Fortress Tea Walker · 14 stories

A Shelf Window in Icheon

Writes about small cafes and neighborhood restaurants across Gyeonggi, one visit at a time. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiHair & beauty salons

Hwaseong Dongtan salon: Mom's gray dye + flat bangs perm, Juno Hair

Juno Hair Dongtan Solbitnaru Branch is a hair salon in Naru Village, Dongtan (Hwaseong, Gyeonggi), on the 2nd floor of Jeongrim Plaza between the Ssangyong Yega and Sindo Braenew apartments. The writer brought Mom to Juno Hair Dongtan Solbitnaru Branch for three services in one visit: a gray-coverage dye to fix patchy color, a cut for heavy hair and a perm for bangs that had lost volume. The color came out even and the hair soft, and with private shampoo rooms and a kids' room, Juno Hair Dongtan Solbitnaru Branch is an easy, comfortable salon near Naru Village.

Written Nov 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiHair & beauty salons

Dongtan lash salon: U-curl perm for inline double eyelids, Moodmoa

Moodmoa Lash & Brow (무드모아 래쉬&브로우) is a lash and brow salon in Bansong-dong, near Dongtan Central Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. The writer always asked for a tight, high curl, but Moodmoa recommended a U-curl to suit her inline double eyelids. Her bling perm cost 40,000 won, took about 1 hour, and lifted her thin, damaged lashes cleanly with no clumping. Verdict: picking a curl that suits your eye shape matters more than simply curling lashes as high as possible.

Written Nov 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Japanese spot in AK Plaza Suwon, lured in by the yakisoba smell: Jojo

Jojo AK Plaza Suwon is a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant on the B1 floor of AK Plaza Suwon, which connects to Suwon Station in Gyeonggi. The writer was drawn into Jojo by the smell while walking past and ate the yakisoba set (18,000 won) alone, remembering the smoky, bouncy yakisoba and the gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) dipped in mentaiko (pollock roe) sauce most. For an easy solo meal at a bar table near Suwon Station, Jojo AK Plaza Suwon is a solid choice.

Written Nov 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Korean BBQ near Suwon Station with 2 hours' free parking: Ssosam 208

Ssosam 208 Suwon Station Branch is a pork belly (samgyeopsal) Korean BBQ restaurant near Exit 13 of Suwon Station in Suwon, where staff grill the meat for you on a volcanic grill plate. On a chilly, rainy day the writer ordered the medium mixed stone-plate set for ₩48,500 with cold soba, Paldo bibim noodles and basalt snowflake kimchi fried rice, and enjoyed everything from the free rice noodle soup to the closing fried rice. Verdict: Ssosam 208 Suwon Station Branch has strong side dishes as well as strong meat, and is worth a return visit.

Written Nov 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Suwon Station date café: injeolmi toast & bear einspänner, Hongrad

Hongrad Suwon Station Branch is a vintage, New York-style café on the 2nd floor of a building right in front of Suwon Tax Office near Suwon Station, open daily from 12:00 to 23:00. Looking for a date spot, the writer visited Hongrad Suwon Station Branch and ordered the bear einspänner (6,000 won), the Summer Latte (6,500 won) and the Hongrad Toast (7,000 won), topped with injeolmi (soybean-powder rice cake), red bean, rice cake and ice cream. With cute drinks, a sweet toast and decor that is fun to explore, Hongrad Suwon Station Branch is a café worth recommending for a date near Suwon Station.

