Late Bell Diner · 68 stories

After the Dinner Bell

I write about restaurants and bars I visit around Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Bars · Restaurants · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons · Food & snacks · Cafés

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Autumn-night patio Korean BBQ in Gangnam: flower pork belly, Daepae

Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch (대패마켙 강남논현점) is a 24-hour Korean BBQ restaurant in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, Seoul. It specialises in thin-sliced pork belly and offers patio seating and a 2,000-won-per-person self-bar. On a cool autumn evening on the Daepae Market patio, the writer grilled 360-hour dry-aged 3mm pork belly and flower pork belly, both sliced the moment they were ordered. The meat was grilled with minari (water dropwort), bracken and kimchi, and the meal ended with self-made fried rice. Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch is worth recommending to anyone who wants pork belly and a drink outdoors on a crisp night.

Written Oct 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiHair & beauty salons

After-work redness facial with UV diagnosis in Bundang: Stern Clinic

Stern Clinic is a non-drug, non-procedure skin care shop for problem skin on the 4th floor of Donghyeon Plaza near Sunae Station in Bundang, Seongnam. The writer, whose facial redness and inner dryness had worsened, drove to Stern Clinic after work for a German-style 4-step skin diagnosis, a UV monitor check and a one-on-one soothing and hydration barrier treatment, and felt the redness and heat in the cheeks calm down right after the session. Stern Clinic lists prices on a 10-visit pack basis, also offers single sessions and runs a separate men's program, making it a solid after-work option for flushed, dehydrated skin in Bundang.

Written Oct 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Bundang sashimi restaurant: beef porridge to fish-bone stew, Haeseon

Haeseon (해선) is an aged sashimi course restaurant on Sunae-ro 46beon-gil near Sunae Station in Bundang, Seongnam. The 40,000 won per person course ran from beef and vegetable porridge and sea squirt to aged sea bream and flatfish sashimi, grilled king oyster mushrooms, grilled sea bream head, live octopus with beef tartare, coconut shrimp and spicy fish-bone stew, all enjoyed with soju. For a Sunae Station sashimi restaurant with both good value and quality, Haeseon is worth booking ahead.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiBars

Yongin date-night bar: brisket seafood tteokjjim and soju, Bacha Suji

Bacha Suji Branch is a Korean food pub with a cozy pocha (Korean street tavern) feel, tucked in an alley near Suji-gu Office Station in Yongin, Gyeonggi. On a weekday after-work date, the writer ordered the new beef brisket and seafood tteokjjim (braised rice cakes) and the sous vide pork jowl with chive salad, and the spicy tteokjjim broth turned a cola start into a soju order. Bacha Suji Branch was full even on a weekday, so book ahead or arrive early at this Suji-gu Office bar.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeonsu, IncheonRestaurants

Songdo Italian lunch with a friend: salsiccia burrata pizza, Salerno

Salerno Songdo Onesta is a wood-fired pizza Italian restaurant on the 3rd floor of the Onesta building, near Hyundai Premium Outlet Songdo in Yeonsu, Incheon. On a weekday lunch, two friends shared a salsiccia burrata pizza, shrimp aglio e olio and melanzane rollatini (baked eggplant rolls), and added the 1,000-won all-day course for soup, a drink and coffee. With its spacious dining room, real wood-fired oven and 1,000-won all-day course, Salerno Songdo Onesta is an easy recommendation for a long, chatty Italian meal in Songdo.

Written Oct 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonCafés

Sokcho market gangjeong shop: 5-grain set split into tubs, Ibuja Mayak

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan is a handmade grain gangjeong (crispy puffed-grain snack) shop that ages its gangjeong for 6 months, at unit 137 on the first floor of Sokcho Central Market in Sokcho, Gangwon. The Ibuja Mayak Gotgan grain gangjeong set comes in five kinds: brown rice, buckwheat, white rice, black rice and yellow rice. Sorted into separate tubs at home, the gangjeong was only lightly sweet and shattered with a crisp crunch without sticking to the teeth. Verdict: Ibuja Mayak Gotgan is a great palate cleanser after the greasy food at Sokcho Central Market, and a good snack to give as a gift.

