Corner Mirror Visitor · 22 stories

A Corner Mirror Through Seoul and Daegu

Writes about restaurants, cafes, bars, beauty spots, and things to do around Seoul, Busan/Gyeongnam, Gyeonggi, and Daegu/Gyeongbuk. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Things to do · Bars

PlaceGoyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Seooreung Chinese restaurant, 4th visit: spicier crab fried rice

Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch (짬뽕지존 서오릉점) is a Chinese restaurant on the restaurant street at the entrance to Seooreung in Deogyang-gu, Goyang, open every day from 07:00 to 22:00 with no closing days and no break time. On a fourth revisit on a Sunday afternoon, a family ordered sticky-rice tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), jjamjjamyeon (half jjajangmyeon, half jjamppong) and crab fried rice. The crab fried rice was slightly spicier than last time, while the tangsuyuk and the scallop-packed jjamppong were as satisfying as ever. With a self-bar, bottled water and baby chairs for families with kids, Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch is a Seooreung Chinese restaurant that satisfies every time.

Written Oct 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Ocean-view shellfish grill in Gwangalli, Busan: Josaeho's 3-tier set

Josaeho Gwangalli Main Branch (조새호 광안리본점) is a grilled shellfish and seafood restaurant on the 2nd floor of 199 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro in Suyeong, Busan, overlooking Gwangalli Beach. Arriving right at the 2 p.m. opening for some daytime drinks, the writer took a window seat and grilled a scallop-heavy three-tier shellfish set with pen shell and abalone, piled high with cheese. If you want to eat grilled shellfish with an almost head-on view of Gwangalli Beach, the window seats at Josaeho Gwangalli Main Branch are the answer.

Written Jun 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGijang, BusanCafés

Sea-view café in Gijang, Busan for a weekday lunch with kids: De Mer

De Mer (드메르) is an ocean-view brunch café by the sea on Ilgwang-ro in Ilgwang, Gijang, Busan. On a weekday lunch with a child, the writer sat at a 2nd-floor window facing the sea and had the chicken & waffle (24,000 won), a café latte (6,000 won) and a real mango juice (8,000 won), and was pleased with the quality of the frying, the generous portions, the high chairs and the clean restrooms. For brunch and good coffee with a sea view, De Mer in Ilgwang, Gijang is well worth a visit.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGyeongju, GyeongbukRestaurants

Kid-friendly Korean restaurant, Gyeongju: perilla fritters, Handa Sot

Handa Sot Gyeongju (한다솥 경주점) is a hanok-style Korean restaurant on Cheomseong-ro, near Hwangnidan-gil and Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju. Handa Sot Gyeongju is a certified child-friendly restaurant that provides high chairs and kids' cutlery. On a visit around 11 a.m. with a 6-year-old, the pressure-cooker mackerel kimchi stew set was clean-tasting with no fishy smell, the kiln-grilled Spanish mackerel came alongside, and the perilla leaf fritters beat expectations. Verdict: Handa Sot Gyeongju is an easy Korean meal with kids before or after Cheomseongdae.

Written Jun 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGijang, BusanRestaurants

Gijang, Busan snow crab restaurant with Mom and kid: warm to the end

Gijang Myeongpum Daegae (기장명품대게) is a snow crab restaurant near Gijang Station in Gijang-eup, Gijang, Busan. On a weekday lunch with her mother and child, the writer ordered 2 snow crabs, and because the basket weight was subtracted at the weigh-in, the bill came to the ₩120,000 range instead of ₩170,000. The crab arrived in a pot on an induction burner and stayed warm to the last bite. With fried chicken and fried peppers at the self-bar, Gijang Myeongpum Daegae made a satisfying three-generation family meal with a kid.

Written Jun 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Busan sashimi restaurant with kids' grilled salmon: The Bangpaje

The Bangpaje (방파제) is a sashimi and seafood restaurant that has stood in the same spot in Millak-dong, Suyeong, Busan since 1982. On a weekday lunch with her dad, sister and child, the writer ordered the medium hansang (full-table) set (₩78,000) with seasonal assorted sashimi, side dishes and maeuntang (spicy fish stew), plus the kids' grilled fish (₩20,000). For a family meal centred on aged seasonal sashimi and side dishes, The Bangpaje's hansang set is good value.

