Paper Lamp Wanderer · 22 stories

Seven Doors, One Lantern

Writes about restaurants, cafes, bars, beauty counters and shops found while traveling between Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong and Jeju. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons · Bars · Shopping

PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan Station pho, bibim-style noodle toss & cilantro: Mibundang

Mibundang (미분당) Dongtan Station Branch is a counter-seat pho restaurant on the first floor of the Richian shopping arcade at Dongtan Station in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, and it suits solo diners. The writer ordered the brisket, flank and tendon pho (차돌양지힘줄 쌀국수) and the 5-piece assorted fried platter (모듬전식), tossed the noodles and bean sprouts with hoisin sauce and hot sauce like Korean bibim noodles, and shares how to ask for extra cilantro. Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch is a no-fail meal for days when you just want to eat quietly and focus on the food.

Written Apr 27, 2026Sponsored

PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Post-bike-date sushi in Gwanghwamun, first kaisendon: Elephant Sushi

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is a sushi restaurant on B1 of KT Tower West, by Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno, Seoul. After a bike date around Jongno, the couple arrived around 6pm on a Sunday and ordered the 12-piece assorted sushi B set, akami and toro tuna sushi à la carte, kaisendon (Japanese seafood rice bowl) and 4 potato croquettes for 8,000 won. With generous cuts of fish and a satisfying first taste of kaisendon, Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is worth recommending for dinner after a Gwanghwamun date.

Written May 5, 2026Sponsored

PlaceNamyangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Namyangju river-view café: Sunday brunch of crab spicy carbonara, MR

MR Namyangju Main Branch is a dog-friendly café and Western restaurant with Bukhan River views on Bukhangang-ro in Hwado-eup, Namyangju, Gyeonggi. A couple visiting Namyangju for the first time had a spring Sunday brunch at MR of spicy carbonara with crab meat, a Mountain Burger and a cola, and found both the cream sauce and the handmade burger generous and delicious. With a plant-filled interior, baby chairs and dog treats, MR Namyangju is a good pick for a visit with a dog or a child.

Written May 18, 2026Sponsored

PlaceAnyang, GyeonggiBars

Pyeongchon izakaya with open windows: nikutantan nabe at Baichan

Baichan is an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) on the second floor of a building near Pyeongchon Station in Anyang, Gyeonggi. After work, the writer came to Baichan for a second round with a friend. They ate the signature nikutantan nabe (hot pot) and pollack roe with cucumber under dim, cozy lighting with the large windows wide open, and the cucumber was refilled at no extra charge. Verdict: if you're tired of loud Beomgye bars, Baichan is a good pick for a quiet drink and conversation.

Written May 17, 2026Sponsored

PlaceAnyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Pyeongchon gopchang BBQ: extra gopchang over fried rice at Ilmigop

Ilmigop is a newly opened gopchang (grilled beef small intestine) restaurant in the shopping row in front of Pyeongchon Xi iPark, in the Beomgye–Pyeongchon area of Anyang. After booking through Naver Booking, the writer ordered 1 serving of the mixed platter and 1 serving of gopchang, enjoyed complimentary sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) and draft beer in an iced mug, then added 1 more serving of gopchang instead of fried rice. Packed with filling and nutty with no bitterness, Ilmigop's gopchang was easily the best the writer has had recently.

Written May 23, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGuro, SeoulBars

After-work makgeolli bar in Guro: octopus stir-fry at Slow Village

Slow Village Brewery Gurodijiteol Station branch is a makgeolli (Korean rice wine) bar near Guro Digital Complex Station in Guro, Seoul, serving Korean bar food and seasonal makgeolli. After a last-minute after-work meetup, the writer and a friend shared spicy octopus stir-fry with somyeon (thin wheat noodles), pork cutlet, and spicy kimchi udon with pork cutlet, along with a bottle each of spring and winter makgeolli, and the spacious, tidy hall made it easy to talk. Slow Village Brewery is a good pick in Guro on days when you crave spicy Korean food and a glass of makgeolli.

Written May 27, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gwanggyo gyukatsu restaurant: packed at 3pm on a weekend, Gyuen-dang

Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch is a Japanese restaurant serving gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) and rice bowls inside Avenue France in Gwanggyo, Suwon. On a weekend visit at 3pm, booked through Naver, two friends shared a tenderloin gyukatsu (24,000 won) and a steak bowl topped with fried shiitake mushrooms (19,000 won); Gyuen-dang was nearly full, and the steak bowl was big enough that some was left even after sharing. For gyukatsu that tastes like the kind eaten in Japan, Gyuen-dang in Gwanggyo is worth booking ahead.

Written May 27, 2026Sponsored

PlaceYeoju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Yeoju weekday Korean set meal: backyard greens, cutlassfish, Nadeulmok

Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap (나들목 여주쌀밥) is a Korean set-meal restaurant on Sejong-ro in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, right off Yeoju IC. On a quiet weekday the writer had the braised cutlassfish set in a private room, with generous side dishes made from vegetables grown in the garden behind Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap, stone-pot rice cooked from Yeoju rice the owners farm themselves, and a mildly spicy-sweet braised cutlassfish. Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap is a good stop with parents or kids on a trip to Yeoju Outlets or Empress Myeongseong's birthplace.

Written May 30, 2026Sponsored

PlacePaju, GyeonggiCafés

Paju brunch café with wood-fired margherita and pickles: Four & More

Four & More is a large, newly opened brunch café on Soraji-ro in Songchon-dong, Paju, with Han River views. On a weekend date with her husband, the writer had the Stella margherita pizza, Real Sweet Potato and Chocolate Mont Blanc breads and a Sunset Ruby Lemon Tea, and the wood-fired pizza and homemade pickles stood out. Four & More is not just a big view café but a Paju date spot where you can eat a proper meal.

Written Jun 5, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeo-gu, DaejeonRestaurants

Daejeon trip pasta restaurant: half-lobster bisque rosé pizza, Plate

Plate Dunsan Branch is a fresh pasta restaurant on the 2nd floor of the building right next to Galleria in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. On a Daejeon trip, the writer skipped the city's famous bread and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and ordered an abalone innards cream pasta set with fresh pappardelle (₩15,900, set +₩4,000) and a lobster shrimp bisque rosé pizza (₩24,900) topped with a whole half lobster. Thanks to the lobster pizza and the pasta set, Plate Dunsan Branch is worth recommending to travelers looking for a different kind of meal in Daejeon.

Written Jun 4, 2026Sponsored

You've reached the end · 22 stories