Paju Warm Pane · 19 stories

A Warm Window in Gapyeong

She writes about small cafes she visits around Gyeonggi Province. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants

PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Seogyo-dong café with parents, Nicaragua coffee: Naemyeonui Balgyeon

Naemyeonui Balgyeon (내면의 발견) is a large café and seasonal, experience-themed space at 53 Woldeukeopbuk-ro 5-gil in Seogyo-dong, Mapo, Seoul, spread from the 1st floor up to the rooftop. The writer visited Naemyeonui Balgyeon with their parents during Season 2, 'Swium' (rest and sprout), ordered the Forest Cloud (7,500 won), a Nicaragua filter coffee and rose white tea (7,000 won), and explored the Emptying, Filling, Pausing and Immersion spaces. Naemyeonui Balgyeon suits anyone in Hongdae or Seogyo-dong who wants a quiet café for calm conversation or solo work.

Written Apr 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGoyang, GyeonggiCafés

Ilsan bakery: new Nutella babka for kids' snacks, Boulangerie Tan

Boulangerie Tan, Hyundai Department Store KINTEX is a European-style baguette sandwich bakery on the B1 floor of Hyundai Department Store KINTEX in Ilsan, Goyang. The writer took home the new Nutella babka, a tomato arugula ciabatta, a jambon fromage sandwich and a milk cream salt bread from Boulangerie Tan for the kids' snacks and the next day's breakfast. Boulangerie Tan is an easy Ilsan bakery for picking up meal-replacement sandwiches and kids' snack breads in one stop.

Written May 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Yeonnam-dong café for Earl Grey plum tea, choco terrine: Jitheunsan

Jitheunsan (짙은산) is a terrine dessert café at the end of an alley in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. On a rainy afternoon with a friend, the writer tried the Earl Grey plum pearl tea (₩7,000), a matcha Einspänner (₩7,000) and the chocolate terrine cake (₩8,500). The handwritten menu, hand-knitted tea mats and a handmade memo pad giveaway show real care. If you like heavy, fudgy, not-too-sweet chocolate desserts, Jitheunsan's chocolate terrine is the one to order.

Written May 26, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Rainy-day Paju Heyri restaurant, kids' cream pasta: Mokushura Table

Mokushura Table is a 400-pyeong, three-story European restaurant and café in Heyri Art Village, Paju. On a rainy day, a family with children sat near the second-floor kids zone at Mokushura Table, ordered a 2-person set with drinks and a kids' cream pasta, and took the unfinished margherita pizza home. With a kids zone and children's tableware, Mokushura Table made an easy choice for a family meal out with kids.

Written Jun 2, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiCafés

Paju Gongneung Lake café: jambon-beurre and hallabong ade, Mokushura

Mokushura French Café is a large, European-mansion-style bakery café on Gigok-gil in Jori-eup, Paju, Gyeonggi, overlooking Gongneung Lake. The writer and her husband sat on a 4th-floor lake-view sofa and shared the best jambon-beurre (₩12,000), a special salt bread sandwich (₩8,000), a red hallabong ade (₩8,000, made with Jeju hallabong citrus) and two kinds of pie manju (₩2,800 each). The verdict: Mokushura French Café is a relaxing Paju outing café for resting with a Gongneung Lake view.

Written May 31, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Paju ssambap restaurant, ₩20,000 Deul set with my husband: Simhaksan

Simhaksan Deulkkot Ssambap (심학산 들꽃쌈밥) is a ssambap (rice with leafy-green wraps) Korean set-meal restaurant near Simhaksan Mountain and Paju Outlet in Paju, Gyeonggi. For lunch, the writer and her husband ordered two Deul sets at 20,000 won per person, which came with spicy pork and squid stir-fries in cast-iron pans, stone pot rice, doenjang (soybean paste) stew and unlimited wrap greens. The verdict: Simhaksan Deulkkot Ssambap is a good-value Korean set meal that serves generous portions of both meat and seafood for 20,000 won.

