Roadside Meal Noter · 32 stories

Meals Along the Way

I write about restaurants I visit around Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Beauty products · Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Bars · Shopping

PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido snack bar full course: spice level 2 combo, Hyeonseonine

Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is a Korean snack bar (bunsik) beside the moving walkway on the route from Yeouido Station to IFC Mall and The Hyundai Seoul, in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. The Hyeonseonine Combo Set brings tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), assorted fritters, mini gimbap, sundae (Korean blood sausage) and fish cake together; this one was ordered at spice level 2 of 3, and dipping the fritters and sundae into the brothy tteokbokki was the standout combination. The Combo Set leaves two people very full and lightly feeds three, so Hyeonseonine is a good pick for a generous, all-in-one bunsik meal in Yeouido.

Written May 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuRestaurants

Jeju Airport noodle shop for rich sea snail broth: Yongdam Bomal

Yongdam Bomal Kalguksu (용담보말칼국수) is a restaurant on Heungun-gil in Yongdam, Jeju City, that specializes in bomal kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup with Jeju sea snails), close to Jeju Airport. On the first day of a Jeju trip, the writer ordered abalone bomal kalguksu, bomal abalone porridge and gimbap (seaweed rice roll), and found the broth rich and deep, with satisfying kimchi and gimbap too. Yongdam Bomal Kalguksu is worth recommending to travelers looking for a warm, restorative meal near the airport.

Written May 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Station sandwich shop, office lunch takeout: Dance Dance Dance

Dance Dance Dance Seoul Station is a baguette sandwich shop on basement level 3 of Grand Central at Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. The writer took a jambon jalapeño sandwich and a baguette sandwich back to the office for lunch; orders were backed up and the wait was about 20 minutes, but the homemade wholegrain mustard sauce and the quality of the bread stood out. If you want a proper, filling baguette sandwich near Seoul Station, Dance Dance Dance Seoul Station is worth recommending.

Written May 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Gongdeok roastery café: decaf Einspänner and almond latte, Ieo Coffee

Ieo Coffee Roasters is a roastery café in an alley between Gongdeok Station and Daeheung Station in Mapo, Seoul, and is said to roast its own beans and make its own syrups and desserts. The writer ordered an iced almond latte and an Einspänner, both switched to decaf beans, with an egg financier baked by the owner. Even as decaf, the drinks at Ieo Coffee Roasters kept their aroma and nutty richness, making it a Gongdeok café worth recommending to anyone who cares about how their coffee tastes.

Written Jun 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong Indian restaurant: tandoori fan tries chicken tikka, Mandala

Mandala Indian Lounge is an Indian restaurant on the 3rd floor of a building on Dongmak-ro 3-gil, near Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. A writer who always ordered tandoori chicken properly tried Mandala Indian Lounge's chicken tikka for the first time, alongside a coconut-topped plain lassi, chicken makhni, butter naan and rice. Verdict: the chicken tikka at Mandala Indian Lounge is juicy and not too intense, an easy recommendation for anyone new to Indian food.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Gongdeok bakery café by car: 8 baked goods tasted, Fluffy Bake Shop

Fluffy Bake Shop (플러피 베이크샵) is a baked-goods bakery café in the SK Leaders View Complex 2 shopping arcade near Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer drove there, used the 1 hour of free underground parking, and tasted 4 madeleines, 3 financiers and an egg tart, naming the apple churros financier as the best. With easy parking and affordable gift boxes (500 to 3,500 won), Fluffy Bake Shop is a good place in Gongdeok to buy baked goods as gifts.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gyodae Station gimbap shop: chili-topped dakgangjeong to go, Halls

Halls Gimbap Main Branch is a gimbap and Korean snack shop near Exit 1 of Gyodae Station in Seocho, Seoul. After trying the gimbap on an earlier visit, the writer took home the much-recommended dakgangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken). The Korean chilled chicken thigh, a handmade sauce made without corn syrup and a fresh cheongyang chili topping kept every bite from getting cloying. Ordered with low expectations at a gimbap specialist, the Halls Gimbap Main Branch dakgangjeong became the writer's reason to go back.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Pizza by the slice near Isu Station: 3 flavors with cola, Raymond

Raymond Isu Branch is a pizza restaurant near Isu Station in Dongjak, Seoul, where pizza can be ordered by the slice. The writer drove there, so they had cola instead of beer with one slice each of cheese, bacon Hawaiian and mac & cheese pizza, and liked the chewy dough, rich cheese and the tablet ordering pad at every seat. Raymond Isu Branch is a good pick when a whole pizza feels like too much and you want to try several flavors.

Written Jun 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGoyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Seooreung jjamppong restaurant: chewy rice tangsuyuk, Jjamppong Jijeon

Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch (짬뽕지존 서오릉점) is a Chinese restaurant specializing in jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) on Seooreung-ro in Deogyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi. For a weekend family lunch, the writer ordered the original-spice Jijeon Jjamppong and glutinous rice tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), plus complimentary jjamppong fried mandu; the rich meat-broth jjamppong was good, but the chewy glutinous rice tangsuyuk was the most memorable dish. Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch is a spacious, comfortable spot near Seooreung for spicy jjamppong and tangsuyuk together.

Written Jun 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHanam, GyeonggiCafés

Hanam Misa terrace café: acidic vs nutty iced Americanos, Easy White

Easy White Bread Hanam Misa is a bakery café in Misa, Hanam (Gyeonggi) that specializes in saengsik-bbang (fresh milk bread loaves). On a weekend morning on the outdoor terrace, the writer compared a half olive cheese milk bread loaf (8,000 won) with two iced Americanos, one brewed with acidic beans and one with nutty beans. Verdict: at Easy White Bread Hanam Misa, the nutty beans pair especially well with the salty olive cheese loaf.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHanam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Group-friendly jeyuk ssambap feast in Hanam Misa: Dolsoe Ssambap

Dolsoe Ssambap (돌쇠쌈밥) is a Korean restaurant specializing in ssambap (rice eaten in leafy wraps) on the 2nd floor of Hyundai Cluster 3 in Misa, Hanam. An order of jeyuk ssambap (spicy stir-fried pork with wraps) for two came with 12 kinds of wrap greens, 12 side dishes, doenjang stew, steamed egg, vegetable ssamjang and ttukbaegi ssamjang, and the spicy pork had no gamey smell. Mild and generous, Dolsoe Ssambap is a good fit for family meals and group gatherings in Hanam Misa.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Private-room lunch course in Gongdeok: sea bream pot rice & hanwoo

Usu is a course restaurant where every seat is a private room, on basement level 2 of the Lotte Castle President shopping arcade near Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. At lunch the writer ordered the Lunch C course: U-Gye-Jin juk (rice porridge), three bite-sized dishes, abalone five-color gardenia noodles, a seasonal sea bream pot rice set, 1++ hanwoo (Korean beef) and a Korean melon sorbet for dessert. With private rooms and an explanation for every course, Usu is a good fit for meeting the in-laws or a family gathering.

Written Jun 3, 2026Sponsored