Mapo Mirror Lunch · 25 stories

Mirror, Then Lunch

I write about beauty finds and restaurant meals around Seoul. · Writes about: Hair & beauty salons · Bars · Restaurants · Cafés · Shopping

PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiBars

Outdoor bar in Sinjungdong, Bucheon: pepperoni pizza at Geumbyeol Beer

Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong (금별맥주 신중동점) is a bar in the middle of the Sinjungdong outdoor-drinking street near Sinjungdong Station in Bucheon. A Bucheon local visited on a weekday when every table was full, explained how the waitlist works, and paired hot pepperoni pizza and Hanwoo yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) with gamtae (thin seaweed) with soju. With good-value food, a lively outdoor-table atmosphere and hours until 5 a.m., Geumbyeol Beer Sinjungdong works for both a first round and a second.

Written Jun 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulBars

Gangnam izakaya: salmon belly and torched white fish sashimi, Yoran

Yoran is an aged-sashimi izakaya on Bongeunsa-ro in Gangnam, Seoul, right in front of Samseongjungang Station. Two diners shared Yoran's seasonal assorted sashimi for 2, with tuna, salmon belly, flatfish, torched white fish, abalone, shrimp and squid, and found every piece consistently good with no fishy taste. The writer, a regular sashimi eater, ranks Yoran as the clear number one among the aged sashimi they have had recently.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Yeoksam Station Korean BBQ date: jingalbi with basil pesto, Raviok

Raviok Yeoksam Main Branch is a Korean beef BBQ restaurant on Teheran-ro 25-gil near Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, Seoul, known for its snowflake jingalbi (beef short rib) and Rabi galbi (LA-style marinated short ribs). At a window seat, a couple ordered 1 serving of snowflake jingalbi roast, 2 servings of Rabi marinated galbi and a spicy bibim kalguksu (cold mixed noodles); staff grilled everything to the end, the jingalbi paired well with wasabi and basil pesto, and the thick marinated galbi went best with scallion kimchi. The only regret was arriving without a bottle, unaware of the free weekend corkage, and Raviok Yeoksam's meat quality alone makes it worth a return visit.

Written Jul 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeohae, IncheonRestaurants

Luone City briquette BBQ: 6,400-won pork belly, oil-dip jowl, Euljiro

Euljiro Yeontan Gui Luone City Branch (을지로연탄구이 루원시티점) is a briquette-grilled Korean BBQ restaurant with a retro old-pub feel in the Luone City food alley near Gajeong Station in Incheon. After spotting pork belly at 6,400 won per serving on the menu board, the writer grilled pork belly and pork jowl over yeontan briquettes, helped themselves to unlimited meljeot (fermented anchovy sauce) from the self-bar, and finished with bean sprout hangover soup, doenjang stew and grilled pineapple. Euljiro Yeontan Gui Luone City Branch is a great-value BBQ spot near Gajeong Station, with meat far better than its low prices suggest.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Bucheon Korean BBQ, partitioned seats for 6 relatives: Dwaeji Gongbang

Dwaeji Gongbang Bucheon Okgil-dong Main Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant specializing in Iberico pork neck and Korean pork (handon) specialty cuts, located in the Okgil-dong food alley across from Sosa Police Station in Bucheon. Six relatives sat in the roomy partitioned seating at the back while staff grilled the thick-cut pork neck and the mixed platter, served with the complimentary soft tofu stew and buckwheat noodles in perilla oil. Verdict: Dwaeji Gongbang is a Bucheon BBQ spot well suited to family gatherings and group dinners.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeohae, IncheonRestaurants

Incheon aged hanwoo anniversary dinner, caviar uni: Suksung Myeongjak

Suksung Myeongjak Cheongna (숙성명작 청라) is an aged hanwoo (Korean beef) restaurant in Seohae, Incheon, between Cheongna and Lu One City. For a couple's anniversary, the writer brought their own wine with free corkage and ordered the Suksung Myeongjak aged tenderloin, caviar-topped sea urchin roe (uni), gochujang beef tartare (yukhoe), perilla oil buckwheat noodles and spicy seafood doenjang porridge. Suksung Myeongjak Cheongna delivered on atmosphere, service and beef, making it a satisfying anniversary dinner.

Written Jul 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeohae, IncheonHair & beauty salons

Cheongna hair salon blue dye to cancel red and yellow tones: Goeum

Goeum Hair Salon (고움헤어살롱) is a one-person hair salon run by a male owner-stylist in Cheongna Exlu Tower Building A, in Cheongna, Incheon. The writer's faded color had turned blotchy with red and yellow tones, so Goeum Hair Salon gave an all-over dye that uses blue, the complementary color, to even out the tone; the root line was barely visible and there was no greenish tint. For Cheongna residents who want to clean up brassy red and yellow tones after dyeing, the blue complementary dye at Goeum Hair Salon was a satisfying choice.

Written Oct 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiHair & beauty salons

Bucheon hair salon pre-wedding repair for damaged hair: Levia Hair

Levia Hair Bucheon Branch is a hair salon on the 3rd floor of the City Office building, right in front of Bucheon City Hall Station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, known for its repair clinic (bond-restoring treatment). After frequent dyeing and magic straightening left the writer's hair too damaged to comb, senior stylist Sora recommended the repair clinic, which smoothed the frizz and brought back shine and weight. For anyone who wants to fix damaged hair before a wedding color, the repair clinic at Levia Hair Bucheon Branch was worth trying.

Written Sep 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Half-updo and inner-double eye makeup at a Hongdae salon: Today Makeup

Today Makeup is a hair and makeup salon in Mapo, Seoul, a short walk from Hongik University Station (Hongdae Station). Ahead of a wedding dress fitting, the dress tour makeup package covered a toner-pack skin prep, clean inner-double eye makeup, and a half-updo filled out with side and front volume based on a reference photo. The clear skin finish and restrained color gave exactly the tidy bridal look the writer wanted.

Written Aug 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Hongdae izakaya with clam sake steam and pasta: Midosawa Sangsu

Midosawa Hongdae Sangsu Branch is a Japanese izakaya right in front of Sangsu Station in Mapo, Seoul, built around seafood dishes to go with drinks. At Midosawa the order was squid tempura and giant clams steamed in sake with pasta noodles added, and the noodles soaking up the butter-garlic broth were the best part. Sashimi and fish dishes are the real mains here, so book ahead if you want one of the better bars in Hongdae for both atmosphere and food.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBucheon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Chewy potato takeout at Angry Potato, a Bucheon food hall fries shop

Angry Potato Hyundai Department Store Jungdong Branch is a fries and fried chicken shop in the B1 food hall of Hyundai Department Store in Bucheon, Gyeonggi. We ordered four items to go — chewy potato, fries, whole mozzarella cheese sticks and Hot Crunch Chicken — and ate them at home, where the chewy potato clumped together slightly over time but kept a rice-cake-like chew. Since the freshly fried crispness is the whole point at Angry Potato, eat everything while it is still warm.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Yongsan hair salon root rebonding for severe curls: Oterre Namyeong

Oterre Namyeong is a 1:1 designer-appointment hair salon right in front of Namyeong Station Exit 1 in Yongsan, Seoul. After 20+ years of getting hair straightening treatments for severely curly, damage-prone hair, this root magic (root straightening) used just enough chemical solution for the hair to handle, with softening time checked section by section instead of one strong blast. The roots and flyaways came out smooth but not stiff — a satisfying result.

Written Sep 8, 2026Sponsored