Pocket Mirror Road · 26 stories

The Hand Mirror

I write about my visits to beauty spots in Busan and Gyeongnam. · Writes about: Hair & beauty salons · Restaurants · Cafés

PlaceYangsan, GyeongnamCafés

Solo brunch café in Mulgeum: croissant French toast at Famous Venny

Famous Venny Yangsan Oslo Park Branch is a newly opened wellness-style brunch café in Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan, Gyeongnam. The writer went alone just after 8am on a weekday and ordered a hot latte (6,000 won), French toast made with croissant (17,000 won) and an acai bowl topped with peanut butter (9,000 won), and was pleased with the quiet atmosphere and friendly service. Famous Venny Yangsan Oslo Park Branch is a good café for a solo morning brunch or a work session.

Written Jun 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDong-gu, DaeguRestaurants

Texas BBQ for a boyfriend's birthday near Dongdaegu Station: Modak

Modak Texas Barbecue Dongdaegu Branch (모닥텍사스바베큐 동대구점) is a Texas barbecue restaurant in the food alley by Dongdaegu Station in Dong-gu, Daegu. For a boyfriend's birthday, the writer booked ahead, sat in a private seat and ordered the Memphis Platter set for two (75,000 won). The favourite combinations were spare ribs piled onto morning buns with coleslaw, and tortillas wrapped around french fries. For an unusual barbecue meal on a birthday or anniversary, the Memphis Platter at Modak Texas Barbecue Dongdaegu Branch is worth recommending.

Written Jul 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangsan, GyeongnamCafés

Mulgeum brunch café: flat white & bacon scramble toast at Famous Venny

Famous Venny Yangsan Oslo Park Branch is a brunch café in the Yurim Norway Forest shopping building in Mulgeum, Yangsan, Gyeongnam. After a solo visit, the blogger returned to Famous Venny by car with her boyfriend and ordered a hot latte (₩6,000), a hot flat white (₩6,000), bacon scramble toast (₩16,000) and croissant French toast (₩17,000). Easy parking, big plates and generous portions make Famous Venny a brunch café worth recommending in Mulgeum.

Written Oct 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangsan, GyeongnamRestaurants

Mulgeum, Yangsan kalguksu spot: dinner with my brother at Jinhae Jang

Jinhae Jang Bone Kalguksu, Yangsan Branch is a Korean restaurant on a side street off Hwahap 3-gil in Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan, specialising in bone kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup with pork bones) and cold kalguksu. After work, the writer and her younger brother pre-selected their menu through a Naver reservation and shared the Jin cold pork kalguksu (10,000 won), spicy bone kalguksu (11,500 won) and a small cold boiled pork plate (8,000 won). With its cool, clean cold broth and meaty bone kalguksu, Jinhae Jang Bone Kalguksu is worth a return visit to try the grilled bones too.

Written Jul 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDalseo, DaeguRestaurants

Seongseo, Daegu Korean restaurant: couple's brisket cheonggukjang

Sin Yeongung Cheonggukjang Haemulttukbaegi Seongseo Moda Outlet branch is a Korean restaurant in Seongseo, Dalseo, Daegu, specializing in cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) and seafood ttukbaegi (earthenware pot stew). The writer and her boyfriend arrived around 11:30 a.m. on a weekend and ordered the seafood cheonggukjang ttukbaegi (17,000 won), the beef brisket cheonggukjang soft tofu ttukbaegi (14,000 won) and a seafood chive pancake (13,000 won). It was her first seafood cheonggukjang, and she loved the clear broth and generous portions. Verdict: Sin Yeongung is a highly recommended spot she wants to revisit every time she is in Seongseo.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuRestaurants

Hyeopjae fish restaurant, early-dinner garlic hairtail stew: Onjeong

Onjeong Jorim Jeju Hyeopjae Branch (온정조림 제주협재점) is a hairtail stew restaurant near Hyeopjae Beach in Hallim-eup, Jeju. On a Friday around 5:30 p.m., an early dinner of Jeju garlic (manong) hairtail stew for two at 15,000 won per person, plus rice, brought plump hairtail, radish soft enough to melt in the mouth, and more food than two people could finish. The mildly spicy garlic sauce wrapped in seaweed is the highlight, which makes Onjeong Jorim a solid pick for travelers looking for good-value hairtail stew near Hyeopjae Beach.

Written Jul 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuRestaurants

Black pork BBQ near Jeju Airport: early pre-flight booking at Pork80

Pork80 Jeju Airport Branch is a black pork barbecue restaurant on Noyeon-ro in Jeju City, certified to serve Nanchuk Matdon pork. Booking an early slot before a flight, the writer had one 600g plate of Nanchuk Matdon (72,000 won) grilled by staff, then finished with Pork Bap (pork rice bowl, 5,000 won) mixed with meljorim (braised anchovies). Pork80 Jeju Airport Branch is worth recommending for a last black pork meal before heading to the airport.

Written Jul 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuRestaurants

Aewol pork noodle shop that redeemed my first Jeju try: Handam Guksu

Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch (한담국수 곽지애월점) is a restaurant on Aewol-ro in Aewol, Jeju, specializing in bone-broth pork noodles (gogi guksu) and lean pork rice soup (gukbap). After a disappointing pork noodle meal on day one in Jeju, the writer and her boyfriend booked through Naver and came around 11:30 a.m. on a weekend, their day of flying home. They ordered bone-broth pork noodles and lean pork rice soup (₩10,000 each) and torch-charred chive pork sundae (Korean sausage, ₩15,000). Verdict: Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol Branch's sea view and rich bone broth fully made up for the first-day letdown.

Written Jul 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, DaeguRestaurants

Korean date lunch in Daegu, mackerel rice that isn't fishy: Hyangtaek

Hyangtaek Daebong Branch (향택 대봉점) is a Korean restaurant serving gondre rice (rice cooked with Korean thistle) and rice bowls on Dalgubeol-daero 440-gil in Jung-gu, Daegu, near Kyungpook National University Hospital Station. The writer came for a weekend lunch with her boyfriend and ordered Spanish mackerel gondre rice for two (₩28,000) and deodeok mushroom grill (₩9,000); her boyfriend, who can't eat fishy food, liked it enough to ask for a large portion. With 70 minutes of parking support at the Kim Kwang-seok Street public lot, Hyangtaek Daebong Branch satisfies on every visit.

Written Oct 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGijang, BusanRestaurants

Gijang outlet restaurant dinner for three: prosciutto pizza, Bueokgan

Bueokgan Restaurant is a Western restaurant on the 1st floor of the North building at Shinsegae Simon Busan Premium Outlets in Gijang, Busan. After shopping ran into the evening, a family of three ordered shrimp anchovy pasta (₩18,000), a 6-slice arugula prosciutto pizza (₩22,000), lasagna (₩21,000) and grapefruit ade (₩6,500), and the plump shrimp, crisp pizza dough and cheese-packed lasagna all satisfied. If you order only one dish at Bueokgan Restaurant, the writer recommends the lasagna.

Written Oct 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGijang, BusanRestaurants

Gijang tteokgalbi restaurant: 5pm parking and pot rice for 4, Dongam

Dongam Tteokgalbi (동암떡갈비) is a tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) Korean restaurant near Haedong Yonggungsa Temple and Lotte Premium Outlets in Gijang, Busan. On a weekend revisit around 5pm, three diners ordered the cream cheongyang chili tteokgalbi set for 18,000 won and the Dongam tteokgalbi set for two for 30,000 won, and the pot rice was generous enough to feel like four servings. With 10 basic side dishes plus a 20-dish self-serve bar, Dongam Tteokgalbi is the answer for a full Korean meal near Haedong Yonggungsa.

Written Aug 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHaeundae, BusanRestaurants

Reserving a table at a Songjeong, Busan Japanese restaurant: Yuok

Yuok is a Japanese rice bowl restaurant on Songjeong-gangbyeon-ro in Haeundae-gu, Busan, with a Japanese-style storefront and its own parking lot. On a repeat visit, a couple booked ahead to get one of the roughly three table seats and shared the saba ochazuke set at 17,000 won and the jumbo unaju set at 28,500 won, each served with salad, soup and sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch). The boneless mackerel had no fishy smell and the glutinous rice ball topping gave the ochazuke a texture worth ordering again.

Written Sep 23, 2026Sponsored