Seaside Night Eater · 49 stories

Late Tables by the Sea

I write about restaurant meals and small dining stops in Busan and Gyeongnam. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Bars · Hair & beauty salons · Shopping · Stays

PlaceBusanjin, BusanCafés

Seomyeon peanut bread shop: a skeptic won over by thin shells, Daeshin

Daeshin Peanut Bread Busan Seomyeon Branch (대신땅콩빵 부산서면점) is a takeout peanut bread shop on Seojeon-ro near Exits 8 and 6 of Seomyeon Station in Busan, part of a brand that started at Seomun Market in Daegu. The writer, who never liked peanut bread because it seemed like plain flour batter, bought an 80-piece box for 10,000 won as a weekend snack for her husband and changed her mind thanks to the thin, crisp shell and rich peanut flavor. Daeshin Peanut Bread is a Seomyeon Station dessert worth a second look, even for people who don't usually enjoy peanut bread.

Written Jul 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDong-gu, DaeguRestaurants

Lamb skewer group dinner for 6 near Dongdaegu Station: Yangbokjeom

Yangbokjeom Dongdaegu Station Branch (양복점 동대구역점) is a lamb skewer restaurant in the food alley across from the Dongdaegu Station transit center in Dong-gu, Daegu. Six adults booked ahead and got a private room, where they ate 8 servings of jumbo lamb skewers (₩18,000 per serving), black guobaorou (sweet and sour fried pork) and an eggplant dish, with 9 bottles of soju and 8 of beer, in under two hours. The thick jumbo skewers and the crisp-outside, tender-inside eggplant stood out, making Yangbokjeom a solid pick for a group night near Dongdaegu Station.

Written Jul 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanCafés

Gwangalli brunch café: arugula cheese toast mom loved, Famous Benny

Famous Benny Gwangalli Branch is an Australian-style brunch café in Millak-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan, near Gwangalli Beach. The writer and her mom shared The Famous Benny salmon (18,000 won), a house salad (12,000 won), arugula cheese toast (9,000 won) and two long blacks (5,500 won each), and her mom said the arugula cheese toast was delicious the whole time she ate it. Every dish was satisfying and filling enough for a full meal, making Famous Benny a brunch café worth a 100% return visit.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHaeundae, BusanRestaurants

Songjeong restaurant: spicy short rib braise on soft rice, Namhwajeong

Namhwajeong (남화정) is a Korean restaurant serving herbal restorative dishes on Songjeonggwangeogol-ro in Haeundae, Busan. At Namhwajeong the writer ordered the Namhwa herbal rib and seafood samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup, 19,000 won) and the Namhwa herbal spicy seafood beef short rib braise (20,000 won); the tender ribs, the spicy sauce and the soft rice were the highlight. Namhwajeong is a Songjeong Korean restaurant worth recommending when you want a hearty restorative meal with your parents.

Written Jul 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Summer galbitang over samgyetang in Seomyeon, Busan: Gang Galbitang

Gang Galbitang Seomyeon (강갈비탕 서면) is a handmade galbitang (beef short rib soup) restaurant at 33 Saessak-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, near Seomyeon Station. Looking for a summer stamina meal instead of samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), the writer went with her husband after shopping at Bujeon Market and ordered the Gang Galbitang (₩14,000) and the level-2 Spicy Gang Galbitang (₩15,000), adding Jeju medium noodles. With rich house-made broth, thick cuts of meat, a bar table for solo diners and parking support, Gang Galbitang Seomyeon is a reliable galbitang spot in Seomyeon.

Written Aug 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanBars

Jeonpo bar in Busan with pork jowl steak and soju: Dorandoran

Dorandoran is a Korean bar-restaurant in Jeonpo, Busan, on the second floor of a building on Seojeon-ro 58beon-gil near the Jeonpo café street. Two of us ordered the signature pork jowl steak at 24,000 won and the hangover beef-bone pasta at 17,000 won with soju at 5,000 won a bottle, and both dishes beat expectations: the beef-bone broth was spicy and deeply savory, and the pork jowl was crisp outside and juicy inside. Between the atmosphere, the food and the friendly service, Dorandoran is an easy first stop for a date or a night out with friends in Jeonpo.

