Evening Plate Goer · 19 stories
Writes about restaurants and bars across Jeju, Gwangju/Jeolla, and Seoul, with occasional stops in Gyeonggi and Gangwon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Food & snacks · Bars
Out of Order (아웃오브오더) is a casual fusion dining bar near Seongsu Station Exit 2 in Seongdong, Seoul. The writer returned with a friend on a Sunday at 5pm with a reservation and ordered the tricolor crispy lasagna layered over tofu cream sauce and tomato sauce, plus a grilled dakgalbi (marinated chicken) steak. Verdict: Out of Order is worth booking for a Seongsu date or a night out with friends.
Gaeryeong Gukbap is a pork gukbap (pork and rice soup) and pork gomtang restaurant on the 2nd floor of Songjeong Station in Gwangsan, Gwangju, next to the ticket counter. Dining with Mom, the writer ordered the Gaeryeong bossam set (₩17,000) and the clear pork gomtang (₩13,000). The meal brought a rich gukbap with rice served on the side, tender boiled pork and a clean-tasting gomtang broth, and the godeulppaegi at the self-bar and the friendly owner also stood out. Gaeryeong Gukbap is a good Songjeong Station stop before or after a train, whether you are eating solo or sharing a few dishes for two.
Jongga Mandu (종가만두) is a handmade dumpling hot pot restaurant on Supyo-ro, near Jongno 3-ga Station in Jongno, Seoul. Having once waited in line at Jongga Mandu, the writer returned right at weekday opening for the half-clear, half-spicy mandu hot pot (14,000 won per person) with kimchi and meat dumplings, finishing with kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). With large mandu made fresh that day and a convenient self-serve bar, Jongga Mandu is a Jongno dumpling spot worth coming back to.
Menji Hanam Misa Branch is a newly opened chicken broth ramen restaurant with house-made noodles near the Misa lakeside park in Hanam, Gyeonggi. On a weekday before 12, after a wait of about 10 minutes, the writer had the tori paitan ramen set with mini tonkatsu and the spicy green chili tori paitan ramen; the clean, light chicken broth, sous vide chicken tenderloin and whole soft-boiled egg stood out. With its Japanese-style interior and terrace seats, Menji Hanam Misa Branch is a solid pick for a family meal, a date or a hangover bowl of ramen.
Muhan Paldo Daepae Jamsilsaenae Branch is an all-you-can-eat shaved pork belly (daepae samgyeopsal) barbecue restaurant in Songpa, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Jamsilsaenae Station. On the meat buffet for two, the writer grilled shaved pork belly, shaved beef brisket, flower pork belly and pork neck with Paldo sauces, ramyeon and self-bar sides, then added the marinade sauce to finish with seasoned shaved pork alongside ₩4,000 mul naengmyeon (cold noodles). At just under ₩20,000 per person with good meat quality, Muhan Paldo Daepae is a solid Korean BBQ buffet for team dinners and group get-togethers.
Sokcho Ojingeo Eosijang Yeoksam Branch (속초오징어어시장 역삼점) is a budget-friendly sashimi and seafood restaurant at 337 Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with a ground floor and an upper floor that take group dinners. The blogger ordered the small halibut and rockfish platter for 39,000 won and a 10,000-won seodeori-tang (fish-frame stew) with extra sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes) and rice, and kept refilling seaweed soup and lettuce wraps from the self-serve bar. With corkage and a receipt review event, Sokcho Ojingeo Eosijang Yeoksam Branch works well for company dinners or a wedding after-party.
Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is a Chinese restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building on Teheran-ro 10-gil, a 5-minute walk from Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, Seoul. Jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and glutinous sweet-and-sour pork were ordered on a table tablet with spice levels chosen dish by dish, and the jijon jjamppong topped with quail eggs, seafood and meat plus the starchy old-style jjajangmyeon arrived in 5 minutes. With free rice at the self-serve bar and yuja or plum tea for dessert, Jjamppong Jijon works well for an office lunch or a solo meal.
