Pencil Trail · 20 stories

Pencil Marks at Incheon Diners

I write about restaurants I visit around Incheon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons · Bars

PlaceYeongjong, IncheonRestaurants

Yeongjong seafood restaurant busy at 2 PM on a weekend: Haesanggung

Haesanggung is a Korean seafood restaurant on Masiran-ro in Eurwang-dong, Yeongjong, Incheon, reportedly a grand prize winner at the 13th Incheon Jung-gu Local Specialty Food Contest for its octopus pajeon (green onion pancake) and stir-fried octopus. The writer visited at 2 PM on a weekend for the Haesanggung set (57,000 won), which comes with stir-fried octopus, a whole-octopus pajeon, seafood kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and turmeric rice. Haesanggung stayed full until nearly 4 PM, and switching between the spicy octopus, the crispy pancake and the refreshing kalguksu broth is the best thing about the set.

Written Oct 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiHair & beauty salons

Bucheon salon fixes DIY root-dye damage with cut + clinic: Levia Hair

Levia Hair Bucheon Branch is a hair salon on the 3rd floor of the City Office building near Exit 5 of Bucheon City Hall Station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi. After a 1:1 consultation, hair damaged by monthly DIY root dyeing got a design cut and a hair clinic, followed by a steam clinic and scalp massage in a massage chair in the shampoo room. At Levia Hair Bucheon Branch, frizzy, straw-like ends turned smooth, swingy and glossy.

Written May 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Suwon pasta restaurant, three-cheese mac and cheese: Nonchalant

Nonchalant Lounge (논샬랑라운지) is a European-style lounge restaurant serving Western food on Jeongjo-ro near Janganmun Gate in Suwon, Gyeonggi. Booked with a friend a week ahead, a window seat at Nonchalant Lounge came with bisque rosé pasta (19,000 won), basil tomato pasta (15,000 won), American mac and cheese made with three cheeses (16,000 won) and two ades. The bisque rosé pasta's rich seafood flavour and the thick, creamy mac and cheese were the highlights, and the spacious room with music and videos playing makes Nonchalant Lounge a solid pick for a date or a get-together.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulBars

Sinnonhyeon bar: raspberry soju & Sichuan jjagyechi, Odeng Osaek

Odeng Osaek Gangnam Station Branch is a Busan-style handmade fish cake izakaya in an alley near Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 7 in Seocho, Seoul. On a chilly weekday evening, the writer paired black raspberry (bokbunja) soju with the spicy oden set (19,500 won), negi (green onion) takoyaki and truffle Sichuan jjagyechi (instant black-bean noodles with egg and cheese). The thick, chewy handmade fish cake and the spicy broth stood out. Odeng Osaek is a solid choice for a Sinnonhyeon Station bar with hot broth and soju.

Written Oct 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae gomtang restaurant: clear vs spicy before closing, Doonjeong

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch is a hanwoo gomtang (Korean beef soup) restaurant in an alley near Exit 1 of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul, reportedly named to the Blue Ribbon guide in both 2025 and 2026. Visiting with a friend about an hour before closing, the writer ordered clear gomtang (13,000 won), spicy hanwoo gomtang (15,000 won) and a shrimp and minari (water dropwort) pancake (19,000 won) with drinks, and the mild clear broth and the fiery spicy one tasted distinctly different. For a hearty Korean meal and a quiet drink in Hongdae, Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch is a good fit.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNamyangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Mieumnaru Italian birthday dinner with a friend, abalone pasta: Romaok

Romaok Riverside is a hanok-style Italian restaurant with a Han River view on the Mieumnaru riverside in Suseok-dong, Namyangju. For a birthday, the writer booked a weekday 5:30 PM table with a friend and walked in as the first guests. They ordered the abalone gaeu pasta (pasta in an abalone innards sauce, ₩25,000) and the balsamic glaze salmon steak (₩37,000), then liked the food so much that they added the New Napoli mare pomodoro pasta (₩27,000). Romaok Riverside is on the pricey side, but the food, Han River view and service made it an excellent place for a birthday meal out.

Written Jun 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangmyeong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gwangmyeong Station baby octopus at a reserved window seat: Jeongipum

Jeongipum Jjukkumi Gwangmyeong 1st Branch (정이품쭈꾸미 광명1호점) is a griddle baby octopus (jjukkumi) restaurant on the 1st floor of AK Plaza Gwangmyeong in Iljik-dong, Gwangmyeong. After a stressful day, the writer booked a window seat and had the griddle baby octopus with extra black pork belly for two (39,000 won) at the default spice level, then finished with snowflake cheese fried rice (3,500 won), while staff stir-fried everything at the table and kept refilling the perilla leaves and gim (seaweed). With good taste, friendly service and easy parking, Jeongipum Jjukkumi Gwangmyeong 1st Branch is a place the writer means to revisit.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMichuhol, IncheonRestaurants

Ramen shop near Incheon Terminal, full at 3:30 pm: Menya Seoul

Menya Seoul Lotte Department Store Incheon Branch is a ramen shop on the B1 floor of Lotte Department Store near Incheon Terminal Station in Michuhol, Incheon. On a weekend visit around 3:30 pm, the writer ordered a spicy dongpo pork (braised pork belly) ramen set and a whole pork belly mazesoba (brothless mixed ramen) set for ₩34,800 total, and Menya Seoul was nearly full even at that in-between hour. With a clean-finishing broth and tender dongpo pork, Menya Seoul Incheon is a good spot for a solo meal before or after department store shopping or while waiting for a bus.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Dongguk University soba & bossam, packed at 2:30pm: Nagwon-ui Soba

Nagwon-ui Soba (낙원의소바) is a house-made buckwheat soba and bossam (boiled pork) restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, near Chungmuro Station Exit 1 and Dongguk University. At 2:30pm, 30 minutes before the break time, Nagwon-ui Soba was still full; the order was Jeonju-style soba (12,000 won) and bossam (36,000 won), with chewy buckwheat noodles and thick bossam that had no porky smell. With its floor-to-ceiling windows and friendly service, Nagwon-ui Soba is worth recommending for a Chungmuro Station lunch or a light meal with drinks.

Written Jul 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Sindang nurungji-style chicken with cold buckwheat noodles: Gyeryugwan

Gyeryugwan is an oak wood-fired whole chicken restaurant in an alley of 'Hipdang-dong', the trendy side of Sindang near Sindang Station Exit 2 in Jung-gu, Seoul. Arriving just after 4pm, the writer ordered the Oak Neungi Wood-Fired Chicken (23,000 won), house-made mul makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles in broth, 13,000 won) and Gyeryugwan makgeolli (6,000 won); the clean-tasting chicken stuffed with neungi mushroom sticky rice paired with the nutty buckwheat noodles was the highlight. If you like nurungji-style (crispy-rice) roast chicken, Gyeryugwan is worth a return visit.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGuro, SeoulRestaurants

Sindorim jokbal restaurant with yuzu honey garlic sauce: Sambaekga

Sindorim Sambaekga is a Korean restaurant serving jokbal (braised pig's trotters), bossam (boiled pork wraps) and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) on the ground floor of the Prugio Complex 1 shopping arcade, near Exit 1 of Sindorim Station in Guro, Seoul. On a weekend evening with Mom, the Sambaek Jokbal + Kalguksu Set (51,000 won) delivered pork with no gamey smell, a yuzu-scented honey garlic sauce, persimmon geotjeori (fresh kimchi) and a generous bowl of bone-broth kalguksu. Sindorim Sambaekga is a great Korean restaurant near Sindorim Station when one person craves jokbal and the other wants kalguksu.

Written Jul 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGimpo, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gimpo kalguksu restaurant with warm pork moister than bossam: Homilwon

Homilwon Shabu Kalguksu Gimpo Main Branch is a large hanok-style shabu-shabu and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) restaurant in Geolpo-dong, Gimpo. Two friends shared the Hansang Gadeuk Special Sanghwang Shabu Kalguksu (19,900 won per person) and worked through warm boiled pork (onsuyuk), smoky stir-fried baby octopus, sanghwang mushroom shabu-shabu, rye kalguksu and minari perilla-oil porridge, with refills of beef and mushroom radish rice from the self-bar. At around 20,000 won a head, Homilwon Shabu Kalguksu eats like a full course and is worth recommending for group gatherings and family meals.

Written Jul 15, 2026Sponsored