Half Tray Rover · 12 stories

Half Tray, Incheon and Seoul Rounds

Writes about restaurants, cafes, bars, and small outings across Gyeonggi, Seoul, and Incheon. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Bars · Things to do

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Rainy-day Hongdae Korean BBQ: pork skin, cold noodles, Chopilsal

Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant specializing in grilled pork, a 2-minute walk from Exit 1 of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a rainy weekday evening, the writer had 2 servings of salted ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly), Pilsal pork skin that arrives already grilled, double cheese steamed egg, a radish salad rice bowl and Chopilsal mixed naengmyeon (cold noodles); the juicy, thick pork belly and the chewy, scored honeycomb pork skin stood out most. With its spacious dining room and friendly service, Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch is a safe choice for a team dinner or group gathering in Hongdae.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulThings to do

Rainy weekday indoor camping date in Hongdae with kimchi stew: TAGE

TAGE Indoor Camping Hongdae Main Branch is an indoor campsite on basement level 1 in Mapo, Seoul, about a 10-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik Univ. Station. On a weekday evening with rain in the forecast, the writer booked a 7 PM slot at a seat with Netflix and YouTube, ate fresh pork belly for two, old-style kimchi stew and instant rice, then played board games, sang karaoke and rested in a tent. TAGE Indoor Camping is a good pick for couples or groups who want a camping mood in the city without worrying about the weather.

Written Jun 16, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Vietnamese restaurant in Sangsu, Seoul for group dinners: Rua Zin

Rua Zin is a Vietnamese restaurant on Dongmak-ro 8-gil in Mapo, Seoul, between Hapjeong Station and Sangsu Station, where the 1st floor, the 2nd-floor group room and the 3rd-floor rooftop terrace each have a different mood. The writer sat on the 1st floor and shared the mixed pho (12,000 won) and thịt kho tàu, Vietnamese braised pork belly (25,000 won), with draft beer and a highball; the generous pho and the tender, boiled-pork-style braised belly were made for sharing. For a group dinner in the Hapjeong and Sangsu area, Rua Zin is worth considering.

Written Jul 1, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Sangsu outdoor bar for a fried chicken and kalbaengi set: Kkoko Land

Kkoko Land is a chicken-focused outdoor bar on a club-street alley between Sangsu Station and Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. Watching baseball on Kkoko Land's open-roof terrace, the writer had the fried chicken and kalbaengi set (40,000 won), a No. 10 kettle odeng (fish cake) soup (16,000 won) and slush draft beer (6,500 won), and recommends the kalbaengi made with kalguksu noodles. For a roomy terrace bar with live sports in Hongdae and Sangsu, Kkoko Land is worth a spot on your list.

Written Oct 13, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGoyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Hwajeong Station Exit 3 soup restaurant: boneless gukbap at Pyeongando

Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch is a 24-hour sundae-guk (Korean blood sausage soup) and gukbap (rice soup) restaurant near Exit 3 of Hwajeong Station in Deogyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi. The writer and a companion ordered the sundae-guk set (₩15,000), boneless gukbap (₩13,000) and premium seolleongtang (ox bone soup, ₩11,000), and helped themselves to as much warm sundae from the self bar as they liked. With roomy seating and free parking, Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch is a versatile Hwajeong Station gukbap spot for late meals, hangover cures or group dinners.

Written Jul 7, 2026Sponsored

PlaceYangcheon, SeoulRestaurants

Omokgyo Chinese restaurant: dumplings & onion zha cai, Yugwanjang

Yugwanjang Banjeom Omokgyo Station Branch is a Chinese restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building, a 1-minute walk from Exit 2 of Omokgyo Station in Yangcheon, Seoul. Hungry before plans nearby and looking for a Chinese restaurant with parking, the writer ordered jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles, ₩8,000), a mild soft tofu jjampong (₩11,000) and fried dumplings, and liked the classic jjajangmyeon, the clean, non-spicy jjampong and the crisp, freshly fried dumplings. For a Chinese restaurant near Omokgyo Station that stays open late, Yugwanjang Banjeom is a solid choice.