Written Aug 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanBars

Soju with Butcher's Pizza at a Seomyeon bar in Busan: Craft Hans

Craft Hans Seomyeon Branch is a craft beer and cocktail pub in Busanjin, Busan, serving house-made chicken and pizza. On a second-round visit for two, the order was Butcher's Pizza at 19,900 won and half-and-half Hans Crispy and garlic soy chicken at 16,900 won, eaten with Chamisul and Saero soju, and the leftovers were neatly packed to take home. With its exotic pub mood and solid food quality, Craft Hans works just as well for soju as it does for chicken or pizza with beer.

Written Aug 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Jeonpo curry restaurant opening at 9:30am for solo meals: Sarugak20

Sarugak20 is a curry restaurant in Jeonpo-dong, Busanjin, Busan that opens at 9:30am, early enough for a brunch plate or a quiet meal alone. A couple shared the Sarugak Curry at 12,000 won and the half-and-half curry at 10,000 won with a scrambled egg topping for 1,500 won, plus sweet potato cheese croquettes and shrimp tempura, and rice and curry come with free refills. The special curry suited this reviewer better than the cream curry, and the small handmade props around the room made the meal even more pleasant.

Written Aug 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanHair & beauty salons

Seomyeon lash salon: LC curl 10–13mm mix in an hour, Almond Eyelashes

Almond Eyelashes is a lash extension and lash perm salon on the 2nd floor of 156 Beomil-ro, Busanjin-gu, in the Seomyeon area of Busan. Because the writer has short-set eyes and usually wears heavy eye makeup, the stylist recommended an LC curl 10–13mm mix after a consultation, and the full session, including removing the old extensions and a lash shampoo, took about 1 hour. The thin fibers Almond Eyelashes used gave a light, natural eye line with no heavy or scratchy feeling.

Written Sep 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDonghae, GangwonRestaurants

Donghae chicken stew spot after Chorokbong hike: Mukho Sotbokkeumtang

Mukho Sotbokkeumtang is a second-floor ocean-view chicken stew restaurant on Iljul-ro in Donghae, Gangwon. After hiking Chorokbong, a married couple ordered the pot-lid chicken stew (small) for 30,000 won, bone-in and at spice level 3 (fire chicken), with extra minced garlic — even at level 3 it was not really hot, and the chicken was tender with no gamey smell. Mukho Sotbokkeumtang is a good place to simmer the stew at your table by a window looking out to Kkamak Rock.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanCafés

Seomyeon bakery, a 20-minute wait for fresh peanut bread: Daeshin

Daeshin Peanut Bread Busan Seomyeon Branch is a peanut bread and egg bread bakery on Seojeon-ro, near Exit 6 of Seomyeon Station in Busanjin, Busan. Arriving at the 10:00 opening, the display case was still empty, so it took about 20 minutes to walk out with 45 freshly baked peanut breads (6,000 won) and two egg breads. Going closer to 10:30 means no wait at all, and Daeshin packs the bread warm, making it an easy stop on the way to the train.

Written Sep 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Seomyeon pub for a couple's Saturday dinner drinks: Yetnal Tongdak

Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch is a dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken stew) and fried chicken restaurant that a well-known Yeonsan-dong chicken shop opened on Jungang-daero 680beon-gil in Seomyeon, Busan in April 2026. A couple came by early on a Saturday evening and shared the ddongjip-and-tang set — a whole chicken dakdoritang plus a small order of fried chicken gizzards — for 30,000 won, praising the sharp, spicy broth and the gizzards, which were fried without any greasiness and best with the seasoned sauce and mayo mixed together. Yetnal Tongdak & Tang Seomyeon Branch is worth recommending when you want a full meal and a few drinks in the same sitting in Seomyeon.

Written Sep 5, 2026Sponsored