Yeoksam Compact Lunch · 16 stories

Worn Compact, Seoul/Gyeonggi and Jeju/Daejeon-Chungcheong Cafes, Restaurants and Beauty

Writes about cafes, restaurants, and small beauty finds around Seoul, Gyeonggi, Jeju, and Daejeon-Chungcheong. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Pregnancy-craving tonkatsu in Yangjae with refills: Yangjae Katsu

Yangjae Katsu (양재카츠) is a Japanese-style tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant in Yangjae-dong, Seocho, Seoul, between Yangjae Station Exit 8 and Yangjaecheon Stream. Craving tonkatsu while pregnant, the writer stopped at Yangjae Katsu for a late weekday lunch on the way to Yangjaecheon and ordered the loin and tenderloin katsu set (17,000 won) and the cheese katsu and fried shrimp set (17,500 won); both were clean-tasting with no porky smell and sat easy afterward. With rice, soup and salad refills and Naver reservations, Yangjae Katsu is a solid tonkatsu lunch pick for nearby office workers.

Written Oct 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Seohyeon Station high-protein salad spot, leak-free takeout: Prefers

Prefers Diet Food Bundang Seohyeon is a high-protein diet restaurant in Seongnam, a one-minute walk from Exit 4 of Seohyeon Station, where you order salad pasta, rice bowls and plates at a kiosk. The writer took away a beef Cheongyang chili perilla oil pasta (14,900 won) and a flat iron steak signature wrap (5,900 won); opened an hour later, nothing had leaked, and neither tasted like diet food. For a healthy solo meal or takeout near Seohyeon Station, Prefers Diet Food is a safe choice.

Written Jun 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan gyukatsu restaurant: rare to medium with fresh wasabi, Hurato

Hurato Sikdang Dongtan Lake Commo is a gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurant on the 2nd floor of Lake Commo, facing Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. On a weekday lunch, the gyukatsu (19,500 won) arrived rare, and each diner grilled it to about medium on the mini brazier set at every table, then ate it with salt and fresh wasabi. Hurato Sikdang serves gyukatsu that is crisp outside and tender inside, cooked exactly how you like it, making it a solid pick for a solo meal or a Dongtan Lake Park date.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Gangnam café: Shelter Einspänner & Dubai butter sand, Butter & Shelter

Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa is a butter dessert and coffee café on Garosu-gil near Sinsa Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The blogger ordered a Shelter Einspänner (₩6,500), a decaf iced café latte (₩5,500), a plain butter sand (₩3,200) and a Dubai butter sand (₩4,500). The Shelter Einspänner, made with butter whipped into fresh cream, wasn't greasy, and the kadayif (crispy shredded pastry) crunch in the Dubai butter sand stood out. For a different kind of butter dessert café on Garosu-gil, Butter & Shelter Gangnam-Sinsa is a great fit.

Written Jun 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulCafés

Gangnam cake shop: ₩25,000 mango fromage tart takeaway, Seasonique

Seasonique Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam is a seasonal fruit cake shop in Sweet Park on B1 of Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam, by Express Bus Terminal Station in Seocho, Seoul. During mango season, the writer browsed the mango and strawberry cake prices in Seasonique's showcase and took home a Mango Fromage Tart (₩25,000). Seasonique's fruit flavour comes through clearly, making it a cake worth recommending as a treat for yourself or as a gift.

Written Jun 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dome-pan Japanese pork rib grill in Dongtan, Hwaseong: Saenggalbi Tare

Saenggalbi Tare (생갈비 타레) is a Japanese-style pork rib restaurant in the relocation housing shopping strip in Yeongcheon-dong, Dongtan, in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, where same-day-slaughtered Korean Handon pork is aged for 3 days and grilled on a dome-shaped cast-iron pan. At Saenggalbi Tare the writer ate the Handon raw pork ribs (22,000 won for 180g) three ways, as shioyaki, tareyaki and sukiyaki, and finished with house-made sarashina zaru soba (9,000 won). Verdict: Saenggalbi Tare is a satisfying pork rib restaurant with quality meat, generous grilled vegetables and excellent soba.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Sinnonhyeon hair salon neutral brown ribbon dye in 75 min: Park Jun

