Night Sea Tray · 24 stories

Tin Tray, Seoul and Busan Nights

Writes about restaurants, bars, and cafes across Seoul, Busan/Gyeongnam, and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Bars

PlaceIcheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Icheon Korean BBQ for an in-law meeting: tofu tangsuyuk, Neul Gogi Jip

Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch (늘고기집 이천본점) is a pork and beef galbi restaurant on Gyeongchung-daero in Icheon, Gyeonggi. The meal opened with a Korean set-meal-style banchan spread, including tofu tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour fried tofu) and marinated crab (gejang), followed by 3 servings of nuruk-marinated pork galbi neck at 250g each, grilled at the table by staff, and finished with bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles). With no weak spot across atmosphere, side dishes, main and noodles, Neul Gogi Jip is a safe choice for a family meal or an in-law meeting.

Written Jun 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Gosaek Station bagel café: Orange Breeze & Caprese bagel, Orange Bagel

Orange Bagel is a bakery café on Omokcheon-ro in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, near Gosaek Station. To compare it with the trendy choco baguette, the blogger tried Orange Bagel's Deep Choco bagel, along with the Caprese tomato bagel, an Orange Breeze and an orange latte. Verdict: the chewy, brownie-studded Deep Choco bagel has a different charm from the choco baguette and was completely satisfying.

Written Jun 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Solo City Hall ramen: abura soba sauce on rice, shio ramen, Mentsuru

Mentsuru City Hall Branch is a Japanese-style ramen shop in Jung-gu, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from City Hall Station, with counter bar seats and tables that draw many office workers eating alone. The writer added chili oil to abura soba (brothless ramen), mixed a bowl of rice into the leftover sauce, and also tried shio ramen in a clear chicken broth and large handmade karaage (Japanese fried chicken). Mentsuru City Hall Branch suits a solo lunch or a quiet dinner after Deoksugung Palace's night opening.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Fresh-noodle shop in Suji, Yongin: pork loin cutlet and potato jeon

Chilseong Jemyeonso Suji Main Branch is a fresh-noodle restaurant in Seongbok-dong, Suji (Yongin), near Seongbok Station. It is open 11:00 to 21:00 with no break time. The writer had fresh noodles, a 100% domestic whole pork loin cutlet and a chewy potato jeon (pan-fried potato pancake) on the side, and was happy with all three: firm noodles, a thick yet juicy cutlet, and a pancake crisp outside and chewy inside. With free underground parking and baby chairs, Chilseong Jemyeonso Suji Main Branch suits everything from a solo meal to a family dinner out in Seongbok-dong.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Suji sundaeguk restaurant: head meat dinner on a gas burner | Yeonnal

Yeonnal Gyeongseong Sundaeguk Suji-gu Office Station Branch is a sundaeguk (Korean blood sausage soup) and bone hangover soup restaurant in the academy district of Suji-gu, Yongin, a 1-minute walk from Exit 1 of Suji-gu Office Station. After running errands near Suji-gu Office Station, the writer had a small plate of head meat and sundaeguk for dinner, enjoying the tender head meat kept warm over a gas burner and a sundaeguk generously filled with sundae, offal, head meat and brisket. For a filling, reasonably priced meal in the academy district, Yeonnal Gyeongseong Sundaeguk Suji-gu Office Station Branch is a safe choice.

Written Nov 4, 2025Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ at Gyodae where staff grill for you: Sodangkkae

Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip Gyodae Main Branch (소당깨오겹집 교대본점) is a pork belly Korean BBQ restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Gyodae Station Exit 2, where staff grill the meat at your table. Craving pork after a long break, the writer and one companion ordered the Sodangkkae combo set for 2, with o-gyeopsal (skin-on pork belly), pork neck, pork jowl, yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) and a stew, and appreciated the fast service, from grilling to swapping the grill plate. For a company dinner or a BBQ meetup of two or more near Gyodae Station, the Sodangkkae combo set is a safe first-visit order.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Korean restaurant for a solo office lunch: Geumnyeong Gomtang

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch (금녕곰탕 역삼점) is a gomtang (beef bone soup) restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, near Exit 4 of Sinnonhyeon Station. On a weekday solo lunch, the writer had minari gomtang (beef soup with water dropwort) and a side of myeongtae hoe-muchim (spicy pollock salad), and got a seat right away despite the office-worker crowd thanks to the fast turnover. The clear but deep broth, with the pollock salad piled onto the gomtang rice, made Geumnyeong Gomtang a very satisfying solo lunch in Gangnam.

Written Jul 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Yongin kalguksu restaurant with a fire-grilled jjukkumi starter: Yubok

Yubok Kalguksu Yongin Korean Folk Village Branch is a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant on Minsokchon-ro in Giheung-gu, Yongin, near the Korean Folk Village. After touring the Korean Folk Village, the writer ordered the pufferfish seafood kalguksu set: fire-grilled jjukkumi (baby octopus) and barley rice to start, a refreshing seafood kalguksu in pufferfish broth, house-made geotjeori (fresh kimchi) and a self-serve dessert corner. Despite expectations of a tourist-trap restaurant, Yubok Kalguksu beat expectations on food, atmosphere and service.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiBars

Korean anju pub in Seongbok-dong that parents love: Gorae Byeoljang

Gorae Byeoljang Suji Branch is a Korean anju (drinking food) pub on the ground floor of the Seohui Starhills building in Seongbok-dong, Suji-gu, Yongin. A blogger whose family has been coming back for years went with their parents and ordered whelk and minari (water dropwort) salad, Jeonju-style pork yukjeon (pan-fried battered pork) and Eungdaphara Chicken. The blogger was most pleased with the minari-packed whelk salad and the crispy, old-school fried chicken. Gorae Byeoljang Suji Branch is a Seongbok-dong neighborhood pub that works for everyone from kids to parents.

Written Jul 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Mexican dinner near Sunae Station: affordable fajitas for two, Elato

Elato Bundang is a Mexican restaurant in Jeongja-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, near Sunae Station. The writer went for dinner with one other person and shared the signature fajita for two, priced in the ₩30,000 range: meat and sautéed vegetables on a sizzling hot plate, wrapped in tortillas. The portion left both of them too full to order anything else. Elato Bundang pairs lower prices than other Mexican spots with an exotic, wood-toned interior, making it an easy pick in Jeongja-dong for a date or a get-together with friends.

Written Oct 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Rainy-day charcoal pork BBQ near Gwangalli Beach, Busan: Jukrim

Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui is a charcoal pork BBQ restaurant a one-minute walk from Gwangalli Beach, in Suyeong-gu, Busan. On a heavy rain day during a Busan trip, the writer ordered the Iberico set — 450g of pluma, secreto and rib cuts plus cha-dol soybean paste rice — which staff grilled at the table, served with more than six side dishes for different combinations with each cut. One set covered dinner from start to finish for two people, making Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui an easy pick in Gwangalli.

Written Aug 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHaeundae, BusanRestaurants

Open-kitchen seats at a Haeundae Chinese restaurant, Busan: Bueokgan

Bueokgan Chinese Marine City Branch is an ocean-view Chinese restaurant in Marine City, Haeundae, Busan, where the open kitchen lets diners watch the cooking from their seats. Visited on a friend's recommendation, the meal was abalone and shrimp fried rice, ganjajang (black bean noodles) with a poached egg, and yurinji (crispy fried chicken) with whole roasted garlic, plus complimentary eohyang gaji mandu from a review event. All three dishes were good, but the poached-egg ganjajang, with the yolk spreading through the sauce, was the clear favorite.

Written Aug 19, 2026Sponsored
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