Spoon Diary Writer · 13 stories

A Spoon Diary Through Seoul and Gyeonggi

Writes about restaurants she visits around Seoul and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Cafés

PlaceUijeongbu, GyeonggiCafés

String-light terrace café in Uijeongbu, black sesame Basque: Forerest

Forerest is a large café at 181 Nogyang-ro in Nogyang-dong, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, with parking for more than 100 cars and an outdoor terrace. The writer visited Forerest on a weekend evening, walked the string-lit terrace and the wood-chip entrance with its wooden stepping stones, and tried a black sesame Basque cheesecake, a café mocha, a vanilla latte and a lemonade. Verdict: with its forest-campsite mood and dense black sesame Basque cheesecake, Forerest is a great date café in Uijeongbu.

Written Nov 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Nonhyeon Korean BBQ: 4 thin pork cuts, slushy kimchi noodles, Daepae

Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch is a 24-hour Korean BBQ restaurant specialising in thin-sliced pork (daepae samgyeopsal), near Nonhyeon Station Exit 3 in Gangnam, Seoul. The four cuts ordered were thin-sliced pork jowl, chewy pork belly, flower pork belly and thin-sliced chewy pork neck. They were grilled with minari (water dropwort), bracken and mushrooms from the 2,000-won-per-person self-bar, and the meal finished with kimchi mari guksu (cold noodles in icy kimchi broth). Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch suits anyone who wants to sample several thin-sliced special pork cuts and grill as many vegetables as they like.

Written Nov 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Isu Station craft beer pub: 29-award porter & iron-tray set, Raymond

Raymond Isu Branch is a craft beer, pizza and chicken pub a 5-minute walk from Exit 10 of Isu Station in Dongjak, Seoul. At Raymond Isu Branch we ordered the signature Raymond Set (54,900 won) and the Peanut Butter Porter Ale (7,500 won), said to have won 29 international beer awards, and the set arrived on a large iron tray piled with 4 kinds of pizza, boneless chicken, sausage and truffle fries. Raymond Isu Branch suits groups of 2 to 4 who want pizza, chicken and beer all at once.

Written Nov 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ in Yeongdeungpo: makchang two ways at Galmakjip

Galmakjip (참나무장작구이 갈막집) is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Exit 5 of Yeongdeungpo Station in Seoul that serves pork skirt, makchang (pork large intestine) and pork skin pre-grilled over oak wood. The writer ordered 2 portions of pork skirt, plus makchang, pork skin and doenjang stew, and grilled them in the order the staff suggested. The makchang was grilled two ways, one piece rolled round and one spread flat, to compare the textures. With smoky, juicy specialty cuts, Galmakjip is a good choice for a work dinner or group meal in Yeongdeungpo.

Written Nov 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Sushi restaurant in Seolleung: 8 pieces, green tangerine squid, Sakai

Sakai is a sushi restaurant and izakaya (Japanese-style pub) on Yeoksam-ro 67-gil in Gangnam, Seoul, near Seolleung Station. The writer wrote 8 kinds of sushi on a Post-it order slip: bigfin reef squid, engawa (flounder fin), horse mackerel, gizzard shad, mackerel, chutoro, otoro and egg. Each piece came with its own topping, from green tangerine sauce and salt to wasabi, chopped scallion and chopped ginger, and that topping brought out its flavor. Verdict: Sakai is a recommended sushi spot in Seolleung for fresh neta (the topping fish) and well-seasoned shari (sushi rice).

Written Oct 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon Korean autumn set with mom and mustard brisket salad: Sutgarak

Sutgarak Bansang Masil (숟가락반상 마실) is a hanjeongsik (Korean set-course) restaurant on Nowon-ro in Nowon, Seoul, a 10-minute walk from Nowon Station Exit 1. The writer and her hanjeongsik-loving mom ordered the Masil set for 2 at 27,000 won per person, an autumn spread served in two rounds, from walnut brown rice porridge and flounder tangsu (sweet-and-sour fried flounder) to the Autumn Bite cold salad, medicinal-herb bossam, tteokgalbi, mushroom galbijjim and a chard and pine mushroom doenjang hot pot. Sutgarak Bansang Masil is a Nowon Korean restaurant that suits family gatherings and in-law meetings where a neat, elegant table matters.

Written Oct 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon sushi buffet with Mom: yellowtail sushi, chili pork, Kuu Kuu

Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch is a sushi buffet on the 6th floor of 247 Nowon-ro in Nowon, Seoul, near Hagye Station. The writer visited Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch with Mom and moved between stations for fatty tuna sushi, yellowtail sushi, LA galbi (Korean marinated short ribs), smoky stir-fried chili pepper and pork with flower buns, steamed crab and fruit. Kuu Kuu Nowon Branch has enough hot dishes to please family members who don't love sushi, making it a solid pick for a family get-together.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Itaewon Station restaurant: flame-grilled pork bones and udon, Nuri

Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch (누리마을감자탕 이태원점) is a 24-hour gamjatang (pork bone stew) and pork bone restaurant a one-minute walk from Itaewon Station Exit 4 in Yongsan, Seoul. The writer ordered the signature flame-grilled pork bones (small ₩38,000), added udon noodles to the complimentary pot of gamjatang broth, then fried seaweed fried rice in the leftover sauce. Nuri Maeul Gamjatang's flame-grilled pork bones combine tender meat, smoky flavor and a sweet-spicy sauce, and are best enjoyed with the noodles and fried rice.

Written Oct 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Anguk pizza restaurant pairing Valle Andino red wine: Low Five Anguk

Low Five Anguk is a casual Western-style restaurant on Bukchon-ro in Jongno, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Anguk Station Exit 2. The writer paired a half-and-half corn and Tex-Mex taco pizza and hot pot pesce pasta with Valle Andino red wine and a grapefruit ade, and found three dishes for two satisfying in variety, portion and taste. For a relaxed pizza and pasta meal with drinks in Bukchon, Low Five Anguk is a good fit.

Written Oct 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Mapo aged hanwoo restaurant: pumpkin pot rice lunch at Moyeon Mapo

Moyeon Mapo (모연 마포본점) is an aged hanwoo (Korean beef) restaurant near the Yonggang-dong meat alley in Mapo, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Mapo Station Exit 1. From the lunch specials, the writer ordered the charcoal-grilled marinated hanwoo & pot rice set and the lunch sirloin & pot rice set, which came with pumpkin, ginkgo and bean pot rice, doenjang (soybean paste) stew, soy-marinated abalone, and kelp and seaweed wraps. With private rooms and a neatly laid Korean spread, Moyeon Mapo is a strong pick for hosting guests or family gatherings.

Written Oct 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceEunpyeong, SeoulRestaurants

Eunpyeong ramen shop: kiosk help and hand-blended foam broth, Oreno

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong (오레노라멘 은평점) is a chicken-broth ramen shop on Bulgwangcheon-gil in Eunpyeong, Seoul, a 10-minute walk from Saejeol Station Exit 2. At Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong, a staff member stands by to help with the ordering kiosk, and from your seat you can watch the chef whip creamy foam broth with a hand blender. This visit included tori paitan (creamy chicken broth ramen) with tsukune (chicken meatballs) and karai paitan (spicy chicken broth ramen). Noodles, rice and broth are refillable, with an extra slice of meat on refills, which makes Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong especially good for big eaters.

Written Aug 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Yangju Korean BBQ: fresh short ribs over cold noodles at Manpo Galbi

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch is a charcoal-grilled beef and pork galbi (Korean BBQ ribs) restaurant on Songnang-ro in Yangju, Gyeonggi. We ordered fresh, unmarinated beef short ribs (250g for ₩38,000) and the weekday-lunch-only hand-cut galbi set for ₩19,000, then topped the set's mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) with the grilled short ribs. With a dedicated parking lot out front and private rooms, Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch made for an easy family meal.

Written Aug 7, 2026Sponsored