseonine Combo Set at medium spice: tteokbokki, mini gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), liver with sundae (Korean blood sausage), mixed fritters and long fish cake skewers. The verdict: dipping Hyeonseonine's tteokbokki in the self-service bar's tempura flakes was the find of the day, and the lunch date was filling and satisfying.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ team dinner near Magongnaru Station: Yeongchun Galbi

Yeongchun Galbi is a charcoal-grilled marinated Korean BBQ restaurant in Gangseo, Seoul, near Magongnaru Station and Seoul Botanic Park, with a black and wood-tone interior. At Yeongchun Galbi, the writer ordered the Jirisan black pork charcoal-grilled marinated BBQ (500g, ₩49,500). It arrives fully grilled, so no smell clings to clothes, and the fat is springy, almost like gelatin. With kkodeulbaegi kimchi (bitter wild lettuce kimchi) and other side dishes, plus pesto and kimchi sauces, Yeongchun Galbi is an easy choice for a Magongnaru team dinner or family get-together.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Sinchon burger joint with monkey mural: sets for two at Bored & Hungry

Bored & Hungry Mapo is a handmade burger joint from Seongsu, now in Sinsu-dong near Daeheung Station, Gyeongui Line Forest Park and Sogang University in Mapo, Seoul. On a Sunday evening, the blogger and her husband ordered the Bacon Deluxe and the O.G Champion Burger as sets (each 11,900 won on its own), plus corn ribs and butter garlic fries. The burgers stayed warm to the last bite, the sides were delicious, and the filling meal made Bored & Hungry Mapo feel like good value for a Sinchon burger date.

Written Oct 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Daehangno Indian curry for spice-shy diners, butter naan: Meono

Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch is an Indian and Nepali restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Ihwa Building near Hyehwa Station in Jongno, Seoul. A writer who dislikes foreign spices shared Meono Kkameona Set B (₩17,000 per person, minimum 2 people) with her husband, who loves Indian and Nepali food, and enjoyed every dish: green salad, chicken tikka, butter naan and chicken masala curry. Verdict: Meono Kkameona is a Daehangno Indian curry spot that even people unused to spices can enjoy without worry.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Tteokbokki bar in Yeouido IFC Mall vs Yongsan original: Hyeonseonine

Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is a tteokbokki and Korean street-snack shop on the B2 level of IFC Mall in Yeouido, Seoul. A writer who knows the Yongsan main branch ordered the Hyeonseonine Set (23,000 won) and compared the self-service system, menu, taste and service: the tteokbokki sauce was as good as ever, but staff didn't ask which sundae (Korean blood sausage) cuts were wanted, so lung came mixed in, and the fried snacks were less crispy. Verdict: Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch and the Yongsan main branch share almost the same menu and system.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Seocho lamb skewer spot with 48-hour aged lamb: Banpo Yangkkochi

Banpo Yangkkochi (반포양꼬치) is a lamb skewer and Chinese restaurant in the basement of Banpo Shopping Town Building 3, near Express Bus Terminal Station in Seocho, Seoul. After a date at GoTo Mall and Shinsegae Department Store, the writer and her husband ordered two servings of the 48-hour aged Banpo lamb skewers (₩19,000 per serving) and the October-only mala cream shrimp (₩17,000). Verdict: Banpo Yangkkochi's lamb skewers were juicy with no gamey smell, and dipping them in sea salt was the best combination.

Written Oct 13, 2026Sponsored