Twin Mug Sitter · 17 stories

Two Mugs, Hapjeong Days

Writes about restaurants and cafes across Seoul and Gyeonggi, one neighbourhood visit at a time. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam eel rice bowl at the bar, radish salad refilled twice: Manmok

Manmok is a Japanese restaurant specializing in eel rice bowls, located in the restaurant alley by Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul. On a solo weekday visit around 11:30, the writer sat at the entrance bar table, ordered the whole-eel rice bowl (39,000 won), and found the soft, mild eel, well-seasoned rice, seasoned radish salad (refilled twice), and matcha and black tea ice cream all satisfying. Manmok is a good fit for anyone in Gangnam looking for a solo eel rice bowl lunch or a group lunch spot.

Written Jun 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Seolleung handmade burger lunch: spicy sauce set at Downtown Burger

Downtown Burger Seolleung is a handmade burger restaurant right at Exit 5 of Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul, sharing its building with Salady. The writer and her husband stopped by for a weekday lunch and shared the Downtown Burger set (₩9,900 burger plus ₩4,900 for the set) and a single burger, enjoying the kick of the spicy signature sauce and the thick-cut fries. For a solo meal or an office lunch near Seolleung, Downtown Burger Seolleung is a reliable choice.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Sugar-free bingsu café for kids in Seolleung: mango & Oreo, The Snow

The Snow Daechi Main Branch is a snowflake bingsu (shaved ice) café near Seolleung Station Exit 2 in Gangnam, Seoul, that makes its bingsu with lactose-free milk and stevia instead of condensed milk or sugar. On a weekend visit after lunch with two kids, we had the Mango Snow and the Oreo Snow (19,000 won each): the fresh mango was naturally sweet, and the 100% cacao had a pleasant bitterness. For parents who want to cut their kids' sugar, The Snow Daechi Main Branch is a bingsu café worth choosing near Seolleung Station.

Written Jun 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Japanese ramen near Seolleung Station: rich miso broth, Sisio Ramen

Sisio Ramen (시시오) is a Japanese ramen shop on the basement floor near Exit 3 of Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul. At lunch the blogger ordered miso ramen, spicy miso ramen (12,000 won each) and karaage. The miso ramen broth was the richest of any Japanese ramen the blogger had tried, and the sansho pepper in the spicy miso ramen left the tongue tingling. With counter seats and free rice, Sisio Ramen is a good ramen shop for eating alone in Seolleung.

Written Jun 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

10am brunch in Pangyo with free parking: shrimp plate, Eight Years

Eight Years Pangyo is a brunch restaurant on the Baekhyeon-dong café street in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, opening at 9am. The writer stopped in at 10am before afternoon plans in Pangyo for the shrimp brunch plate, a gnocchi penne cream pasta and a grapefruit ade, and also checked the 4 parking spots beside Eight Years Pangyo and the fees at the nearby public lot. With dishes around ₩13,000-15,000, Eight Years Pangyo is a good-value brunch pick in Pangyo.

Written Jun 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Post-diet poke to go in Seolleung: teriyaki steak & salmon, Hola Poke

Hola Poke Seolleung Branch (올라포케 선릉점) is a poke and salad shop on the 2nd floor on Seolleung-ro 86-gil in Gangnam, Seoul. Just after finishing a diet, the writer visited Hola Poke around 11 a.m. and took out two bowls to share with her husband: a steak poke with teriyaki sauce and a salmon poke with sriracha sauce, both half salad and half rice. With fresh salmon and steak that wasn't tough, Hola Poke Seolleung made a light but filling meal.

Written Jul 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Seolleung beef BBQ with kids: wagyu vs marinated short rib at Hwaseol

Hwaseol Seolleung Direct Branch (화설 선릉직영점) is a Grand Canyon camping-themed Korean BBQ restaurant for beef and pork in Gangnam, Seoul, a 10-minute walk from Seolleung Station Exit 1. On a weekend, a mom and her two kids ordered 2 servings of 1% wagyu flower cut (kkotsal), 1 serving of marinated beef short rib, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and mul naengmyeon (cold noodles), and the kids loved the sweet-salty marinated short rib far more than the mild wagyu flower cut. At Hwaseol Seolleung Direct Branch, the marinated short rib is a must-order.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Bucheon duck restaurant with free corkage, a pre-diet feast: Keunsawi

Keunsawi Ori Jip is a duck restaurant in Okgil-dong, Bucheon, with a free parking lot, free gondre rice (thistle rice) and free corkage for one bottle of wine or whiskey. On her third visit, the writer and a close friend shared the Keunsawi Special course (23,900 won per person) as a last feast before a diet: perilla duck baeksuk, steamed duck in a cypress steamer, duck dori-tang and fried rice. For a generous duck course with no gamey smell, Keunsawi Ori Jip's spicy duck dori-tang is the most memorable dish.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiCafés

Yeokgok café, rainy-day einspänner and fruit sando: Wonder Coffee Bar

Wonder Coffee Bar Yeokgok is a coffee and dessert café in Yeokgok, Bucheon, a 7-minute walk from Yeokgok Station Exit 2, and is described as a coffee spot recognized by Bucheon City Hall. The writer stopped by on a rainy day after lunch with a close friend and tried the Wunder Gato, einspänner, fruit sando and salted choco financier, and the seats were nearly all taken despite the rain. Wonder Coffee Bar Yeokgok is a great Yeokgok café for after-lunch coffee and dessert.

Written Jul 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNamyangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Mieumnaru Italian restaurant, family brunch after camping: Romaok

Romaok Riverside is a Blue Ribbon–listed Italian restaurant on the Han River at Mieumnaru in Suseok-dong, Namyangju. On the drive back to Seoul after a weekend camping trip, the family stopped with the kids and ordered abalone gewoo pasta made with abalone innards (₩25,000), pomodoro pasta (₩25,000) and gorgonzola pizza (₩26,000), all with mild seasoning. A family that never trusted Blue Ribbon picks left completely satisfied, and Romaok Riverside is a 200% yes for a return visit.

Written Jul 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulBars

Day-drinking bar in Gangnam: 3-hour bottomless craft beer at Beer Room

Beer Room is a craft beer and wood-fired pizza bar near Exit 11 of Gangnam Station in Seoul, open from 11:30 a.m., so day drinking is possible. A college friend and I arrived right at opening for Beer Room's 3-hour unlimited drinks deal (₩30,000 per person), worked through six mostly lager craft beers, and paired them with gnocchi tteokbokki (gnocchi in spicy tteokbokki sauce) and fried squid. For day drinking or good-value craft beer in Gangnam, Beer Room's unlimited menu is a strong pick.

Written Jul 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Sinnonhyeon Korean BBQ: seasoned short rib, tartare bibimbap, Hwaseol

Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch (화설 강남직영점) is a Korean BBQ restaurant between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seocho, Seoul, popular for company dinners thanks to its private rooms and free corkage on the first bottle. Remembering a great meal at the Seolleung branch, the writer returned before the kids' school vacation and ordered 1 serving of 1% black beef flower cut, 2 servings of seasoned beef short rib, yukhoe bibimbap (beef tartare bibimbap) and mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth). Verdict: at Hwaseol Gangnam Direct Branch, the better-marbled 1% black beef flower cut is the one to order over the short rib.

Written Jul 23, 2026Sponsored