Written Nov 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Suwon noodle shop: weekend mazesoba, katsu & buta-don – Myeonsikdang

Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station is a Japanese noodle restaurant on the 1st floor of Golden Square, right by Exit 3 of Mangpo Station in Suwon, serving tonkatsu, ramen, soba, rice bowls and rice noodles. For a weekend lunch at Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station, the handmade loin katsu (10,500 won), large buta-don (9,500 won) and mazesoba (9,500 won) were ordered, and the mazesoba was finished by mixing rice into the leftover sauce after eating about 80% of the noodles. The chewy mazesoba paired with the crispy loin katsu made it the most memorable meal of the visit.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Station poke lunch to go: 50/50 salmon + duck wrap, Ola Poke

Ola Poke Gangnam is a poke and salad restaurant on Teheran-ro 4-gil near Exit 4 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. The writer, who works nearby and stops by often, ordered a raw salmon poke to go (50% rice, 50% salad, with the recommended sriracha mayo sauce) and a custom salad wrap with smoked duck; Ola Poke Gangnam lets you adjust the rice-to-greens ratio at no extra charge. With easy solo dining and takeout, Ola Poke Gangnam is a solid lunch choice near Gangnam Station.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Gangnam yogurt café: black milk tea Noir & Shine Muscat, Lazy Yogurt

Lazy Yogurt Gangnam is a Greek yogurt dessert café on Yeoksam-ro, near Exit 4 of Gangnam Station in Seoul. The writer shared a Beheu Double topped with orange, banana, Shine Muscat grapes and fig, with an extra serving of fig, plus a Noir Single (8,400 won) with the Greek yogurt flavor switched to black milk tea. Switching between a fresh fruit bowl and a sweet chocolate bowl makes Lazy Yogurt Gangnam a fun pick for Greek yogurt fans.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiHair & beauty salons

Black tinting lash perm for short, sparse lashes in Dongtan: Onyu Lash

Onyu Lash is a lash perm studio run as a shop-in-shop inside Green Nail, near Gaenari Park in Dongtan, Hwaseong. The writer, who has short, sparse lashes and used an eyelash curler every day, got a black tinting perm at Onyu Lash with a defined root curl and neatly finished tips that hides less of her double eyelid line. Verdict: even short lashes can look natural and defined when you explain the exact curl and color you want during the consultation.

Written Oct 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Station noodle shop: tangpadak to tame spicy noodles, Yujinok

Yujinok Gangnam (유진옥 강남점) is a weekday-lunch-only chicken noodle restaurant in the basement (B1) of Seocho Daewoo Dio Villeprime, toward Exit 5 of Gangnam Station in Seocho, Seoul. Tangpadak (sweet-and-sour crispy chicken), Shin Bokkeum chicken noodles (spicy stir-fried chicken noodles) and perilla oil chicken noodles came to 35,000 won, and the best part was cooling the Shin Bokkeum noodles, about half as spicy as Buldak ramen, with the tangy-sweet tangpadak. For office workers who want a fast, filling Korean lunch near Gangnam Station, Yujinok Gangnam's Shin Bokkeum chicken noodles with tangpadak is the combination to order.

Written Jun 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan Chinese restaurant: ₩20,000 hangover lunch with Mom, Bultina

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch is a Chinese restaurant specializing in cockle jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) at Namgwangjang Plaza in Dongtan, Hwaseong. The writer and her mom went outside the lunch rush and shared a level 1 cockle jjamppong (₩11,000) and a large jajangmyeon (black bean noodles, ₩9,000) for ₩20,000 total. They enjoyed the refreshing broth packed with Korean-grown cockles and vegetables and the chewy noodles that never went soggy. Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong suits anyone looking for a hangover cure after a night of drinking or a good-value lunch in Dongtan.

Written Jul 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Byeongjeom squid restaurant to book out: pork & squid salad at Haetan

Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom is a squid restaurant on Hyohaeng-ro in Jingan-dong, Byeongjeom-gu, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, that seats up to 150 people and can be booked out for private events. The blogger shared hot-plate squid for two (26,000 won) and small boiled pork (kkot bossam suyuk) with tangy squid salad (36,000 won), and was pleased with the spicy squid and tender pork pairing, the unlimited self-serve bar and the friendly staff. Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom passes as a Byeongjeom group dinner spot where everyone shares dishes.

Written Sep 28, 2026Sponsored