A Corner Table in Hongje — Yerin Sim

Gangnam cocktail bar for a date: Moai and Melon Prosciutto at Ugly

Ugly is a cocktail bar in Gangnam, Seoul, a 2-minute walk from Gangnam Station, with a mysterious, upscale ceiling that looks like a tarot card. On a weekday visit around 7pm there was no wait, and the picture menu made it easy to order Moai (₩19,000), Holy Smoke (₩26,000) and Melon Prosciutto (₩25,000) while seeing exactly which glass each drink arrives in. Ugly is an easy pick for a blind date or a second-round date spot near Gangnam Station.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam ramen restaurant packed at weekday lunch: Oreno Ramen Gangnam

Oreno Ramen Gangnam is a chicken-broth Japanese ramen restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building a 4-minute walk from Gangnam Station in Seoul. Arriving at 11:45am on a weekday, every table was already full, so we took a bar seat and ordered tori paitan and kara paitan at 13,000 won each, then added a Sapporo draft beer and an extra soft-boiled egg for 33,000 won total for two. With unlimited noodle and rice refills, Oreno Ramen Gangnam suits office workers who want a filling lunch, solo diners included.

Written Sep 11, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Station Korean BBQ restaurant with private seats: Gogikkun

Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam is a charcoal-grill Korean BBQ restaurant between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul. On a weekday evening at a 3rd-floor table the order was ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly) 200g for ₩24,000, mokssal (pork neck) 200g for ₩22,000, kimchi mari guksu (cold kimchi noodle soup) and an omija (schisandra berry) highball, and the high-backed chairs made Gogikkun Kimchunbae feel private for a grill house. Book the 4th-floor room for group dinners; the 3rd-floor tables suit two people.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored