Copper Kettle Loiterer · 9 stories
Writes about cafes, bars, restaurants and shops visited around Busan, Gyeongnam and Daejeon, one stop at a time. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Cafés · Shopping
Downtown Burger Galleria Timeworld is a handmade burger restaurant on basement level 2 (B2) of the Galleria Timeworld department store in Seo-gu, Daejeon. The writer ate the chimichurri avocado burger in the restaurant, then took a Downtowner burger single and a cup salad home. The chimichurri avocado burger, whose chimichurri sauce cuts through the richness, is the one dish at Downtown Burger worth ordering.
Panna Seomyeon Main Branch is a Western restaurant on the 2nd floor near Jeonpo Cafe Street in Seomyeon, Busan, reportedly run by a former hotel chef with 14 years of experience. At dinner, the Panna beef belly rice bowl served with wasabi and the crispy wrap-it-yourself chicken plate with refillable tortillas were both satisfying. Panna Seomyeon Main Branch is a Seomyeon Western restaurant that does well on flavor, atmosphere and price alike.
Working Holiday Millak is an ocean-view brunch café on the 7th floor of the Bada Maru building in Millak-dong, Suyeong, Busan, looking out over Gwangan Bridge and the sea. At the Working Holiday Millak kiosk the writer ordered mushroom cream pasta, a wood-fired margherita pizza, fried squid and an iced Americano, and took home the financier from the review event after getting too full. The fried squid wasn't especially crispy, but Working Holiday Millak's spacious, stylish room and ocean view make it a good one-stop spot for a meal and coffee.
Upper East Bakery is a bakery café on the second floor of a building on Jeonpo Café Street in Busan, often on Busan bakery-hopping routes for its egg tarts, kouign-amann and wide range of croissants. The writer visited Upper East Bakery in the evening and took home an egg tart, a Dubai tart, a plain croissant and a pistachio kouign-amann, especially recommending the egg tart with its rich vanilla aroma and the Dubai tart with its crunchy kataifi (shredded pastry). Quite a few breads at Upper East Bakery were sold out by evening, so arrive a little earlier if you want a particular item.
Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch (향택 전포점) is a Korean restaurant on Seojeon-ro in Busanjin, Busan, between Seomyeon and Jeonpo, serving every meal as a single-person tray. The writer visited with her older sister and ordered the mackerel gondre rice (rice cooked with thistle greens) and the eggplant doenjang (soybean paste) bowl. She liked adjusting the seasoning herself with the special soy sauce and the kelp vinegar. For a clean, mild Korean meal, the eggplant doenjang bowl at Hyangtaek Jeonpo Branch is the first dish to order.
Café Buajang (카페 부아장) is a dessert café in Millak-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan, near Gwangalli, with wall-sized windows and wood-tone interiors. Past an entrance covered in trumpet vine flowers, the writer ordered an Americano, a decaf Americano and a cupcake-style Oreo tiramisu, and the clean, low-acidity coffee paired well with the soft cream. With a spacious room and generous space between tables, Café Buajang is a good pick for a Gwangalli date or a solo break.
Drunken Kitchen (드렁큰키친) is an ocean-view gastropub on the 2nd floor of a building near Gwangalli Beach in Suyeong, Busan. Two people sat by the window from sunset until Gwangan Bridge lit up, sharing abalone innards cream pasta, pressure-cooker kimchi jjim (braised kimchi stew) and Red Rock draft beer, and those two dishes alone were plenty. Drunken Kitchen suits a date or a group night in Gwangalli when you want both a sea view and handmade food.
Moshi Moshi PNU Branch (모시모시 부산대점) is a long-standing sushi restaurant near NC Department Store, close to Pusan National University (PNU) in Geumjeong, Busan. Over a reserved family dinner, the writer had the Mixed Sushi A, the Udon Sushi Set, whose udon Mom raved about, and the 15,000 won Roe Rice Set, which the writer's pregnant sister, who can't eat raw fish, enjoyed. Moshi Moshi PNU Branch makes ordering easy for a family meal when someone at the table can't eat raw fish.
Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch is a tonkatsu and buckwheat soba restaurant in Oncheonjang (Jangjeon-dong), Geumjeong-gu, Busan. Two diners shared a mixed katsu plate and the lunch special of tray soba with a mini tonkatsu. The icy soba paired well with the crispy katsu, and the portions were generous enough to take the mini tonkatsu home. Gatjidong's lunch special, served until 2 p.m., suits anyone who wants tonkatsu and soba in one meal.
