Harbor Counter Guest · 27 stories

Rice Counter, Gangwon

I write about restaurants and meals I come across in Gangwon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Things to do · Bars · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Poke salad shop at Gangnam Station: shrimp vs chicken to go, Ola Poke

Ola Poke Gangnam is a poke salad shop in the basement of the Ssangyong Platinum Value arcade at Gangnam Station Exit 4 in Seoul. The writer took out a Garlic Shrimp Poke (11,500 won) and a Chicken Breast Poke (11,000 won), both with a 5:5 rice-to-vegetable ratio and the default sauce, which came as chili garlic mayo and sriracha mayo respectively. With plump, savory shrimp and moist Korean chicken breast, Ola Poke Gangnam is a poke spot worth returning to whenever you want a healthy meal.

Written Jun 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Dogok-dong takeout pie shop, cream cheese walnut pie: Hodu Kkakki

Hodu Kkakki Brothers (호두까끼형제) is a takeout-only walnut pie shop in Dogok-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, near Yangjae Station on Line 3, that bakes without refined sugar. The writer took home a whole 8-slice cream cheese walnut pie for 35,000 won: a thin crust and nutty walnuts topped with a not-too-sweet cream cheese and almond cream that went well together. For a dessert that is both tasty and healthier, the Hodu Kkakki Brothers cream cheese walnut pie is recommended.

Written Jun 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Euljiro 1-ga burger joint: celery green mayo eggplant fries, Daily Fix

Daily Fix Euljiro is a handmade burger restaurant using Hanwoo (Korean beef) patties in Jung-gu, Seoul, between Euljiro 1-ga Station and City Hall Station. At an in-between hour, too late for lunch and too early for dinner, the writer shared the double cheeseburger set (₩20,800), the bacon cheeseburger (₩12,900) and eggplant fries served with celery green mayo sauce (₩12,900). Verdict: Daily Fix Euljiro's burgers and sides are cleanly delicious, and it's the place to return to whenever a handmade burger craving hits.

Written Jun 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Evening terrace at Myeongdong Cathedral: kimchi risotto, Seventy Four

Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch is a Western-style restaurant with a terrace on the ground floor of Familia Chapel, next to Myeongdong Cathedral in Jung-gu, Seoul. On a cool evening terrace, the meal was a kimchi risotto made with barley (₩16,000) and a pollock roe rosé pasta topped with bottarga (₩18,000), and both dishes blended Korean and Western flavors well. For atmosphere and flavors that suit Korean tastes near Myeongdong Cathedral, Seventy Four Myeongdong Cathedral Main Branch is a good fit.

Written Jun 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGunpo, GyeonggiRestaurants

Strawberry jam cutlet sandwich at a Sanbon pork cutlet spot: Onjeong

Onjeong Gyeongyangsikdang Sanbon Academy District Branch is a Korean-style Western (gyeongyangsik) pork cutlet restaurant that serves its cutlets with the sauce poured on top, in front of Gwangjeong Elementary School in the Sanbon academy district of Gunpo. On a first visit, the soba & gyeongyangsik pork cutlet set and the udon & gyeongyangsik pork cutlet set (14,500 won each) came with the basic gyeongyangsik sauce, and the morning bread rolls doubled as sandwiches filled with strawberry jam, salad and cutlet. Onjeong's classic, sauce-soaked cutlets and big bowls of udon and cold soba make it worth a return visit.

Written Oct 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceAnyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Anyang octopus stir-fry, pancake & clam soup for two: Yeongmi Nakji

Mugyo-dong Yeongmi Nakji Anyang Main Branch (무교동 영미낙지 안양본점) is a Korean restaurant specializing in nakji bokkeum (spicy stir-fried octopus) near the Anyang International Distribution Complex in Hogye-dong, Anyang. The 2-person value set (40,000 won) brought stir-fried octopus, a seafood pancake and manila clam soup, and the cleanly spicy sauce with generous, plump octopus had the writer finishing a whole bowl of rice. Mugyo-dong Yeongmi Nakji is a good-value octopus meal worth returning to whenever a spicy octopus craving hits.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangneung, GangwonCafés

Gangneung cookie shop: popping sesame vs chewy corn—Gangneung Sand

Gangneung Sand Main Branch (강릉샌드 본점) is a butter cookie sandwich shop near Ojukheon in Gangneung, Gangwon, where the black sesame and Chodang corn sands were picked at ₩17,000 each from the 2nd-floor shop. The Gangneung Sand black sesame sand has a nutty pop of grains, while the Chodang corn sand has chewy corn kernels, and both pair well with the high-butter cookie. Individually wrapped, Gangneung Sand is an ideal butter cookie gift to bring home from a Gangneung trip.