Park Jun Beauty Lab Gangnam Branch is a hair salon on Gangnam-daero 110-gil near Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam, Seoul. For summer, the writer had a neutral-tone brown ribbon all-over dye with a clinic treatment built in, and two stylists working at once finished it evenly, with no patchiness, in about 1 hour 15 minutes. With free sticker photos and a passport photo the writer was happy with afterward, Park Jun Beauty Lab Gangnam Branch is a good pick for a quick color on a busy day.

Written Jun 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Yangjae pie shop's honey-sweetened walnut pies: Hodu Kkakki Brothers

Hodu Kkakki Brothers (호두까끼형제) is a takeout-only handmade pie shop near Exit 4 of Yangjae Station in Gangnam, Seoul, that sweetens its pies with oligosaccharide syrup, honey and maple syrup instead of sugar. On a repeat visit, the writer took home the Premium Assorted Pie whole box, with 2 each of signature walnut pie, hazelnut cacao pie, original pecan pie and macadamia cheese pie, and finished all 8 pieces in two days. Gently sweet with a natural flavor, Hodu Kkakki Brothers is a Yangjae dessert shop worth choosing for gifts and kids' snacks.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan Station pork BBQ with mustard-leaf kimchi: Yukmimyeongga

Yukmimyeongga (육미명가) is a black pork Korean BBQ restaurant on the 2nd floor of the GTX Premierville Phase 1 building near Dongtan Station Exit 2 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, where servers grill the meat for you. On an early weekday evening the writer had the Myeongga Black Pork Set (55,000 won), pork jowl, mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) and kimchi stew, left with no smell on their clothes, and especially liked the three kimchi sides: mustard-leaf, green onion and napa cabbage. With good meat, standout side dishes and full grilling service, Yukmimyeongga is worth a visit when you want an easy pork dinner at Dongtan Station.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Burger takeout after Gwanggyo Lake Park: avocado burger at Downtowner

Downtowner Gwanggyojungang Station is a handmade burger shop in Suwon, right at Exit 3 of Gwanggyojungang Station and known for its avocado burger. After a day at Gwanggyo Lake Park, the writer took home an avocado burger (₩12,700), a classic cheeseburger (₩8,900) and onion rings (₩3,300) from Downtowner; the packing was neat, and the fresh ingredients sat easily on the stomach. Downtowner Gwanggyojungang Station is a solid pick for a quick, tasty meal near the station.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gorgonzola katsu and seafood tomato pasta in Dongtan: Insaeng Donkatsu

Insaeng Donkatsu Dongtan Mokdong Branch is a Western-style pork cutlet restaurant in Mokdong, Dongtan 2 (Hwaseong, Gyeonggi), designed like a train station in a small Japanese town. Having already tried the original Insaeng Donkatsu in Dongtan 1, the writer shared a gorgonzola cheese pork cutlet and a seafood tomato pasta at the Mokdong branch, 13,900 won each, and found the thick cutlet with the fresh-tasting pasta never got tiresome. Given the generous portions and the price, Insaeng Donkatsu Dongtan Mokdong is a good-value pork cutlet spot worth recommending in Dongtan 2.

Written Jul 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Seocho course restaurant for a no-alcohol celebration dinner: Vinovine

Vinovine is a French- and Italian-based course dining restaurant and wine bar in Seocho-dong, Seoul, near Exit 4 of Seocho Station. The writer, who can't drink, celebrated at Vinovine with the 65,000-won seven-course dinner, which includes a hanwoo (Korean beef) sirloin steak, in a private room, since ordering alcohol isn't required, and named the slow-cooked shrimp with bisque sauce the best dish. For anyone who wants a special-occasion course dinner without drinking, Vinovine is a good-value choice.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored