Harbor Notebooker · 29 stories

Harbor Notebook, Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon Restaurants, Cafes and Bars

Writes about restaurants, cafes, bars, and things to do around Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Things to do · Cafés · Bars

PlaceYeonsu, IncheonCafés

Songdo outlet café after a kids' pop-up: kaimak & ciabatta, Wunder

Wunder Coffee Bar Hyundai Premium Outlet Songdo Branch is a takeout-only café in the B1 food zone of the Hyundai Premium Outlet in Songdo, Yeonsu, Incheon. On a Songdo outing to pick up a gift from a baby and toddler pop-up event, the writer ordered a hojicha Wunder Gato (₩7,500), a kaimak (Turkish-style clotted cream) + Americano set (₩14,000) and an extra white ciabatta (₩3,900), then had a light snack in the outlet's basement rest area. The Wunder Gato's hojicha ice cream looks great, and the honey kaimak on ciabatta makes Wunder Coffee Bar a good break during a day of shopping.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulCafés

Gangseo waffle café: cinnamon and injeolmi waffles at The Sweetree

The Sweetree is a handmade Belgian waffle café in Gangseo, Seoul, near the north gate of Songhwa Market between Ujangsan Station and Balsan Station. After a galbi lunch, the writer and a friend stopped by The Sweetree and took away one each of the plain (3,500 won), cinnamon (4,500 won), injeolmi roasted soybean powder (6,000 won) and blueberry (5,000 won) waffles, then shared them at home with her daughter and husband. Verdict: crisp outside and chewy inside, The Sweetree's waffles won over a daughter who rarely gives praise and a husband who dislikes blueberries.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored
PlacePocheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Pocheon Italian restaurant with enoki gorgonzola pizza: From Italy

From Italy (프롬이태리) is an Italian fusion restaurant in Gomo-ri, Soheul-eup, Pocheon, Gyeonggi, that has made the Blue Ribbon Survey seven years in a row. On a cloudy weekend, a mother and daughter shared From Italy's zucca dolce (1.5 servings, ₩37,000) with a whole kabocha squash inside, a half-and-half blueberry and "million-stalk" enoki gorgonzola pizza (₩34,000) and two ades, and especially loved the antique two-floor interior and the thin-crust enoki gorgonzola pizza. For a meal with atmosphere on a Gomo-ri outing or a drive to Gwangneung Arboretum, From Italy is a choice you won't regret.

Written Jun 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangju, GyeonggiCafés

Plant-filled café open late in Yangju: 30+ seat long table at Doasis

Doasis is a large bakery café near Deokjeong Station in Yangju, Gyeonggi, set in a converted bathhouse and styled like a botanical garden. The writer stopped by Doasis late one afternoon with a younger friend who had been feeling cooped up, picked out 5 breads and 3 drinks, chatted comfortably at a seat among the plants, and took the leftover bread home. With easy parking and hours until 11 PM, Doasis is a good choice when it's getting late and there's nowhere else to go.

Written Oct 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon Korean restaurant for mom's 80th birthday: Sutgarak Masil

Sutgarak Bansang Masil (숟가락반상 마실) is a fusion hanjeongsik (Korean set-course) restaurant on the 2nd floor of 412 Nowon-ro in Nowon, Seoul. On the day of mom's 80th birthday, the writer took both parents there for 3 Masil sets at 27,000 won per person, and the parents smiled through a colorful starter spread, nourishing mushroom braised short ribs, red yeast rice cherry blossom rice with nurungji (scorched rice) and a green tangerine dessert. Sutgarak Bansang Masil is a Nowon Korean restaurant worth bookmarking for a parent's birthday meal, a family gathering or a meeting between both families before a wedding.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangbuk, SeoulRestaurants

Suyu Korean restaurant for a mother-in-law's birthday: Iseol Myeonok

Iseol Myeonok Suyu Main Branch (이설면옥 수유본점) is a Korean restaurant on 419 Café Street in Gangbuk, Seoul, next to the 4.19 Tower at the National 4·19 Democracy Cemetery, specializing in Seoul-style old-fashioned bulgogi and Hamheung naengmyeon (cold noodles). For her mother-in-law's birthday lunch, the writer took her parents-in-law to Iseol Myeonok, ordered 2 servings of Seoul-style old-fashioned bulgogi and bibim naengmyeon, and took home 2 servings of Master's Galbitang (beef rib soup) for dinner. The food was easy on the stomach and the seasoning neither too sweet nor salty, making Iseol Myeonok a satisfying choice for a Suyu lunch with parents.

Written Jul 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongbuk, SeoulRestaurants

Seongbuk Korean restaurant before an art museum visit: Seochon Nugak

Seochon Nugak (서촌누각) is a Korean restaurant on Hyehwa-ro in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, near Hansung University Station and the Seongbuk Seonjam Museum, serving one-person set meals on individual trays. Before visiting Seongbuk-dong's art museums and literary museum, the writer and longtime friends had Jeju tot (hijiki seaweed) rice with abalone and scallops, pork rib kimchi stew, and chamsong-i mushroom rice with octopus and shrimp. Seochon Nugak serves even its hot pots in single portions, and its mild flavors make it a good choice for a lunch with parents.

Written Jul 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Pasta date near Nowon Station: focaccia & tomato pasta, Pasta Han Kki

Pasta Han Kki Nowon Main Branch is a value-for-money Western restaurant near Exit 10 of Nowon Station in Seoul. On a late weekday lunch, the writer and her husband ordered bacon mushroom tomato pasta (9,900 won, plus 1,000 won for extra mushrooms and bacon), margherita pizza (7,900 won) and focaccia, and topping the saved focaccia with plenty of the tomato sauce was the best combination. With no break time, Pasta Han Kki Nowon Main Branch is an easy, atmospheric pick for a date in Nowon.

Written Jul 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDobong, SeoulBars

Ssangmun beer bar with nostalgic instant tteokbokki: Gildong Music

Gildong Music Ssangmun (길동뮤직 쌍문본점) is a second-floor music bar near Exit 3 of Ssangmun Station in Dobong, Seoul, where the staff play song requests and bottled beer and corn puffs are self-serve. Three friends shared nostalgic instant tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes cooked at the table, 15,000 won), nachos with dipping sauce (8,000 won), Red Rock draft beer (5,000 won) and bottled world beers, and the wheat-flour rice cakes tasted just like their school days. Gildong Music Ssangmun is a Ssangmun bar where the drinks, the food and the atmosphere all deliver.

Written Jul 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongbuk, SeoulCafés

Seongbuk dessert café serving fish bread in summer: Mochi Banatgan

Mochi Banatgan Sungshin Women's University branch (모찌방앗간 성신여대점) is a dessert café on Bomun-ro 32-gil near Sungshin Women's University Station in Seongbuk, Seoul, selling mochi fish bread (bungeoppang) made with 100% gluten-free rice flour all year round. On a visit with friends to escape the summer heat, the writer had classic red bean mochi fish bread (₩3,600), red bean injeolmi mochi fish bread (₩3,800) and cold brew iced americanos. If you want fish bread that is crispy outside and chewy inside, especially the soybean-powder-covered red bean injeolmi flavor, Mochi Banatgan is worth a stop on a Sungshin Women's University outing.

Written Jul 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon Korean BBQ lunch for 3 women, curry salt jowl: Junggye Gogi

Junggye Gogi Party Nowon Branch is an Iberico pork charcoal BBQ restaurant in a residential area at the foot of Buramsan in Junggye-dong, Nowon, Seoul. Three women had lunch at Junggye Gogi Party: they grilled a 500g Iberico platter and Iberico prime neck over charcoal, dipped them in three wasabis, three salts and myeoljeot (salted anchovy sauce), then finished with beef doenjang sulbap (soybean paste rice stew), mul and bibim dessert naengmyeon, and sikhye. Junggye Gogi Party Nowon Branch is a good fit for family meals or get-togethers with friends who want to enjoy Iberico pork in many different ways.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Yangju galbi restaurant for a rainy-day class reunion: Manpo Garden

Manpo Garden (만포가든) is a charcoal-grill Korean BBQ restaurant on Godeok-ro in Yangju, Gyeonggi, best known for its weekday lunch special homemade pork galbi set at 19,000 won per person. On a rainy monsoon-season day, four classmates from a blog course at the Yangju Lifelong Learning Center met at Manpo Garden for the first time in 7 months and shared four homemade galbi sets with doenjang sulbap (rice simmered in soybean-paste broth), mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth and spicy cold noodles), and dessert. With full-glass windows, a large hall, private rooms and smoke-free ventilation, Manpo Garden is a dependable Yangju galbi restaurant for a rainy-day get-together.

Written Jul 24, 2026Sponsored