Written Aug 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Sokcho market tempura stall with air-conditioned seats: Hwangbuja

Hwangbuja Twigim is a squid sundae (stuffed squid sausage) specialist in the tempura and sundae alley of Sokcho Jungang Market, Gangwon, where the line is always long. On a trip to Yangyang, the writer took out Set No. 11, a half-and-half of nurungji (crispy scorched rice) and egg-coated squid sundae, plus a 10-piece set of nude (peeled) shrimp tempura, eating some in the car and dipping the leftover shrimp in chili sauce at home. Hwangbuja Twigim's air-conditioned indoor tables make eating right in the market easy even in midsummer, and the shrimp tempura stayed crispy even after cooling.

Written Aug 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Yeongtong, Suwon beef BBQ on a mini stone resting plate: Sogogi Twist

Sogogi Twist Yeongtong District Office Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant specializing in US prime-grade beef, near Yeongtong-gu Office in Suwon, Gyeonggi. Two people shared the 1kg prime beef platter for 88,000 won, mulnaengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) and a cheese bomb egg custard from a Naver review event, and resting the grilled beef on a mini stone plate over the charcoal grill kept it juicy to the last bite. With 2 hours of free parking and reservations available, Sogogi Twist is an easy pick for company dinners and family meals out.

Written Aug 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Sokcho dakgangjeong shop with AC seating and self-serve bar: Seomin

Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip is a dakgangjeong (crispy sweet glazed fried chicken) shop in the dakgangjeong alley of Sokcho Jungang Market in Gangwon, known for deodeok dakgangjeong topped with deodeok (mountain bellflower root). A repeat visitor to Sokcho skipped the usual dakgangjeong for the deodeok dakgangjeong (24,000 won), waited 5-10 minutes in the cool indoor space and took it to go; because it is fried right after ordering, the chicken stayed crisp under the sauce while the deodeok cut the greasiness. Anyone tired of ordinary Sokcho dakgangjeong should try the deodeok dakgangjeong at Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip.

Written Aug 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Bundang Mexican restaurant: guacamole and cilantro fajitas at Elato

Elato Bundang is a Mexican dining restaurant on a side street in Jeongja-dong, Bundang, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. The writer visited as a pair, ordered the signature fajita for two with extra guacamole, and piled on cilantro, which Elato Bundang serves free and unlimited on request. Verdict: Elato Bundang's fajita is at its best when you add guacamole and ask for cilantro together.

Written Sep 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Sunae Station BBQ with slushy soju and yuzu highballs: Jeju Monteurak

Jeju Monteurak Bundang Sunae Branch (제주몬트락 분당수내점) is a Jeju black pork Korean BBQ restaurant near Sunae Station in Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, in business for 9 years. On a Friday evening visit for two, the writer ordered the bansang set (pork belly, pork neck and kimchi jjigae) grilled tableside by staff, drank 500-won slushy soju and a yuzu highball, and finished with Jeju carrot cream fried rice from a Naver reservation coupon. Jeju Monteurak Bundang Sunae Branch is a strong pick for Friday pork-and-soju nights and company dinners.

Written Aug 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeoju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Korean BBQ in Yeoju after outlet shopping with mom: Namyeoju Baechu

Namyeoju Baechu Doenjang-guk Sukseong Gogi-jip (남여주배추된장국 숙성고깃집) is a water-aged meat restaurant in Ganam-eup, Yeoju, Gyeonggi, near Yeoju Premium Outlets and golf courses such as Namyeoju CC and Dongyeoju CC. After an outlet shopping trip with her mom, the writer ordered a 500g beef tenderloin grilled on a cast-iron plate by staff, then tried pickled perilla leaves grilled in beef fat and a hangover ramyeon made with beef tendon. Verdict: the hangover ramyeon at Namyeoju Baechu Doenjang-guk is a must-order finish, even for people who rarely eat ramyeon.

Written Sep 29, 2026Sponsored