Stopover Menu Diarist · 71 stories

Menus Between Stops

I write about restaurant meals I find while moving around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons · Things to do · Bars · Shopping

PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Pay perilla wraps at Yongsan octopus grill Jjigaen Jjukkumi

Jjigaen Jjukkumi Yongmun Market Branch is a spicy octopus and pork belly restaurant on Wonhyoro 41-gil near Yongmun Market in Yongsan, Seoul. The meal ran as a course of spicy octopus with pork belly, steamed egg, a glass noodle add-on, and flying fish roe fried rice, and the best bite was a perilla leaf wrapped around octopus, bean sprouts, and flying fish roe sauce. Seoul Pay is accepted, so paying at Jjigaen Jjukkumi was easy too.

Written Sep 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeogwipo, JejuRestaurants

Seogwipo sashimi platter with soy shrimp: Tamra Hansang

Tamra Hansang is a Korean set-meal restaurant on Taepyeong-ro 353beon-gil in Seogwipo, Jeju. One order brings a mixed sashimi platter of flounder, mackerel, sweet shrimp and cutlassfish, then cutlassfish sashimi, fried cutlassfish, soy-marinated shrimp, dombe pork (sliced boiled pork), potato rice and seaweed soup. Tamra Hansang suits anyone who can't pick just one Jeju dish.

Written Aug 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Sizzling-plate mapo tofu and shumai: Jongno Chinese dinner, Cheonghwa

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is a Chinese restaurant in Jongno's Pimatgol alley in Seoul, 235m from Jonggak Station Exit 1, where beef knife-cut noodles come alongside dim sum. On an evening visit the order was beef knife-cut noodles, sizzling-plate mapo tofu and shrimp shumai: the hand-cut noodles change texture with the thickness of each cut, and the mapo tofu carries a strong mala aroma. Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is a good pick when you want noodles, a spicy dish and dim sum on one table.

Written Aug 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulCafés

Gwangjang Market bakery BEST3 6-pack with an 8-day chill label: Ssuk's

Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is a mugwort (ssuk) choco pie bakery at Gwangjang Market, near Exit 7 of Jongno 5-ga Station in Jongno, Seoul. Guided by the shop's BEST3 sign, the writer chose the 6-pack box, and opening it at home showed a thick cream layer between the chocolate and mugwort cake, with the back of the box listing 8 days refrigerated from the purchase date. Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is worth a stop for an unusual dessert or a Seoul travel gift.

Written Aug 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongno sushi with thick salmon sashimi and gaeari tempura: Choe Uyeong

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch (최우영스시야 종로점) is a sushi and sashimi restaurant on basement level 1, 235m from Exit 1 of Jonggak Station in Jongno, Seoul. Ordering from the table tablet, the writer had sushi alongside sashimi — thick-cut salmon, springy shrimp, soft scallop and tuna — then added king shrimp tempura and gaeari tempura at the end. For thick sashimi and a wide sushi spread at a fair price in Jongno, Choe Uyeong Sushiya is an easy choice.

Written Aug 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Daehangno pub two-pot dinner: spicy octopus and clam stew, Hyehwahwa

Hyehwahwa is a Korean pub in Daehangno, Jongno, Seoul, 146m from Exit 4 of Hyehwa Station. Straw-fired cauldron octopus and a spicy clam stew came to the table together at Hyehwahwa, finished with a knife-cut noodle add-on, plus a chocolate matcha ice cream from the Naver review event. A good pairing when you want spicy octopus and cool clam broth side by side.

Written Sep 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Jung-gu Seoul pork BBQ platter with naengmyeon: Geumseong Hoegwan

Geumseong Hoegwan Seoul City Hall Direct Branch is a charcoal pork BBQ restaurant on Namdaemun-ro 1-gil in Jung-gu, Seoul. Ordered from the table tablet, the pork platter came with zucchini and king oyster mushrooms to grill, a complimentary sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew), and added naengmyeon (cold noodles) and steamed egg custard rounded out a very filling meal. Geumseong Hoegwan is worth a stop when you want pork and naengmyeon on one table near Seoul City Hall.

Written Sep 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceEunpyeong, SeoulRestaurants

Gusan Station Korean BBQ with straw-fired minari pork belly: Oktopbang

Oktopbang is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Eunpyeong, Seoul, near Gusan Station Exit 2. The writer ordered minari samgyeopsal, jaksal samgyeopsal, and snowflake mokssal, all charcoal- and straw-fire pre-grilled and finished tableside by staff who also showed sauce and vegetable pairings, then wrapped up with yeolmu bibim guksu and a complimentary kimchi jjigae. Worth a visit if you like trying pork belly in several different combinations.

Written Sep 8, 2026Sponsored
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