Drink-First Diner · 58 stories

A Glass, Then Dinner

Writes about restaurants and bars around Seoul. · Writes about: Bars · Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceGwanak, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Sillim lash perm to ditch the heated curler: C-curl at Yeppeojina

Yeppeojina (예뻐지나) is a lash perm salon near Bongcheon Station in Gwanak, Seoul. The writer used a heated eyelash curler every day because of drooping lash tips. She booked a same-day appointment on Naver for Yeppeojina's signature Yeppeojina Perm, which gave a natural C-curl suited to her thin double eyelids, and the treatment was so comfortable that she fell asleep. For a natural lash perm that brightens bare-faced eyes without a curler, Yeppeojina is a satisfying choice.

Written Jun 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Diet takeout at Sillim Station: beef bowl & spicy teriyaki, Prepers

Prepers Diet Food Sillim Main Branch is a diet restaurant serving salads, poke, rice bowls and pasta right by Sillim Station in Gwanak, Seoul. On an early-evening takeout run, a beef salad pasta and a beef wasabi rice bowl got the spicy teriyaki sauce that reviews kept recommending, and the generous beef and cheese meant neither felt like diet food. Prepers Diet Food breaks the idea that diet meals are small and bland, making it a solid pick for a filling meal near Sillim Station.

Written Jun 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGuro, SeoulRestaurants

Sindorim bossam restaurant: makguksu that won a skeptic, Sambaekga

Sindorim Sambaekga is a Korean restaurant specialising in jokbal (braised pig's trotters) and bossam (boiled pork wraps) on Gyeongin-ro near Sindorim Station in Guro, Seoul. The writer went back with her husband late one evening, was seated without a wait and ordered the bossam + makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) set. The cold jokbal side dish, the tender bossam and even the makguksu she normally doesn't enjoy all satisfied her. For clean-tasting bossam made with good-quality pork, Sindorim Sambaekga is worth a return visit.

Written Jun 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Sinnonhyeon takeout snack bar that won a wheat tteok fan: Deokjane

Deokjane Bangatgan (덕자네방앗간) is a tteokbokki snack bar serving garaetteok (thick, long rice cakes) near Sinnonhyeon Station in Seocho, Seoul. On the way home from work, the writer picked up tteokbokki, tuna gimbap (seaweed rice roll), burdock gimbap and sundae (Korean blood sausage) to eat at home, and the savory, anchovy-broth-like sauce and chewy garaetteok tempted a longtime wheat rice cake fan. Deokjane Bangatgan is a Sinnonhyeon snack bar whose gimbap is as good as its tteokbokki.

Written Jun 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Sadang beef gopchang grill, crispy daechang on a Friday patio: Bareun

Bareun Hwangso Gopchang (바른황소곱창) is a hanwoo (Korean beef) gopchang (grilled beef intestine) restaurant on Dongjak-daero 7-gil near Sadang Station in Seoul. Two gopchang lovers arrived early on a Friday evening, waited briefly, and ate 1 mixed platter and 1 serving of beef gopchang at an outdoor table, with staff grilling the heart, gopchang and daechang (large intestine) until crispy and free of any gamey smell. The pick of the night was the daechang, crackly outside and juicy inside, and Bareun Hwangso Gopchang earned a 100% would-return verdict.

Written Jun 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Conveyor sushi for one in Seolleung: flatfish twice, Sushi Maiu

Sushi Maiu Seolleung Station Branch is a conveyor sushi restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, 150m from Seolleung Station Exit 5, where you tick an order sheet and each plate is made on the spot. Dining alone, the writer ate onion salmon, flatfish, aged kimchi (mukeunji) live-fish, tuna belly, shrimp and torched beef sushi, and reordered the onion salmon and flatfish once each. Verdict: Sushi Maiu Seolleung Station Branch is an easy, low-pressure spot for a fresh solo sushi meal near Seolleung Station.

Written Jun 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGuro, SeoulBars

Guro izakaya bar seats booked ahead: fresh wasabi sashimi, Sodam

Robatayaki Sodam Guro Digital Complex Branch is a Japanese robatayaki izakaya near Guro Digital Complex Station in Seoul. On a return visit, the writer reserved the bar counter seats they couldn't get last time and shared a two-person set of aged sashimi and mixed skewers, watching the skewers grill right in front of them. With pleasantly aged, sweet sashimi and tender skewers, Robatayaki Sodam proves it's about more than atmosphere.

Written Oct 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGuro, SeoulBars

Gudi Station bar for boneless chicken feet, ₩6,000 toast: Eulji Pocha

Eulji Pocha Guro Digital Complex Branch is a retro-alley-themed Korean pub near Gudi Station in Guro, Seoul, where food orders earn coins for a claw machine, cotton candy and a photo booth. The writer stopped in for a quick second round, ate spicy boneless chicken feet and a 6,000-won condensed-milk toast, watched the DJ requests and a taxi-fare rock-paper-scissors game, and stayed much longer than planned. Eulji Pocha Guro Digital Complex Branch is a Gudi Station bar to visit with plenty of time, not a quick stop.

Written Oct 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulBars

Friday 2nd-round izakaya in Sadang: tendon oden and draft beer, Susan

Susan Sadang Main Branch (수산 사당본점) is an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) near Sadang Station in Dongjak, Seoul. After a first round on a Friday evening, the writer came to Susan Sadang Main Branch for a second round and ordered beef tendon oden soup (fish cake hot pot) and draft beer instead of sashimi; the pot was full of fish cakes and generous beef tendon, and two people left full. Susan Sadang Main Branch's tendon oden soup is a second-round dish you order lightly that ends up keeping you drinking far longer.

Written Jun 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong Korean BBQ revisit: pork belly and scallion salad, Jeongyukdo

Jeongyukdo is a Korean BBQ restaurant on the second floor at Yanghwa-ro 6-gil in Mapo, Seoul, near Hapjeong Station, with both patio and indoor seating. The writer returned to Jeongyukdo with her husband on a hot day, ordered 2 servings of pork belly in the indoor dining room, and switched from bottled beer and soju to draft beer. She named pork belly wrapped with scallion salad (pa-chae) the best combination. Thanks to fresh meat and a neat, tidy atmosphere, Jeongyukdo is a pork belly spot near Hapjeong Station worth revisiting.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Sundaeguk restaurant near Guro Digital Complex: meaty bowl at Daedune

Daedune Sundaeguk Sillim (대두네 순대국 신림점) is a sundaeguk (Korean blood sausage soup) restaurant on Jowon-ro in Gwanak, Seoul, near Guro Digital Complex Station. It is run by the owner of Daedu Jokbal and is said to hold a gukbap master certificate. A regular-size sundaeguk came with as much meat as broth, well seasoned and free of any gamey smell, alongside a 6,000-won plate of yipsae mandu (leaf-shaped dumplings). Daedune Sundaeguk Sillim is worth a special trip for a generous, good-value bowl of sundaeguk.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong sushi date, no fishy taste: ₩24,000 Hap set at Sushi Sakaba

Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is a sushi restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building near Exits 3 and 4 of Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul, reportedly run by an owner-chef with an overseas fine-dining background. A couple who struggle with fishy-tasting fish ordered the ₩24,000 Hap set, billed as a "value omakase," with chawanmushi, cold udon, miso soup and salad, and enjoyed even the blue-backed fish and ankimo with no fishy taste. For a quiet date or blind date over a well-composed sushi set, the Hap set at Sushi Sakaba Hapjeong is worth recommending.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored