Thin Ladle Keeper · 18 stories

A Thin Ladle in Mangwon

Writes about small restaurants around Seoul, mostly the ones tucked into side streets. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Bars · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceGwangjin, SeoulBars

Konkuk date-night bar: mud duck in fried dumpling wraps at Ari Valley

Ari Valley Konkuk is a three-floor Korean pub in the Konkuk food alley in Gwangjin, Seoul, near Konkuk Univ. Station Exit 2. On a long-overdue evening out in Konkuk, the writer wrapped the signature mud duck jeonbyeong (whole fried duck with wraps, ₩19,900) in lettuce and fried dumpling wrappers. The writer also added smoky chicken yukjeon (battered pan-fried chicken, ₩10,900) and paired both with beer. Ari Valley Konkuk suits a date where you want unusual Korean bar food in a traditional setting.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored

PlaceNamyangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dasan New Town Korean BBQ with paper-foil nurungji rice: Eungbongjip

Eungbongjip Dasan Station Branch is a frozen samgyeopsal (pork belly) restaurant on the first floor of the Jungwon Duplex building in Namyangju, Gyeonggi, near Dasan Station. The Kkotsam-i Set costs 37,000 won and brings two servings of pork belly plus one serving of flower pork collar; adding bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles, 7,000 won) and kkakdugi fried rice (3,000 won) rounds out the meal, and the fried rice pressed under paper foil into a crispy nurungji (scorched rice) crust was the highlight. Eungbongjip is an easy pick in Dasan New Town for frozen pork belly and a proper fried rice finish in one sitting.

Written Aug 17, 2026Sponsored

PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido lunch spot for half-and-half chicken rice: Jeongyun Kitchen

Jeongyun Kitchen is a Singaporean home-cooking restaurant on the 2nd floor of Gongjak Sangga, 182m from Exit 1 of Yeouinaru Station in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. A couple arrived during the office lunch rush, waited 5-10 minutes for a table, and shared a Singapore chicken rice half-and-half (17,000 won) and a red curry chicken rice (16,000 won). With cilantro and cucumber checked off at the tablet order and free rice refills, Jeongyun Kitchen works well for two people with different tastes.

Written Aug 15, 2026Sponsored

PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Yongsan ramen dinner: mild vs spicy dongpo pork sets, Menya Seoul

Menya Seoul Yongsan I'Park Mall Branch is a ramen restaurant inside the Taste Park food court on the 7th floor of Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. After a full day of fandom touring around the city, two dongpo pork chashu ramen sets made dinner — one with mild broth and crispy gyoza, one with spicy broth and karaage. Both sets cost 17,900 won and came with two thick pieces of dongpo pork (braised pork belly) and two chashu slices, enough to end the day full.

Written Aug 17, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Ttukseom Station dessert café 15-minute wait for Guanaja 40: Notldun

Notldun is a premium dessert café on Seoul Forest 2-gil in Seongdong, Seoul, run by pastry chef Kim Myeong-jun of Cheonha Bakery and chef Ha Min-jae of The Dessert. On a weekday afternoon, timed to her husband's day off, the writer waited about 15 minutes at the door on her second visit, then ordered the new Guanaja 40 (18,000 won) with an iced Americano and a grapefruit ade, and a dark chocolate latte came with the cake as part of a Valrhona 40th anniversary set. The deep, bittersweet cacao and the layers of texture in one bite made the second visit to Notldun just as satisfying.

Written Sep 21, 2026Sponsored

PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Ichon-dong brunch café in Seoul: green onion cream pasta at Mellang

Mellang is a brunch café in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, a 10-minute walk from the National Museum of Korea. After touring the museum, a married couple took a window seat at Mellang and ordered the green onion cream pasta and the French toast, each 19,000 won. The green onion cream sauce tasted lighter than most cream pastas and the French toast came topped with vanilla ice cream, making Mellang an easy choice for a meal after a museum date.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored

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