Written May 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceAnyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Anyang pho restaurant, chili-sauce broth and pineapple rice: Pho Witch

Pho Witch is a Vietnamese restaurant on the Pyeongchon academy-district food street in Anyang, Gyeonggi. The writer shared the Siblings' Devotion Pho (10,000 won), Passionate Siblings Smoky Pad Thai (12,000 won) and Fresh Pineapple Fried Rice (11,000 won), then stirred chili sauce into the long-simmered pho broth and drank it to the last drop. At Pho Witch, order the pho for a deep, clean broth, or the smoky pad thai if you want something bolder.

Written Jun 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceAnyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Anyang pork galbi house: ₩3,000 doenjang stew with rib meat, Sannae

Sannae Sutbul Galbi Bakdal Branch (산내숯불갈비 박달점) is a charcoal-grilled pork galbi restaurant near Bakdal Market in Anyang, Gyeonggi, serving marinated Korean pork galbi at ₩15,000 per 250g. Two people ordered 500g of marinated pork galbi, steamed rice, a ₩3,000 doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) with rib meat in it and a ₩6,000 naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth topped with spicy sauce), and left full; the marinade was not overpowering. For a good-value Korean BBQ spot in Bakdal-dong, Anyang, Sannae Sutbul Galbi Bakdal Branch is a satisfying choice.

Written Jun 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceAnyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Anyang gopchang restaurant: free brisket on 5–7pm bookings at Ilmigop

Ilmigop (일미곱) is a gopchang (grilled beef intestine) restaurant in Bisan-dong, Anyang, in front of the Bisan 1-dong community center near Pyeongchon Xi I'Park. The writer booked on Naver and visited around 6pm on a weekend, ordering 2 servings of beef gopchang grill (₩20,900 per 200g) and fried rice (₩4,900), and got free beef brisket through Ilmigop's 5–7pm booking event. Despite the spattering grease, Ilmigop's clean, non-sticky dining room, gop-packed gopchang and generous grilled vegetables make it worth a return visit.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Hoehyeon Station Korean BBQ: galbi with salt and wasabi at Geumseong

Geumseong Hoegwan Seoul City Hall Direct Branch is a charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant on Namdaemun-ro 1-gil in Jung-gu, Seoul, between City Hall Station and Namdaemun Market. Arriving around 2pm on a weekend with no wait, the writer ordered hwangje galbi ("emperor" beef rib, 150g, 19,000 won), a marinated king beef rib (300g, 1 rib, 29,700 won) and myeongran-bap (pollack roe rice, 5,000 won). The hwangje galbi was very juicy, and the roe rice came with plenty of roe. Geumseong Hoegwan is a good Korean BBQ stop near City Hall and Hoehyeon Stations for a filling galbi meal after browsing Namdaemun Market.

Written Oct 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceAnyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongpyeon-maeul hanwoo restaurant, no table charge: Sipnyeon Hanwoo

Sipnyeon Hanwoo Silbijip Induk-won Dongpyeon-maeul branch is a hanwoo (Korean beef) restaurant in the shopping block behind KB Kookmin Bank at the entrance to Dongpyeon-maeul in Anyang, Gyeonggi. On a weekday evening the blogger ordered 500g of Sipnyeon Hanwoo for 49,500 won and beef doenjang stew for 5,000 won, paid no table setting charge, and got random cuts from that day's butchering, starting with chadolbagi (thin-sliced brisket). Sipnyeon Hanwoo Silbijip is a good-value Dongpyeon-maeul pick when you want hanwoo without a table charge.

Written Oct 5, 2026Sponsored