Written Jun 21, 2026Sponsored
PlacePohang, GyeongbukRestaurants

Pohang mulhoe restaurant, half-and-half bowl with slushy sauce: Ppwang

Ppwang Mulhoe (퐝물회) is a squid and flounder mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) restaurant in the Seolmeori mulhoe street by Yeongildae Beach in Pohang. On a Saturday afternoon, two families with kids visited Ppwang Mulhoe. The adults ordered the half-and-half squid and flounder mulhoe (20,000 won) and the kids had the Hanwoo beef bulgogi rice bowl (15,000 won), with self-bar noodles and chicken popcorn on the side. With its slushy-ice sauce, pink interior and baby chairs, Ppwang Mulhoe is a good Yeongildae mulhoe spot to visit with kids.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Private-room butcher BBQ near Everland: short rib platter, Dongbaek

Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill Butcher Restaurant (동백한옥집 숯불구이 정육식당) is a 1++ hanwoo butcher restaurant on Eondong-ro in Giheung-gu, Yongin, near Eojeong Station on the Everline. Three adults and three kids took a private room at Sunday opening time and charcoal-grilled the limited-menu beef short rib platter (550g, ₩78,000) and marinated pork (550g, ₩44,000). For a private family meal about 15 minutes by car from Everland, Dongbaek Hanokjip is a great pick for groups with kids.

Written Jun 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeodaemun, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Sinchon hair salon chest-length layered cut and bangs: Demon Hair

Demon Hair Sinchon Branch is a hair salon on the 2nd floor of the building right next to Hyundai Department Store, near Exit 1 of Sinchon Station in Seodaemun, Seoul. Instead of cutting her past-chest-length hair into a bob, the writer got a layered cut at Demon Hair Sinchon Branch, with a hair protein check and a guide to checking it herself before the cut, and her bangs trimmed into a bang style. If you want to keep your length but make heavy hair lighter and more natural, the layered cut at Demon Hair Sinchon Branch is a good fit.

Written Jul 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGoyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Wondang Korean meal for foreign guests, cinnamon sikhye: Kim Myeongju

Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Wondang Station Branch is a Korean set-meal restaurant in its own standalone building near Exit 1 of Wondang Station in Goyang, Gyeonggi. With a foreign friend, the writer ordered two Tteuranchae Bapsang sets at 13,000 won each and a grilled mackerel for 15,000 won, then tried the brassware table setting, sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) from the stone-pot rice and cinnamon-scented sikhye (sweet rice punch). Thanks to fried eggplant from the self-serve bar and a clean-tasting cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew), Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang is a good Korean restaurant in Wondang for the whole family or for foreign guests.

Written Jul 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGoyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Seooreung sundae soup spot: weekday lunch chive bossam, Gohyangok

Gohyangok Eolkeun Sundaeguk Wondang Branch is a sundae soup (Korean blood sausage soup) restaurant on Goyang-daero in Deogyang-gu, Goyang, near Seooreung. The writer usually orders the spicy sundae soup but chose the chive bossam (boiled pork with seasoned chives) for a weekday lunch. The pork had no gamey smell, the specially seasoned chives and dried radish kimchi paired well with it, and the gas burner kept everything warm to the last bite. The verdict: the chive bossam at Gohyangok Eolkeun Sundaeguk Wondang Branch is a reliable order, whether as a meal or with drinks.

Written Jun 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Gwangan Station Korean BBQ with nephews: 13 portions, Myeongseung

Myeongseung Jeju Saenggogi (명승제주생고기) is a Korean BBQ restaurant serving Jeju meat, tucked down an alley near Exit 1 of Gwangan Station in Suyeong, Busan. On a Monday evening, the writer, her mother and her sister's children ate 8 portions of black pork belly and seasoned ribs, ordered 5 more portions of fresh ribs, and added a ₩5,000 kimchi stew and ₩3,000 doenjang with rice. Myeongseung Jeju Saenggogi is a Gwangalli BBQ spot where families with kids can eat their fill.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored