Mangwon Lane Regular · 7 stories

A Back Alley in Mapo

Writes about small restaurants tucked into Seoul's back streets. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés

Mangwon sashimi spot: raw shrimp with Buldak mayo, Mapo Bamdada

Mapo Bamdada (마포밤바다) is a Japanese-style sashimi restaurant on Woldeukeop-ro in Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, near Mapo-gu Office Station. The writer ordered the raw shrimp and flounder set (58,000 won) and seafood ramyeon (8,000 won). The highlights were free side dishes like braised pollack, clam soup and mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), chewy flounder layered two deep, and translucent raw shrimp served with what seemed to be a sriracha Buldak mayo sauce. Mapo Bamdada is a Mangwon sashimi restaurant where the sashimi, the side dishes and even the seafood ramyeon all deliver.

Written Oct 29, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Hapjeong café on a Mangwon outing: iced TWG cream caramel, Petrico

Petrico is a soufflé pancake dessert café on Jandari-ro in Mapo, Seoul, near Hapjeong Station. During a Mangwon and Hapjeong outing, the writer stopped at Petrico to study and ordered a fruit soufflé pancake, an iced TWG cream caramel and an iced americano made with a chosen coffee bean. The thick, fluffy soufflé and the crispy caramel banana stood out most. Petrico suits soufflé lovers and anyone looking for a Hapjeong or Hongdae café with parking.

Written Oct 29, 2026Sponsored

PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Gyukatsu at Seoul Station during a 350-team Hanjeongseon wait: Ichigyu

Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is a gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurant on basement level 1 of the LG Building at Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. Before catching a train, with 350 teams ahead on the waitlist at Hanjeongseon (한정선) at Seoul Station, the writer ordered two Ichigyu gyukatsu and grilled them on a mini stove with Isigny butter, two salads and sweet chili sauce. The gyukatsu was meltingly tender and the rest of the set was good too, making Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch a solid place to eat while killing time at Seoul Station.

Written Oct 24, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGwanak, SeoulCafés

Laptop café near SNU Station, outlets and caramel tigre: Pulse Line

Pulse Line Coffee is a black-and-red café on Gwanak-ro 14na-gil in Gwanak, Seoul, between Seoul National University Station and Nakseongdae Station. The writer ordered two signature Line Einspänners (cream-topped coffee) and a caramel tigre, and found that plenty of power outlets, a calm atmosphere and an 8am weekday opening made Pulse Line Coffee ideal for laptop work. Pulse Line Coffee is worth recommending both as a study café near Seoul National University Station and as a date café.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam eel restaurant: whole-eel bowl that passed 3 tests, Manmok

Manmok (만목) is a Japanese restaurant near Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul, specializing in Kanto-style eel rice bowls. A longtime eel bowl fan who has eaten at many well-known eel restaurants had the whole-eel bowl (39,000 won) with Ebisu draft beer for lunch and found that Manmok's eel bowl met all three of the writer's tests: no bones, good seasoning and a pleasing skin texture. The verdict: Manmok serves the best eel rice bowl the writer has had in Seoul, and it is recommended for wedding invitation get-togethers, dates and solo meals.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Sillim Indian restaurant, mandarin mango salad Set B: India Darbar

India Darbar (인디아 더르바르) is an Indian (Nepali) restaurant on the 2nd floor of 309 Sillim-ro, near Sillim and Danggok stations in Gwanak, Seoul, known for curry cooked by its native chefs. A couple ordered India Darbar's Set B as a course: lassi, a green salad topped with mandarin and mango sauce, 6 pieces of boneless chicken tikka, chicken makhani curry, naan and rice. The rich, tomato-based flavor of the chicken makhani stood out most. India Darbar is a solid pick in Sillim for a date or a solo meal when you want an Indian curry course.

Written Oct 3, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong restaurant for fire-sauce mentaiko monjayaki at 2pm: Jojo

Jojo Yeonnam Branch is a Japanese teppan restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 3, where monjayaki and okonomiyaki are grilled on the hotplate at your table. On a 2pm late lunch with a friend, the writer ordered mentaiko monjayaki and Jojo okonomiyaki, and a staff member cooked the monjayaki tableside. Topped with the spicy fire sauce, the monjayaki turned sweet and hot at once, making Jojo Yeonnam Branch an easy pick for a Yeonnam date course.

Written Sep 21, 2026Sponsored

You've reached the end · 7 stories