Busan Queue Stander · 15 stories
I write about food I’ve tried and places I’ve eaten in Korea. · Writes about: Food & snacks · Restaurants · Cafés · Home & living · Bars
Frank Coffin Bar Damyang is a bakery café in Meta Provence, right in front of the Metasequoia Road in Damyang, Jeonnam. The signature Frank Coffee (6,000 won) pairs a low-acidity blend with sweet cream, and the tissue bread, Mont Blanc and egg tart all had satisfying flaky layers. Frank Coffin Bar Damyang is a good place to rest with coffee and bread after a loop of the Metasequoia Road.
29 Tamago Euljiro Branch is a gimbap shop on the 2nd floor at 17-1 Mareunnae-ro, near Euljiro 3-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, specialising in keto gimbap (seaweed rolls) filled with a whole rolled omelette, fusion gimbap and fresh-pressed juice. Over dinner with a friend, the writer ordered keto tuna gimbap (10,500 won), keto crab stick gimbap, the 'protein bomb' (10,500 won), a rice paper salad gimbap (12,000 won) and jidan udon, udon topped with thin egg strips (7,000 won). The rolls contain no rice but are packed with vegetables, so the two friends couldn't finish them and took the leftovers home. For light but filling diet gimbap in Euljiro, 29 Tamago is worth recommending.
Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch is a 24-hour gukbap (soup and rice) restaurant in front of Deogyang-gu Office near Hwajeong Station in Goyang, Gyeonggi, open every day of the year. Two people shared the Pyeongando Set, small (₩34,000), over drinks: sliced pork, boiled pork, handmade meat sundae (Korean sausage) and spicy sul-guk (drinking soup). The meat had no gamey smell, the bone broth was rich and the house-made kimchi was a hit. Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch suits anyone who prefers meat sundae to glutinous rice sundae and wants a generous, good-value spot for drinks.
Omil Hongdae is a pasta and omurice (omelet over fried rice) restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building on Yanghwa-ro, right in front of Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. The blogger ordered the ₩48,700 set for two at Omil Hongdae: Halloween rubber duck omurice, gochujang butter pasta, whole fried corn and 2 drinks. The gochujang butter pasta topped with sous vide pork neck was especially addictive. With cute plating and generous portions, Omil Hongdae is a solid pick for a date meal in Hongdae.
Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch is an aged sashimi restaurant on the 3rd floor of a building near Jonggak Station in Jongno, Seoul, known for partitioned seating and free corkage. Three people ordered the small aged sashimi platter for two (₩69,000), the seasonal swordtip squid mulhoe (cold raw fish soup, ₩35,000), a red snow crab tomalley cream croquette and hanwoo yukhoe tangtangi (Korean beef tartare). One small platter was just right for three, and the squid mulhoe came in a generous portion. Suksseong Susan is on the pricey side, but the seafood and vegetables are good enough to justify it.
Hanamato Sangam DMC is a two-floor izakaya (Japanese-style pub) near Digital Media City Station in Sangam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. The writer ordered Set No. 5 (37,000 won) with 5 kinds of oden (Japanese fish cake hot pot), mentaiko cheese potato and 5 yakitori skewers, then added pineapple sherbet for dessert, and especially liked the moist skewers and the clean oden broth. For a wedding afterparty at Sangam's DMC Tower Wedding Hall or any group get-together, Hanamato Sangam DMC is well worth recommending.
Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch (로바다야끼소담 여의도점) is a Japanese-style izakaya focused on charcoal-grilled skewers, located between Yeouido Station and Saetgang Station near the KBS Annex in Yeouido, Seoul. On a nearly full Friday after work, the writer had Set 1 (43,000 won, discounted to 40,000 won), with grilled mackerel, 11 kinds of mixed skewers in 13 pieces and Kansai oden soup, plus draft beer. Verdict: Robadayakki Sodam serves this quality of food at this price in Yeouido, making it a good-value pick for both company dinners and dates.
Gusa Yeonnam is a Japanese teppanyaki izakaya on the B1 floor of Yeontral Tower in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. On a weekend 5pm reservation at the bar seats, the writer ordered the 66,000 won signature wagyu set for two: a wagyu platter, mentaiko cream udon and a Fukuoka mentaiko cheese rolled omelet. Gusa Yeonnam suits dates and group outings where you want to watch the teppan cooking and try several dishes at once.
Bao Seoul Chungmuro is a Taiwanese restaurant on Toegye-ro 27-gil, between Euljiro and Chungmuro in Seoul. The writer ordered the set for two (₩46,000): a classic bao, a dongpo pork rice bowl, Taiwanese beef noodle soup and drinks. The food came out fast, portions were generous, and gat kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi) and cabbage pickles cut the richness of the pork belly. Bao Seoul Chungmuro is worth a stop when you want a taste of a Taiwan trip at a reasonable price.
Yunseul is a shabu-shabu and hot pot restaurant in Grand Central at Seoul Station, in Jung-gu, Seoul. With the 59,000-won set for two, the blogger chose spicy mushroom broth, prime chuck, a minari and roe pancake, gondre (Korean thistle) porridge and bulgogi kimchi fried rice; the mushroom platter, which includes lion's mane mushroom, and the barley-rice kimchi fried rice stood out most. Yunseul's spacious, tidy dining room makes it an easy pick for wedding invitation dinners, team dinners and dates.
Jeongyukdo (정육도) is a charcoal-grill Korean BBQ restaurant in an alley in front of Exit 5 of Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul, serving aged 1++ hanwoo beef and special cuts of Korean pork, with outdoor seating in its garden. The writer walked in on a weeknight evening without a reservation, got an outdoor table, and ate the 49,000-won Korean pork set (listed as 500g but served at 538g), hanwoo doenjang stew and an extra order of fresh pork galbi (18,000 won). Jeongyukdo near Hapjeong Station has excellent meat and a quiet alley, making it a good Seoul Korean BBQ spot for a calm patio dinner.
Pujutgan Saenggogi-jeom (푸줏간생고기점) is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, where raw pork is grilled on a cauldron lid, about a 5-minute walk from Wangsimni Station Exit 10. Three people ate 4 servings (180g each) of pork belly, pork neck, gabrisal (shoulder-cap cut) and galmaegisal (skirt meat). They finished with unlimited refills of brisket doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles) with minced-meat sauce and janchi guksu (warm noodle soup). With every pork dish at ₩20,000, free corkage and bottomless after-meal dishes, Pujutgan Saenggogi-jeom is a great-value pick for group gatherings.
