Commute Home Diner · 20 stories

Tables on the Way Home

I share restaurant visits from around Gyeonggi, one meal at a time. · Writes about: Restaurants · Things to do · Cafés

PlaceUijeongbu, GyeonggiThings to do

Ring-making class in Uijeongbu: snug size 4 & 5 rings at Ring Plus

Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch (반지더하기 의정부점) is a private-room ring workshop on the 5th floor of the McDonald's building on Uijeongbu Rodeo Street in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi. At Ring Plus the blogger picked a design from the samples, had their fingers measured and shaped the rings by hand; the size 4 and 5 rings looked small at first but fit well after about 1 hour of finishing by the shop. Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch is a one-day class where even first-time ring makers can follow the instructions all the way to a finished ring.

Written Nov 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceUijeongbu, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gukbap in Uijeongbu with my daughter: suyuk set & ox knee soup, Hagane

Hagane Hanwoo Gomtang Uijeongbu Main Branch is a hanwoo (Korean beef) gukbap and gomtang (beef bone soup) restaurant in Geumo-dong, Uijeongbu, across from Eulji University Hospital. Over a meal with a daughter, the blogger ordered the 15,900 won Hagane suyuk set (hanwoo gukbap with boiled hanwoo slices) and the premium chewy ox knee soup (dogani-tang). The generous, tender suyuk, rich broth, self-serve bar and unlimited noodle refills all impressed. Hagane Hanwoo Gomtang Uijeongbu Main Branch is a hearty pick for a day when you want good price, taste and portion size all at once.

Written Nov 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Goat soup with a yukgaejang-like broth in Hyangnam, Hwaseong: Tongkeun

Tongkeun Heukyeomso Hyangnam Branch (통큰흑염소 향남점) is a black goat restaurant serving Korean tonic food on Samcheonbyeongma-ro in Hyangnam-eup, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, with goat soup from 9,900 won. The writer and a companion ordered the regular and the special goat soup. The regular bowl had so much meat it seemed the orders had been swapped, the broth tasted as familiar as yukgaejang (Korean beef and vegetable soup), and diners add perilla powder to taste. Tongkeun Heukyeomso is a good-value tonic meal even for anyone who has hesitated over the smell of black goat.

Written Nov 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Suwon bagel café: friend's best scallion cream bacon at Orange Bagel

Orange Bagel is a large, Brooklyn-style bakery café on Omokcheon-ro in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi. The writer visited Orange Bagel with a friend around 2 pm on a weekday and tried three bagels (crab shrimp, caprese tomato and scallion cream bacon), and the friend called Orange Bagel's scallion cream bagel the best they had ever had. Verdict: Orange Bagel is a bagel specialist where the bagels themselves are more memorable than the spacious café.

Written Nov 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeogwipo, JejuRestaurants

Seogwipo Korean restaurant: season's first yellowtail, Tamra Hansang

Tamra Hansang (탐라한상) is a Korean restaurant serving Jeju home-style dishes on Taepyeong-ro in Seogwipo, Jeju. Its dombe pork (boiled pork sliced on a cutting board) set comes with sashimi, soy-marinated shrimp, salted cutlassfish innards, sanjeok (skewers) and stone-pot rice. After several meals of braised and grilled cutlassfish, a traveler ordered the dombe pork set for two (60,000 won) at an early dinner, and the standouts were the tender pork and yellowtail sashimi served on the first day of the yellowtail fishing season. For tasting Jeju food beyond cutlassfish in one meal, Tamra Hansang's dombe pork set is a good choice.

Written Oct 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeogwipo, JejuRestaurants

Noodle shop in Seogwipo with tangerine grove views: Eongddo Guksu

Eongddo Guksu & Doldanongwon is a noodle restaurant in Seogwipo, Jeju, set among tangerine groves near Eongddo Falls and next to Olle Trail Course 7-1. After hiking Hallasan without breakfast, the writer filled up on anchovy noodles, myeolgo noodles (anchovy broth with boiled pork), rice balls and potato dumplings, then picked a few tangerines from the grove to taste. Eongddo Guksu & Doldanongwon is a good stop for clean anchovy-broth pork noodles with a tangerine grove view.