Written Jun 7, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Paju Korean set-meal lunch with dried croaker at Simhaksan Tteurak

Simhaksan Tteurak Paju Main Branch is a Korean set-meal restaurant on Dolgoji-gil, below Simhaksan mountain in Paju, Gyeonggi, that specializes in barley gulbi (barley-dried yellow croaker). On a return lunch visit with her husband, the writer ordered the Tteurak set for 2 (22,000 won per person) and added 1 barley gulbi. The meal was a generous spread of cauldron rice, smoky pork bulgogi, neat side dishes and barley gulbi served with green tea water. Simhaksan Tteurak is a Korean set-meal restaurant worth recommending for family meals with parents or group gatherings in Paju.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiCafés

Paju brunch café by a pond garden for scallop vongole: Brick Rouge

Brick Rouge is a large four-story bakery and brunch café with a red brick exterior on Jimok-ro in Paju, Gyeonggi. Three moms met at Brick Rouge for brunch, sat beside the second-floor pond garden, and shared the Meat Big Brunch (35,000 won) and scallop vongole pasta (23,000 won), which was hearty enough for three adult women. With roomy seating, group tables and restrooms on every floor, Brick Rouge is a solid pick for group brunches in Paju.

Written Oct 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Yeonnam-dong café, butter tteok & kids' snacks to go: Butter & Shelter

Butter & Shelter Yeonnam is a butter sand dessert café in a converted house on Seongmisan-ro in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. The writer ordered a warm latte, three butter sands (3,200–3,500 won) and a butter tteok (butter rice cake, 2,500 won), tasted one of each at Butter & Shelter Yeonnam and packed the rest as snacks for two elementary-school daughters. With deep gourmet-butter flavor and a chewy butter tteok, Butter & Shelter Yeonnam is worth recommending for premium desserts in Yeonnam-dong and unusual snack gifts.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Paju Korean BBQ: group lunch with friends and icy naengmyeon, Hyowonga

Hyowonga is a charcoal-grill Korean BBQ restaurant on Jungangno in Geumchon, Paju, with a playroom, private rooms and more than 260 seats. The writer went back with 3 friends for the lunch special, the Hyowon Handmade Pork Galbi Set (20,000 won for 250g of pork galbi plus cold noodles or doenjang stew), and was happy with the large, deeply marinated pork galbi and the mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in icy broth). Verdict: Hyowonga's lunch special is a hearty, good-value choice for a group lunch in Geumchon.

Written Jun 21, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Unjeong, Paju Chinese restaurant: egg-topped gganjjajang at Mimi China

Mimi China is a Chinese restaurant on Cheonjeonggu-ro in Danha-dong, Unjeong, Paju, that reportedly carries on the know-how of Yongmun Gaekjan, a Chinese restaurant well known in Icheon for 10 years. Over lunch, the writer and her husband ordered tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork, 20,000 won), gganjjajang (dry-fried black bean noodles) topped with a boiled egg (10,000 won) and sinmi jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup, 12,000 won). The meat-packed tangsuyuk, smoky gganjjajang and hearty, spicy jjamppong all satisfied, and the clean, spacious hall makes Mimi China a good Paju pick for a family meal with kids.

Written Jul 2, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Paju Korean restaurant for a weekday couple's lunch: Eomma-ui Ttuksim

Eomma-ui Ttuksim (엄마의뚝심) is a Korean restaurant in Yadang, Paju, near Unjeong Lake Park and Starfield Village Unjeong. On a weekday lunch, the writer and her husband ordered the Ttuksim Jjukkumi Set for two with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), pork bulgogi, jjukkumi (baby octopus) and plenty of banchan, and browsed the pickles sold from a refrigerated shelf. Eomma-ui Ttuksim is a good pick when you want a mild meal that tastes like home cooking.

Written Jul 4, 2026Sponsored