Lipstick Drawer · 16 stories

Second Lipstick, Seoul and Gyeonggi Beauty and Restaurants

Writes about restaurants, bars, cafes, and beauty spots she visits around Seoul and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Bars · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Restorative chicken restaurant in Cheongdam for a wedding tour: Mimgye

Cheongdam Mimgye (청담 미미계) is a Korean restaurant specializing in restorative chicken dishes near Cheongdam Station Exit 8 in Gangnam, Seoul. On a wedding-prep day spent moving between Cheongdam dress and suit shops, the writer ate the icy chogye guksu (chilled chicken broth noodles) and the 11,000 won half-chicken kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup). Both were satisfying: the cold chicken broth was rich and savory, and the hot soup was clean and filling. Cheongdam Mimgye is a good place to recharge midway through a Cheongdam wedding tour.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Summer pork cutlet at Magok Station: buckwheat soy noodles, Tteudon

Tteudon Magok Branch (뜨돈 마곡점) is a handmade pork cutlet restaurant near Exit 4 of Magok Station in Gangseo, Seoul, part of a brand that started in Daegu. Wanting something cold and a crispy cutlet in one meal on a hot day, the writer ordered cheese katsu and kongguksu (cold soybean noodle soup) swapped to buckwheat noodles. The thick, stone-ground soy broth, a coating that stayed crisp under sauce and a pork cutlet burger made at the self-bar all impressed. Tteudon Magok Branch is a great Magok Station pick for pork cutlet and kongguksu together in summer.

Written Jun 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Ramen bar in Seolleung for a quiet solo lunch: spicy miso at Sisio

Sisio Ramen (시시오) is a Japanese-style ramen restaurant in a basement down an alley near Seolleung Station Exit 3 in Gangnam, Seoul. Looking for a quiet place near the office to eat alone, the writer sat at the bar and ordered spicy miso ramen and chicken karaage, and was impressed by the spicy, deep broth, the melt-in-your-mouth chashu and the unlimited rice refills. Sisio Ramen is a hideaway ramen spot at Seolleung Station where office workers can have lunch alone without running into coworkers.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangbuk, SeoulBars

Suyu izakaya with street seating and pollock roe egg stew: Orotsi

Orotsi Suyu Main Branch (오롯이 수유본점) is an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) near Exit 7 of Suyu Station in Gangbuk, Seoul, with both indoor seats and outdoor street-side tables. The writer and her boyfriend dropped in by chance, ordered akami salad (lean tuna salad) and myeongran gyerantang (pollock roe egg stew), and found that the wide table spacing and buzzing outdoor atmosphere kept the soju and beer flowing. Verdict: Orotsi Suyu Main Branch's pollock roe egg stew was good enough to finish down to the bottom of the earthenware pot and is a must-order on the next visit.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulRestaurants

Konkuk Univ. udon shop: Saturday 1 PM queue and tempura bukkake, Kosi

Kosi Konkuk University Branch is a Japanese restaurant serving house-made udon and tonkatsu near Exit 9 of Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. Around 1 PM on a Saturday, the blogger waited about 15 minutes behind 6 groups, then ordered the mixed tonkatsu (plain and cheese) and house-made bukkake udon with added tempura. The springy noodles and crispy tempura led the blogger's boyfriend to say there was no need to go all the way to Japan. Kosi Konkuk University Branch is a Konkuk Univ. lunch spot where both the tonkatsu and the udon are excellent, and both pair well with beer.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangbuk, SeoulRestaurants

Suyu Market chicken shop: ₩19,000 house-hunting takeout at Gimssi

Gimssi Chicken Suyu Market Branch (김씨치킨 수유시장점) is a dakgangjeong (sweet, crispy fried chicken bites) and old-style whole chicken shop inside Suyu Market in Gangbuk, Seoul. During a house-hunting tour around Suyu, the blogger couldn't resist the smell and took home a special dakgangjeong (₩13,000) and 4 drumsticks (₩6,000) to eat with beer. The dakgangjeong was crisp with no gamey smell, the drumsticks were juicy, and her 'chicken monster' boyfriend loved both. Gimssi Chicken Suyu Market Branch is a great-value dakgangjeong shop that makes two people happy for under ₩20,000.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulBars

Konkuk Univ. izakaya date on a diet: sashimi, skewers and soju at Haru

Haru Konkuk Branch is a Japanese-style izakaya on the 2nd floor near Exit 1 of Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. The writer, who was on a diet, came on a date with her boyfriend, started with beer, then had a sashimi platter (flounder, salmon, tuna, octopus and sweet shrimp) and single charcoal-grilled skewers with soju. Thanks to thick-cut sashimi, well-spaced seating and a women's restroom inside, Haru Konkuk Branch works well for dates, blind dates and drinking solo.

Written Jul 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Cheongdam hair salon wedding dye: lighter shoot, deeper ceremony, Anew

Anew Hair Cheongdam Main Branch is a hair salon in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Exit 2 of Gangnam-gu Office Station. A bride-to-be who felt lost about wedding prep had a 1:1 consultation with a simple personal color check at Anew Hair Cheongdam Main Branch. Following the advice 'lighter for the wedding photoshoot, deeper for the ceremony,' she dyed her hair for the first time in 7 years, choosing an ash brown shade. If you want a wedding hair color consultation that sets a direction even when you arrive unprepared, Anew Hair Cheongdam Main Branch is a good fit.

Written Jul 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Cheongdam bridal facial and contouring for swelling: Clermont Monde

Clermont Monde (끌레르몽드) is a skin and contouring care salon tucked down an alley off Dosan-daero 92-gil, near Cheongdam Station in Gangnam, Seoul. After an intake consultation, a bride-to-be preparing for her wedding shoot had full skin care and face-line contouring in a private 2nd-floor room at Clermont Monde. The therapist pointed out swelling she hadn't known about and worked out the knots, leaving her skin tone and face line looking more refined. For quiet, private bridal care before a wedding, Clermont Monde was good enough that she is considering a membership.

Written Jun 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Apgujeong nail salon skin-tone pearl wedding nails: Naeil Didi

Naeil Didi is a nail salon on the 6th floor of a building a 4-minute walk from Apgujeongnodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul. Two days before her wedding photo shoot, the writer tried pink and nude shades side by side on her own nails at Naeil Didi, then chose skin-tone nails topped with pearl to match her complexion. Softer than pink, the skin-tone pearl made her hands look clear and delicate, making Naeil Didi a satisfying choice for pre-wedding-shoot nails.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlacePocheon, GyeonggiCafés

Pocheon café with Mom and sister, black sesame latte: Geurine Oasis

Geurine Oasis is a large bakery café right in front of Gomori Reservoir in Soheul-eup, Pocheon, Gyeonggi. On a hot summer weekend, the writer sat at an indoor reservoir-view table at Geurine Oasis with her mom and youngest sister and ordered a croissant, a mocha bun, iced americanos and a black sesame latte. The black sesame latte was nutty rather than sweet, and her sister called it 'exactly the taste I wanted.' Verdict: the bakery at Geurine Oasis beat expectations for such a big café.

Written Jul 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam private-room seafood restaurant, 400-day anniversary: Hallasan

Hallasan Cheongdam is a Jeju seafood restaurant with private rooms on Dosan-daero 81-gil in Gangnam, Seoul, near Apgujeongnodeo Station. For a 400-day anniversary dinner, the writer and their partner had the Special Course, which flowed without a pause: summer sashimi said to be flown in from a Jeju fish auction, an abalone stamina dish, silver cutlassfish jeon (pan-fried fillet), shishito pepper pot rice and fruit patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans). Hallasan Cheongdam is an Apgujeong seafood course restaurant that suits anniversaries, in-law meetings and company dinners where a quiet private room matters.

Written Jul 14, 2026Sponsored