Lunch First Sipper · 31 stories

Lunch Before Coffee

I write about cafes and restaurants I visit around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Seocho Station Korean BBQ if you dislike thick pork belly: Gyodaepae

Gyodaepae is a Korean BBQ restaurant on Seocho-daero 48-gil in Seocho, Seoul, between Gyodae Station and Seocho Station, specializing in chilled, fresh-sliced thin pork belly (daepae samgyeop). At Gyodaepae we had the 500g Gyodaepae set (43,000 won) with 150g of Hanwoo yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), steamed egg and rice, grilled on a cast-iron griddle: the thin pork belly turned crispy and the thick-cut pork neck came out crisp outside and juicy inside. If thick pork belly feels too heavy for you, Gyodaepae's tender thin-sliced pork is the one to try.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gyodae Station Korean BBQ with sofa seats & kiosk orders: Sodangkkae

Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip Gyodae Main Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant that grills pork on a cast-iron cauldron lid, on the 2nd floor of a side-street building near Exit 14 of Gyodae Station in Seocho, Seoul. After booking ahead, the writer ordered the Sodangkkae combo set for 2 and crab doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) on the table kiosk, then tried o-gyeopsal (five-layer pork belly), pork neck, the yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) included in the set and the spicy crab stew. With a large hall and soft sofa seats, Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip suits a work dinner or group gathering near Gyodae Station.

Written Jun 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Yeoksam Station burger pub: golden ale after work at Bass Burger

Bass Burger Yeoksam is a handmade burger restaurant in the basement (B1) of the Seongbo Building, a 1–2 minute walk from Yeoksam Station Exit 3 in Gangnam, Seoul. While waiting, the blogger snacked on unlimited potato chips from the self-serve bar, then shared a double bacon cheeseburger (set ₩15,700), a burger with pineapple, cheddar sauce fries, a stretchy cheese side and golden ale-style draft beer. Bass Burger Yeoksam is a great Yeoksam Station spot for a burger and a draft beer after work.

Written Jun 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Summer pork belly BBQ in Yangjae, grilled by staff: Namhang Kkeutjip

Namhang Kkeutjip Yangjae Main Branch (남항끝집 양재본점) is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Exit 2 of Yangjae Station in Seocho, Seoul, serving salt-grilled selected Handon (Korean-raised pork). The staff at Namhang Kkeutjip grill both the pork belly and pork neck and bring them to the table, so diners only pick up and eat, and side dishes like whole garlic, myeongi (pickled wild garlic leaves) and wasabi, along with a rich doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), pair well with the salt-grilled pork. For anyone who wants an easy Korean BBQ meal without the heat of the grill, even in summer, Namhang Kkeutjip is a good fit.

Written Jun 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Pub-style burgers at Gangnam Station: sweet potato fries, Bass Burger

Bass Burger Gangnam Samsung Town is a pub-style handmade burger restaurant near Exit 5 of Gangnam Station (Shinbundang Line) in Seocho, Seoul. At Bass Burger, the writer ordered a Hawaiian burger and a double cheeseburger with french fries and sweet potato fries, snacking on free-refill potato chips from the self-serve bar while waiting. Bass Burger Gangnam Samsung Town is a Gangnam Station burger spot worth visiting for the sweet potato fries and the neon-sign and brick-arch photo backdrops.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulThings to do

Seonjeongneung wedding hall for summer: breakfast corner, gelato, Arbe

Arbe Wedding Hall (아르베웨딩) is a house wedding hall on Bongeunsa-ro in Gangnam, Seoul, near Seonjeongneung Station. As a guest at a friend's wedding, the writer toured Arbe Wedding Hall's lobby drinks, photo book photo zone, single hall with arched lighting and 420-seat banquet room buffet. Arbe Wedding Hall's buffet, with a breakfast corner for morning guests and gelato for summer ceremonies, made it an especially satisfying Gangnam house wedding hall.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceIcheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Icheon Korean BBQ private room: fresh beef galbi for 2, Neul Gogi

Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch (늘고기집 이천본점) is a charcoal-grill galbi restaurant on Gyeongchung-daero in Icheon, Gyeonggi, displaying a banner for a National Assembly Speaker's Award grand prize. Two meat lovers grilled 3 servings of fresh (unmarinated) beef galbi over charcoal in a private room, with beef tendon doenjang stew and yellow rice pot rice, and found the side dishes and self-serve wrap vegetable bar generous. With well-marbled beef galbi and a spacious private car park, Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch is an easy beef galbi pick in Icheon if you're driving.

Written Jul 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Seocho katsu shop: cheese katsu combo and zaru soba, Baek Sojeong

Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal is a Japanese tonkatsu and soba restaurant near Exit 6 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station in Seocho, Seoul. At Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal, the writer ordered zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles with dipping sauce) and the cheese katsu combo; the soba came in a generous portion with a tsuyu dipping sauce that wasn't too salty, and the cheese katsu was packed full of cheese. Verdict: a filling choice for lunch or a solo meal near Nambu Bus Terminal.

Written Jul 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Old-school Blue Ribbon pork BBQ at Gyodae Station: Yuk Tongryeong

Yuk Tongryeong Gyodae Direct Store (육통령 교대직영점) is an old-school charcoal-grill black pork restaurant near Gyodae Station in Seocho, Seoul, with a Blue Ribbon Survey sticker at the entrance. The writer ordered the premium black pork ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly) and tojang jjigae (soybean paste stew) on a tablet; staff grilled the pork over charcoal, and it came with six sauces, garlic scapes and pickled wild garlic leaves (myeongi). With thick black pork, a solid spread of side dishes and a tofu-packed tojang jjigae, Yuk Tongryeong Gyodae Direct Store is a Gyodae Station pork belly spot worth trying at least once.

Written Jul 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Gangnam café, choco crunch tiramisu and metal-cup ade: Selected Nicks

Selected Nicks is a large dessert café and cultural space between Gangnam and Yeoksam stations in Seoul, with a basement gallery, a lounge and a rooftop. After browsing the 1st-floor goods and the dessert showcase, the writer had a handmade tiramisu topped with choco crunch balls, plus a fizzy drink and a yellow ade served in stainless steel metal cups. Selected Nicks is a café worth recommending for a meetup with friends or a date around Gangnam and Yeoksam.

Written Oct 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Cheongdam hair salon beige brown dye for roots and faded ends: Beorn

Beorn Hair Cheongdam is a hair salon in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, near Gangnam-gu Office Station. After a consultation, grown-out roots and ends that had faded to blotchy red and yellow were given a full color change to a clear, red-free beige brown, with the dye applied at staggered times to account for the tone gap between the roots and the previously dyed hair, so the color came out even. The beige brown dye at Beorn Hair Cheongdam suits anyone who wants to fix a visible root line and faded blotches in one go.

Written Oct 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Chinese lunch: chili dao xiao mian & beef noodles, Sinbok

Sinbok Myeongwan (신복면관) is a Chinese restaurant serving knife-shaved noodles (dao xiao mian) and dim sum in a basement shopping arcade near Exit 1 of Gangnam Station, Seoul. At lunch, mixed dao xiao mian, beef noodle soup and handmade dim sum were ordered on the table tablet. The mixed dao xiao mian, with chewy noodles topped with minced meat and cheongyang chili (a hot Korean green chili), and the beef noodle soup's non-greasy broth stood out. Sinbok Myeongwan is worth recommending for a Gangnam Station lunch or a dim sum meal.

Written Oct 1, 2026Sponsored