Written Oct 12, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Sangsu Station Korean BBQ with a private floor for 20+ groups: Dojeok

Dojeok Hapjeong is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Mapo, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Sangsu Station Exit 1, where staff grill the pork belly for you. At a get-together with friends, the writer ate scored pork belly (kal-samgyeopsal), pork jowl (hangjeongsal) and a review-event kimchi stew; because the pre-grilled meat was cooked by staff, the group could focus on conversation, and the 2nd floor can be booked as a whole floor on weekdays for 20 or more people. Dojeok Hapjeong is an easy Sangsu Station pick for work dinners and gatherings, with no parking worries.

Written Jul 23, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae Korean BBQ for an anniversary, partitioned seats: Gogikkun

Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch (고기꾼김춘배 홍대본점) is a charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant on the 3rd floor of a building on Hongik-ro 3-gil in Mapo, Seoul, a 6-minute walk from Hongdae Station Exit 9. For a special occasion, the writer took a partitioned table and ordered the Hanwoo and Handon (Korean beef and pork) set for two at ₩118,000, plus kkakttukbap (rice with diced meat) and banban naengmyeon (half-and-half cold noodles); staff grilled everything to the end, so the conversation got full attention, and the juicy fresh galbi-sal (rib finger meat) was the best cut. For an anniversary date at a private Hongdae Korean BBQ, Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch is a good fit.

Written Jul 22, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae chicken hot pot for 2, mustard cabbage salad: Ttukdak Hongdae

Ttukdak Hongdae (뚝닭홍대) is a dak hanmari (whole chicken hot pot) restaurant a 1-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer ordered dak hanmari for 2 (₩30,000) and a minari (water parsley) shrimp pancake, dressed the cabbage salad with a homemade mustard sauce, and finished with free rice porridge. Tender chicken, a clean broth and free porridge make Ttukdak Hongdae a good-value meal in Hongdae.

Written Jul 31, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSiheung, GyeonggiRestaurants

Shellfish grill near Oido, Siheung: clam Shin Ramyeon with hot chili

Unlimited Refill Grilled Shellfish Siheung Baegot Branch is an all-you-can-eat shellfish and meat grill with no time limit on the 2nd floor of Avenue France Central in Baegot, Siheung, Gyeonggi. After a trip to Oido, two adults (₩35,900 each) grilled scallops and horn shells there and finished with Shin Ramyeon cooked with clams and cheongyang chili (hot Korean green chili). With a spacious, well-ventilated dining room, Unlimited Refill Grilled Shellfish Siheung Baegot Branch is a solid pick for an Oido or Baegot date or a family dinner.

Written Sep 28, 2026Sponsored

PlaceDo, IncheonCafés

Yeongjongdo café: warm salt bread after a sellout at 5PM sunset hour

5PM sunset hour is a café and dessert shop on the first floor of the KCC Switzen commercial building in Yeongjong Haneul City, Yeongjongdo, Incheon. On a drive, the writer stopped at 5PM sunset hour for two americanos, salt bread, a vanilla bean egg tart and an Isigny butter rice cake on the parasol terrace; the first tray of salt bread had sold out, but a warm, freshly baked batch came out soon after. 5PM sunset hour is a neighborhood café where good timing gets you salt bread straight from the oven.

Written Sep 28, 2026Sponsored

PlaceYangcheon, SeoulRestaurants

Mokdong gopchang restaurant with hair ties and vitamins: Omokgyo

Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch is a gopchang (grilled beef intestine) restaurant in Mokdong, Yangcheon, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Omokgyo Station. On a weekday at 7:30pm the wait was about 10 minutes, and the order was 1 serving of traditional handmade garlic gopchang, 1 serving of mixed gopchang that even included honeycomb tripe, and fried rice to finish. Omokgyo Gopchang turns tables quickly, so the wait is easy, and the hair ties, vitamins and hangover remedies handed out by staff make the visit memorable.

Written Aug 10, 2026Sponsored

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