Sharp Focus Eater · 48 stories

Meals in Focus

I write about meals and impressions from restaurants I visit in Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Bars · Things to do · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Pet-friendly Hongdae Korean BBQ, cubed pork neck & sirloin: Gogikkun

Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch is a hanok-style, pet-friendly Korean BBQ restaurant beside the Gyeongui Line Forest Park path in Mapo, Seoul. The writer and her husband ordered the Korean pork and hanwoo (Korean beef) set for 2, with pork neck, galbi-sal (rib finger meat) and the hanwoo of the day, plus half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles) and cubed pork fried rice; staff grilled the day's sirloin and the thick cubed pork neck at the table. Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch is most satisfying when you start with the set and add the sides.

Written May 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Magok Korean BBQ: yukhoe wraps, mustard-leaf kimchi at Chadol Grill

Chadol Grill Magok (차돌그릴 마곡) is a charcoal-grilled beef brisket restaurant on the 1st floor of GMG Tower, near Exit 3 of Magok Station in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. A couple ordered the hanwoo (Korean beef) brisket yukhoe ssam (raw beef wraps) and aged brisket, wrapping cold yukhoe in hot grilled brisket. They loved the contrast of temperature and texture, the sauce that wasn't too salty and the crunchy mustard-leaf kimchi. Chadol Grill Magok is a different kind of Korean BBQ meal at Magok Station when the usual pork belly feels boring.

Written May 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Hongdae café: strawberry Valrhona soufflé gone in 10 min, Think Fruit

Think Fruit (띵크프룻) is a soufflé dessert café on Wausan-ro 29-gil in Mapo, Seoul, near Exit 7 of Hongik Univ. Station. Visiting with a friend, the writer ordered a strawberry Valrhona chocolate soufflé and two iced Americanos, and the rich Valrhona chocolate, Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberry slices disappeared in under 10 minutes. Think Fruit's strawberry Valrhona chocolate soufflé is a special dessert worth the 20–30 minute wait.

Written May 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangcheon, SeoulRestaurants

Gopchang restaurant in Mokdong: mustard leaf kimchi refills, Omokgyo

Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch is a beef gopchang (small intestine) restaurant on Mokdongdong-ro in Yangcheon, Seoul, near Omokgyo Station. On an early-evening visit with her husband, the writer sat at a window seat with the windows open and ate handmade garlic gopchang, makchang and dongchimi noodles, liking the house-made mustard leaf kimchi enough to order refills. Omokgyo Gopchang is even better value if you arrive before 6 pm on a weekday for a free serving of makchang and park at E-Mart Mokdong.

Written May 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Window-seat shabu-shabu date in Magok: draft beer at Okso Ban

Okso Ban Magok Main Branch (옥소반 마곡본점) is a shabu-shabu restaurant near Exit 9 of Balsan Station in Magok, Seoul, known for its chandelier interior and unlimited vegetable refills. On a dinner date at a window seat, the writer ordered the basic Dinner Shabu-shabu Set A (jeongak cut) with 2 draft beers and finished with abalone porridge; the meat was sliced to order and tender, and vegetable and broth refills came generously, with no awkwardness about asking. For a quiet, atmospheric date dinner in Magok, Set A alone at Okso Ban Magok Main Branch is satisfying enough.

Written May 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGoyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Ilsan kalguksu restaurant for half-meat, half-kimchi mandu: Daejong

Daejong Kalguksu Ilsan Main Branch (대종칼국수 일산본점) is a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant on the first floor of Eastern City near Jeongbalsan Station in Ilsan, Goyang. At a busy lunchtime with a wait, the order was bone broth kalguksu, beef brisket bibim kalguksu and handmade mandu (dumplings) mixed half meat, half kimchi; the rich bone broth and the generously topped bibim kalguksu were both satisfying. Verdict: the handmade mandu, especially the meat mandu, was the best of the three dishes at Daejong Kalguksu.

Written Oct 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Hapjeong seafood pub for dates: hanchi squid and fried squid, Ppaeret

Ppaeret (빼레) is a quiet seafood pub in Hapjeong, Mapo, Seoul, about a 6-minute walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 6 on Dongmak-ro 5-gil. The writer and her husband ordered hanchi (mitre squid) sashimi for 60,000 won, which comes as a set with fried squid, plus a flounder and chamnamul (Korean wild greens) miso salad for 35,000 won and Hallasan soju for 8,000 won a bottle. Her husband, who is fussy about seafood, called Ppaeret the best izakaya he had ever been to. For a quiet Hapjeong seafood bar where a date or blind date can actually talk, Ppaeret's hanchi squid set is a good choice.

Written Jun 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Sangsu izakaya bar seats with my husband: tebasaki & udon, Soottori

Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong is an Osaka-style skewer izakaya (Japanese pub) on Dongmak-ro 9-gil, between Sangsu Station and Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer sat at the bar with her husband, ordered the Osaka black pepper tebasaki (chicken wing) set, added rump, knee cartilage and tsukune (chicken meatball) skewers, and finished with kimchi fried tofu udon. Ordering a set as the base and adding 1–2 single skewers was the best-value way to enjoy Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong.

Written Jun 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGimpo, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gimpo shabu-shabu restaurant: packed noon lot, radish kimchi, Homilwon

Homilwon Shabu Kalguksu Gimpo Main Branch is a shabu-shabu and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) restaurant in Geolpo-dong, Gimpo. Its signature Hansang Gadeuk Special is sanghwang mushroom broth shabu-shabu served with stir-fried baby octopus (jjukkumi) and bossam (boiled pork). The writer and her husband came at 12 noon on a weekday for the 19,900 won Hansang Gadeuk Special Sanghwang Shabu Kalguksu, then went back to the self-bar for unlimited beef-mushroom radish rice and yeolmu (young radish) kimchi. Verdict: Homilwon Gimpo is worth recommending for a family meal out or a Gimpo date when you want a shabu-shabu, octopus and bossam full course for under 20,000 won.

Written Jun 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuCafés

Jeju Airport bakery: baguette sandwich with free coffee, Bakery Onyu

Bakery Onyu (베이커리 온유) is a master baker's bakery at 80 Ujeong-ro in Jeju City, on the way toward Oedo, and a local favorite with Jeju residents that is easy to stop at right before Jeju Airport. Before returning their rental car, the writer and her husband picked up 2 baguette sandwiches (which came with 2 free iced Americanos), a Jeju Manong baguette (garlic baguette), a Maple Fantasy, financiers and a salt bread, and the Jeju Manong baguette won them over. With its own parking lot and a generous bread lineup, Bakery Onyu is a great last-day bread stop on a Jeju trip.

Written Jun 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeogwipo, JejuRestaurants

Rose-season Korean brunch in Jungmun, Jeju: Catch Table remote queue

Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap (중문고등어쌈밥) is a Korean restaurant on Iljuseo-ro in Jungmun, Seogwipo, Jeju, serving mackerel ssam-bap (rice with leafy wraps) and braised mackerel, with a rose garden that starts at the entrance and is free for diners. During rose season, the writer stopped mid-drive for an early brunch of aged-kimchi mackerel ssam-bap for 2 and a giant grilled tilefish. The food was spicy but not harsh and easy for a morning meal, and it was followed by abalone stone-pot rice and scorched-rice tea. Jungmun Godeungeo Ssam-bap suits Jeju travelers who want flowers and a hearty Korean breakfast in one stop.

Written Jun 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuShopping

Jeju Dongmun Market gift shop: 2 oranda boxes gone in the break room

Cheongchuni Oranda Dongmun Market Main Branch Tapdong is a souvenir shop in Dongmun Market, Jeju, selling soft handmade oranda (puffed grain candy bars) bound with grain syrup. After tasting samples on the last day of the trip, the writer bought two 23,000-won oranda gift sets with 4 flavors each and set them out in the office break room, where coworkers praised them and the boxes were gone in no time. For coworkers tired of tangerine chocolate, the Cheongchuni Oranda gift set was a can't-miss choice.

Written Jun 16, 2026Sponsored