Written Oct 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeogwipo, JejuRestaurants

Seongsan hairtail restaurant for a late brunch: Jejurowoon

Jejurowoon Cheonghaewon is a Korean seafood restaurant specializing in braised hairtail. It sits on Sinyang-ro in Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo, Jeju, between Seongsan Ilchulbong and Seopjikoji. After staying near Seongsan Ilchulbong, the writers stopped at Jejurowoon Cheonghaewon for a late brunch on the way to Seopjikoji and ordered the A set: braised hairtail, grilled tilefish, sticky pot rice, soy-marinated crab and seafood stew. The thick hairtail and a grilled tilefish good enough to tear apart by hand stood out, and because Jejurowoon Cheonghaewon serves from breakfast with no break time, it fits easily into an eastern Jeju itinerary.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeogwipo, JejuRestaurants

Seongsan cutlassfish restaurant run by a 15-year tour guide, Jeju

Seongsan Bada Punggyeong (성산바다풍경) is a braised cutlassfish restaurant near Seongsan Ilchulbong in Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo, Jeju. After touring Seongsan Ilchulbong, the writer and her husband ate cutlassfish and mackerel braise and a whole grilled cutlassfish deboned by staff, with a bottle of Hallasan soju. For a tourist-area restaurant, the generous spread for the price surprised the writer even more than the flavor did.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuRestaurants

Woljeong-ri, Jeju BBQ lunch after seawalking: Woljeongri Galbibap

Woljeongri Galbibap (월정리갈비밥) is a Korean restaurant in Woljeong-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju, serving set meals of marinated meat grilled over an open flame. After an Underwater Play seawalking session, the writer had a lunch spread of charcoal-scented marinated meat, butter-grilled Jeju abalone, crispy pajeon (scallion pancake) and spicy marinated crab, and was struck by the restaurant's notice about sponsoring children through Green Noble Club. Woljeongri Galbibap makes a satisfying lunch stop on a day of seawalking, a meal and a Woljeong-ri Beach stroll.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Tonkatsu in Dongtan Mokdong: fish katsu & spicy curry udon, Kkot Gatsu

Kkot Gatsu Dongtan Main Branch (꽃가츠) is a handmade tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant near a residential area in Mokdong, Dongtan, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. The writer tried the signature flower katsu, fish katsu and curry udon, along with lemon salt and truffle salt, side dishes from the self-serve bar, and cheese balls from a Naver review event. Kkot Gatsu Dongtan Main Branch suits anyone who wants tonkatsu that is crisp outside and juicy inside, plus a good spread of dishes beyond pork cutlet.

Written Oct 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Balsan Station Korean restaurant: Jeju marinated yellow crab, Mikodam

Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch is a Korean restaurant near Exit 4 of Balsan Station in Gangseo, Seoul, serving seaweed soup and cockle set meals. While scouting a venue for mom's birthday family gathering, the writer built a 2-person set of abalone seaweed soup, cockle bibimbap and Jeju yellow crab (hwang-gejang) for 50,000 won; the soup with two abalones and the crab with no fishy taste stood out. Because diners can pick dishes to their taste, Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch is worth shortlisting for big family gatherings.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan Station samgyetang before a family pickup: Dream Samgyetang

Dream Samgyetang (드림삼계탕) is a samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) restaurant on the 2nd floor of 128 Dongtanyeok-ro in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, near Exit 2 of GTX-A Dongtan Station. The writer drove separately, parked in the building's basement garage, and shared the clean-tasting Dream Samgyetang (18,000 won) and the nutty perilla samgyetang (19,000 won) to compare the broths, and was glad of the pre-meal ginseng wine and free rice. Verdict: Dream Samgyetang is a good place for a filling meal while waiting to pick up family at Dongtan Station.

Written Oct 6, 2026Sponsored