Two Meal Keeper · 34 stories

Lunch and Dinner

I write about meals at restaurants I visit in Busan and Gyeongnam. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Things to do · Shopping

PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Hangover rib soup for two and iced matcha, Seomyeon: Gang Galbitang

Gang Galbitang Seomyeon is a galbitang (beef short rib soup) and gukbap restaurant right next to Bujeon Market in Seomyeon, Busan. A regular who has kept coming back since last June ordered 2 servings of Gang Galbitang with iced oolong tea and iced matcha, and also noted the frozen meal kit, which keeps for 3 months. Thanks to its Hanwoo beef bone broth, made every morning, Gang Galbitang Seomyeon is a solid pick in Seomyeon for a hangover cure or a hearty lunch.

Written Apr 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongnae, BusanHair & beauty salons

Lash salon in Dongnae, Busan: eye-shape consult and tight curl, Imin

Imin Beauty Dongnae Main Branch (아이민뷰티 동래본점) is a lash perm and makeup salon on the 1st floor of Hanjin Town Shopping Complex in Dongnae, Busan. Two months after a previous perm had fully dropped, a tight curl was requested; the owner at Imin Beauty first checked the space between brow and eye, judged that a tight curl would not look overdone, and then did a moisture nutrient perm in about 60 minutes. The moisture nutrient perm was comfortable enough to fall asleep with no eye stinging, and the tight curl came out naturally defined, making it easy to skip an eyelash curler.

Written Apr 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHaeundae, BusanRestaurants

Songjeong Chinese spot, stone jjamppong set for two: Songjeong Dol

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong (송정돌짬뽕) is a Chinese restaurant serving jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) in a hot stone bowl, right in front of Songjeong Beach on Songjeonggwangeogol-ro in Haeundae, Busan. Two people shared the set of medium stone jjamppong and mini sticky-rice tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork). The jjamppong came loaded with seafood and bean sprouts, with a tasty nurungji (scorched crust) at the bottom of the bowl, and the tangsuyuk was crisp outside and unusually chewy inside. Songjeong Dol Jjamppong gets portion size, flavor and an after-meal seaside walk all right.

Written Apr 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Japanese curry in Jeonpo, Busan: a no-fail first order, Sarugak20

Sarugak20 is a Japanese curry restaurant in a basement near Exit 8 of Jeonpo Station in Busanjin, Busan, across from the Jeonpo Community Center. The writer visited Sarugak20 with an older friend and ordered half-and-half curry, brisket cream curry and a sweet potato cheese croquette with a Coke and a lemon-lime soda, enjoying mild Japanese curry in a calm, naturally lit room. Sarugak20 is an easy pick when you want a quiet meal away from Jeonpo's crowds.

Written Apr 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGumi, GyeongbukShopping

Gumi florist: red and ivory rose bouquet for Mom, Gumi Flower

Gumi Flower Bisan-jeom is an unmanned flower shop on Suchul-daero 3-gil in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. For Mom's birthday family dinner, the writer picked up a red and ivory rose, lisianthus and gerbera bouquet that the writer's sister had pre-ordered, collecting it from the shop's flower fridge, and noticed that 100 roses cost ₩55,000. Gumi Flower Bisan-jeom is a handy Gumi flower shop for pre-ordered birthday bouquets or when you urgently need flowers late at night.

Written Nov 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceChilgok, GyeongbukRestaurants

Birthday Korean BBQ in Chilgok with grilled minari: Yaksamgol Garden

Yaksamgol Garden (약샘골가든) is an outdoor Korean BBQ restaurant in Yakmok-myeon, Chilgok, Gyeongbuk, near Gumi, where you grill meat at open-air tables. For a birthday, the writer booked outdoor seats with family and ordered the mixed set of pork belly, pork neck, duck, sausage and shrimp, plus Cheongdo minari (water dropwort), spicy meat doenjang stew and cheese fried rice, with sweet potatoes roasted in a wood-fired hearth for dessert. For a group or dog-friendly meal in the fresh air, the Yaksamgol Garden mixed set is a great fit.

Written May 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, BusanRestaurants

Nampo Japanese eatery on Children's Day: chicken skin gyoza, Daidokoro

Daidokoro Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch is a Japanese set-meal restaurant on the 10th floor of the Aqua Mall at Lotte Department Store Gwangbok, directly connected to Nampo Station in Busan. On Children's Day the writer's family ordered a meat udon set, a fried shrimp curry set, chicken skin gyoza (Japanese dumplings) and draft beer. Character decor, ketchup-face fried eggs and milk pudding made the meal work well with kids. Daidokoro is an easy, reliable pick for Busan families who want shopping and a meal in one trip.

Written May 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNam-gu, BusanCafés

Daeyeon-dong café: Melona-flavor bingsu with honeycomb, Taerae Queen

Taerae Queen Kyungsung University Branch is a taerae bingsu (shaved milk ice in thread-like strands) dessert café in Daeyeon-dong, Nam-gu, Busan, near Gyeongseongdaebugyeongdae Station. The writer ordered the couple-size Melona-flavor taerae bingsu, served with honeycomb and fresh melon. The 100% milk-based strands melt softly and pair well with the sweetness of the honeycomb. For a bingsu with an unusual texture, the Melona-flavor taerae bingsu at Taerae Queen Kyungsung University Branch is worth a try.

Written Nov 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGyeongju, GyeongbukRestaurants

Hwangnidan-gil pot rice with a friend: galbi & turmeric, Handa Sot

Handa Sot Gyeongju (한다솥 경주점) is a Korean restaurant on Cheomseong-ro in Hwangnidan-gil, Gyeongju, specializing in pot rice (sotbap) and fish grilled in a 500℃ kiln. Right after arriving in Gyeongju, the writer and a friend had lunch there: galbi pot rice and a kiln-grilled pork bulgogi set with turmeric pot rice. There was a wait even at 1 p.m., but the tender galbi, fluffy pot rice and nurungji (scorched rice) tea to finish made it worth it. For a neat, filling meal between sights, Handa Sot Gyeongju is a good fit.

Written May 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, BusanRestaurants

Solo burger in Nampo, Busan: butter-toasted sesame bun at Downtowner

Downtowner Busan Lotte Gwangbok is a handmade burger shop on B1 of Aqua Mall in Lotte Department Store Gwangbok, Nampo, Busan. The writer stopped in alone on the way home from Haeridan-gil, ate the signature Downtowner Single and garlic butter fries in the shop, and took a burger and onion rings to go. With its butter-toasted sesame bun and juicy beef patty, Downtowner Busan Lotte Gwangbok is a solid pick when you want a proper handmade burger in Nampo.

Written May 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGeumjeong, BusanRestaurants

Japanese eatery near Busan Univ.: solo roe cream pasta, Gatjidong

Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch is a Japanese-style rice restaurant in Geumjeong, Busan, near Exit 5 of Oncheonjang Station and across from Pusan National University's South Gate. After a photo shoot at the university, the writer stopped at Gatjidong alone and reordered a favorite, the low-salt whole pollock roe cream pasta with a pear ade, along with cream soup, miso broth and rice from the unlimited self-serve bar. With bar seating and free parking, Gatjidong Busan Jangjeon Branch is a solid pick for a filling solo meal or a drive-in visit.

Written Nov 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHaeundae, BusanRestaurants

Pre-work European meal in Haeundae: gnocchi & margherita, Bueokgan

Bueokgan Haeundae Branch (부엌간 해운대점) is a European restaurant with a vintage British classic hotel theme, on the 2nd floor of a building on Dalmaji-gil in Haeundae, Busan. Returning after 2 years for a meal before work, the writer ordered truffle mushroom cream gnocchi, basil margherita pizza, a single grapefruit drink and batch brew coffee, and enjoyed both the chewy gnocchi and the clean-tasting pizza. Two years on, Bueokgan Haeundae Branch still has the same tidy space and atmosphere.

Written Oct 29, 2026Sponsored