Calendar Cook · 25 stories
I write about everyday life at home and the small details I notice along the way. · Writes about: Home & living · Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Shopping · Bars
Sideway is a new café in a converted house at the far edge of Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, tucked into a side alley behind Kong Café. After a late dinner, the writer sat at Sideway's 6-person shared table with a latte made with house-made vanilla bean syrup (₩6,300) and a Basque cheesecake (₩8,500) served with strawberry cream. Open until 10 pm (11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays), Sideway is a cozy second stop after dinner in Yeonnam-dong.
Panda Dim Sum is a casual Chinese restaurant on the second floor of a building in a Yeonnam-dong alley in Mapo, Seoul, serving dim sum and Peking duck that put a new spin on local Asian food. The writer first visited Panda Dim Sum with a friend two years ago, came back, and had xiaolongbao (8,000 won), chilled soft tofu salad (7,000 won), mala mapo tofu rice bowl (12,000 won) and half a Peking duck (39,000 won) for dinner. For 2–3 people, half a Peking duck plus a few side dishes is plenty at this Yeonnam-dong Chinese favorite.
bd Burger is a handmade burger restaurant on the second floor of a building between Seongsu Station and Yeonmujang-gil in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. After a weekday of shopping in Seongsu, the writer had dinner at bd Burger and ordered the Big Size Wasabi Shrimp (13,400 won), the Double Cheese Burger (12,400 won) and Original Fries (4,900 won), with the thick shrimp patty and rich double cheese standing out. One block off the busy streets and upstairs, bd Burger still had free seats at dinnertime.
La Avenue Seongsu is a cake and baked-goods café on the ground floor of a large building near Exit 1 of Seongsu Station (Line 2) in Seongdong, Seoul, open until 10 p.m. with parking support. After dinner we ordered the rare ube cake (₩8,400), plus an Earl Grey pound cake and a jam long pound cake (₩4,600 each). The ube cake was nutty without being overly sweet, and the pound cakes were buttery and soft, so La Avenue Seongsu suits anyone driving in for an evening cake or a takeout box.
Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch is a two-floor Korean BBQ restaurant on Donggyo-ro near Exit 1 of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a sunny afternoon the writer ordered 2 servings of salt pork belly and 1 serving of dwitgogi (back-cut pork) with half a bunch of spring minari, country-pork kimchi stew, double cheese egg custard and a 2,000 won radish salad rice bowl, and found the interior cleaner than the sign suggests and the sides generous. For well-salted pork belly wrapped in minari, pickled wild garlic leaves and pollock roe, Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch is a great fit.
Orot Robata (오롯로바타) is a binchotan charcoal robatayaki izakaya near Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Gongdeok, Mapo, Seoul. On a night out with friends, the group ordered motsunabe (beef intestine hot pot, 33,000 won), ankimo brûlée (monkfish liver brûlée, 17,000 won) and mentaiko tebasaki (26,000 won); the charcoal-grilled chicken wings stuffed with cod roe and the rich intestine hot pot stood out. Orot Robata is a Gongdeok izakaya well suited to groups of 2 to 4 who want drinks and small plates while watching the open kitchen.
Bas Burger Yonsei Cancer Hospital Branch is a handmade burger and boneless fried chicken restaurant in the B1 arcade of Yonsei Cancer Hospital in Sinchon, Seodaemun, Seoul, open daily 07:00–20:30 with no break time. The writer shared the best-pick double bacon cheeseburger combo with chili crunch boneless chicken in ranch sauce and crunch boneless chicken in sriracha sauce, plus unlimited dine-in potato chips and one free drink refill. Bas Burger is a good Sinchon burger spot when one burger alone isn't quite enough and you want boneless chicken on the side.
Gongjung Dodeok (공중도덕) is a newly opened duck BBQ restaurant in Mapo, Seoul, near the Gyeongui Line Forest Park between Daeheung Station and Gongdeok Station. A group of friends ordered the 69,000 won Gongjung half-and-half set, one extra serving each of marinated duck (jumulleok) and roast duck at 18,000 won each, two self-serve fried rice bowls, a barley shrimp minari pancake and a cheese potato pancake. Rain kept the group indoors, but Gongjung Dodeok was a great spot for a group to share lots of dishes by the Gyeongui Line Forest Park.
Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch is a charcoal-grill pork BBQ restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, a 10-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 4 near Yeoksam Elementary School. The writer hosted a weekday wedding-invitation dinner there with long-unseen friends, ordering the Giun Set (₩60,000), the Dongiun Set, à la carte cuts and Giun fried rice topped with cheese and corn, and staff grilled all the meat so everyone could focus on talking. With backrest sofa seats, bag storage under the sofas and full grilling service, Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch is a Korean BBQ spot worth recommending for a wedding-invitation get-together at Gangnam Station.
Tanbaek (탄백) is a kalguksu-focused Korean restaurant at 37 Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, across from Jeongdong Church on the Deoksugung stone wall road. The writer ordered seasoned tripe, pork suyuk, mushroom rice, gom kalguksu (₩14,000) and the summer-only bean bibim kalguksu (₩16,000) on a drizzly day. Tanbaek's melon-and-black-sesame bean noodles and odor-free tripe stood out, and it's a good spot for sharing several dishes.
Macho Nacho is a mix-it-yourself nacho bar on Huiujeong-ro in Mapo-gu, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Mangwon Hangang Park. On an early finish from work, the writer took out Macho Nacho's pepperoni pizza nachos (15,900 won) with a guacamole topping (3,000 won) and had a pre-sunset picnic with Hangang ramyeon (instant noodles cooked by the Han River) at Mangwon Hangang Park, looking out at Seongsan Bridge. Verdict: the pepperoni pizza nachos were more generous than expected, with fresh sauce and cheese, and made a great side for a Han River picnic.
Today Makeup is a hair and makeup salon in Hongdae, Mapo, Seoul, in an alley near Seogyo Tower close to Exit 1 of Hongik Univ. Station. The writer booked the Today Makeup hair and makeup set for a dress tour and got a natural look with light blush, lashes, open-looking eyes and a dried-rose MLBB lip, and the hair held firm on a windy day. Verdict: after compliments that lasted into the evening, she wants Today Makeup for the wedding day too.
