Little Drawer Keeper · 5 stories

Small Drawer, Seoul Beauty and Restaurants

Writes about beauty counters and neighborhood restaurants around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwanghwamun Chinese restaurant date: butter tangsuyuk at Bobo Sikdang

Bobo Sikdang Gwanghwamun (보보식당) is a modern Chinese restaurant in Gwanghwamun, Jongno, Seoul, run by Chef Jang Bo-won of Culinary Class Wars 2, on the first basement floor of a building linked underground to Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2. On a booked date night, a married couple shared butter tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), gan-jjajang (dry black bean noodles), mapo tofu rice and meat jjamppong (noodle soup) until they were stuffed. With creative dishes unlike a typical Chinese restaurant, private rooms and parking, Bobo Sikdang Gwanghwamun is a reliable pick for anything from a date to a group dinner.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Sangam-dong eel restaurant: stamina meal for my husband, Ryeok

Ryeok Minmul Jangeogui Jeonmunjeom (력 민물장어구이) is a freshwater eel restaurant in an alley in Sangam-dong, Mapo, Seoul, near Digital Media City Station. To build up a husband worn out by frequent business trips, the writer booked through Naver and ordered salt-grilled and seasoned eel (230g per serving, ₩27,000–₩28,000) with bokbunja (Korean black raspberry wine), along with the spicy fish stew and scallops that come with every eel order. Ryeok Minmul Jangeogui Jeonmunjeom is a comfortable, smoke-free place for eel, well suited to family dinners, Digital Media City work dinners or a Chobok (first dog day of summer) stamina meal.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Sangam-dong hair salon: short men's cut and side down perm, JUNO Hair

JUNO Hair Sangam DMC is a hair salon in Sangam-dong, Mapo, Seoul, near Digital Media City Station, with a large car park and free parking. The writer's husband booked designer Taeyeon through Naver Reservation, swapped his usual two-block side-part perm for a shorter men's cut, and had a down perm on the sides and back, which neatly tamed hair that kept sticking up; he also got tips for blow-drying at home. JUNO Hair Sangam DMC is an easy Sangam-dong salon to reach by car, with careful consultations for men's cuts and down perms.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Pregnancy-friendly Korean BBQ at Mapo Station, Seoul: Mapo Gui Madang

Mapo Gui Madang Yonggang Direct Branch is a pork belly and frozen pork belly (naengsam) restaurant on the Yonggang-dong food street near Mapo Station in Seoul. A heavily pregnant regular, close to her due date, started with 200g of whole pork belly (₩13,900), added two more rounds of 200g frozen pork belly (₩9,900), and finished with fried rice at ₩5,000 per serving. Her verdict: the backrest chairs at Mapo Gui Madang kept her comfortable late in pregnancy, and the green onion kimchi and naengsam have made it her go-to Korean BBQ spot for years.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong bossam spot with mild bibim kalguksu: Pyeongidambaek

Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu Main Branch is a Korean restaurant for bossam (boiled pork wraps) and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) between Hapjeong and Mangwon stations in Mapo, Seoul. On a summer day with little appetite, the writer arrived for an early 5 p.m. dinner and ordered a medium bossam and bibim kalguksu, whose sweet, tangy and spicy sauce was manageable even for someone who can't handle heat. The noodles were chewy, and although there is no on-site parking, the Cheonggiwa2 street public parking lot is a 1–2 minute walk away, making Pyeongidambaek an easy, satisfying pick for a light summer meal.

Written Aug 9, 2026Sponsored
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