Jiwon Ahn · 3 stories

A Back Shelf in Gwangju-si

Writes about small restaurants scattered around Gyeonggi towns, one visit at a time. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Lunch with kids at a Yeoksam Chinese restaurant: Jjamppong Jijon

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is a jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) specialist Chinese restaurant on the second floor near Gukgiwon intersection, between Gangnam Station and Yeoksam Station in Seoul. The writer came with a child and ordered glutinous sweet-and-sour pork, jijon jjamppong and jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce), and found baby dishes, hair ties, coffee and yuja tea at the self-serve corner. With three spice levels — regular, jijon and extreme — Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is an easy pick for families eating out with kids.

Written Aug 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Seocho gimbap restaurant with a horse-mascot sign, solo meal: Halls

Halls Gimbap Main Branch (홀스김밥본점) is a gimbap and Korean snack restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, about a 7-minute walk from Gyodae Station Exit 1. Spotting the big horse character and HORSE sign out front, the writer ordered one roll of gimbap (seaweed rice roll) and dakgangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken): the gimbap was soft with big pieces of egg and ham, and the chicken was crisp outside, juicy inside, with a sweet sauce. A simple but filling one-person meal near Gyodae Station.

Written Aug 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Bucheon Korean restaurant, mild namul and cheonggukjang: Gim Myeongju

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch is a Korean set-meal restaurant a 5-minute walk from Exit 3 of Sinjungdong Station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi. Because one family member was on herbal medicine and avoiding meat, the table centered on mild namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes and cheonggukjang (rich fermented soybean stew), with charcoal-grilled pork added as a single dish for the children and a 3,000-won kids' pot rice for the preschooler. Lotus root and eggplant fritters from the self-bar and freshly milled yellow rice cooked in a pressure pot made it a filling, healthy family meal.

Written Sep 23, 2026Sponsored
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