Quiet Table Regular · 11 stories

Quiet Table, Seoul Restaurants

Writes about small restaurants around Seoul worth a quiet visit. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceGwangjin, SeoulBars

Konkuk Univ. pub: fish cake stew and cheese potato fritters, Simsuljip

Simsuljip Konkuk University Entrance Main Branch (심술집 건대입구본점) is a retro-style Korean pub on Dongil-ro 24-gil near Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. Visiting with friends, the writer ordered suji odeng-tang (beef tendon and fish cake stew simmered on a tabletop burner) and cheese potato fritters made from thinly shredded potato fried until crisp. At Simsuljip, the stew and the fritters made a good combination for enjoying a broth dish and a pancake at once.

Written Oct 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulBars

Konkuk Univ. izakaya with a wall of sake: sashimi-skewer combo, Haru

Haru Konkuk Branch is a wood-toned izakaya on the 2nd floor near Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. Under a wall-length sake display and soft lighting, the writer ordered the Haru sashimi and 6 recommended skewers set (59,500 won): tuna, salmon and white fish sashimi alongside bacon-wrapped, chicken and glazed skewers. For two people who can't choose between sashimi and skewers, the Haru Konkuk Branch set is a good fit.

Written Oct 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant: sweet shrimp capellini dinner, Modam

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun (모담다이닝 광화문점) is a Korean dining restaurant on the B1 floor of Deoksugung The Palace in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. At dinner, two people ordered the abalone tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) set and the abalone shrimp jang (soy-marinated abalone and shrimp) with butter rice set at 40,000 won each and enjoyed them like a course, from mung bean porridge to plum tea. On that visit, some starters were swapped for sweet shrimp capellini and shiitake croquettes. With neat plating and a calm atmosphere, Modam Dining Gwanghwamun suits a meal treating parents or a special occasion.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulBars

Hannam-dong date izakaya: cherry-smoked lamb and tsukune at OSA Hannam

OSA Hannam is an izakaya in Hannam-dong, Yongsan, Seoul, with a black-toned interior, window seats with rattan chairs and gold lamps on every table. The writer ordered the OSA sushi platter, charcoal-grilled tsukune (chicken meatball skewers, ₩18,000) and cherry blossom–smoked lamb chop steak (₩38,000), enjoying everything from sushi to grilled meat in one sitting. OSA Hannam is worth shortlisting for a stylish Hannam-dong date or a slightly special dinner.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Mapo Station gyukatsu: personal grill and pot rice refills, Gyudo

Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch is a Japanese-style gyukatsu (beef cutlet) and yakiniku restaurant in the basement of the Obelisk arcade at Mapo Station, Seoul. The writer ordered the yakiniku gyukatsu set for two (47,000 won), grilled the gyukatsu and yakiniku side by side on a personal grill, and finished the pot rice with broth as scorched-rice tea and ochazuke. For anyone who wants to try two kinds of beef at once and leave full on rice, the Gyudo set is a great fit.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeongdeungpo lamb rib buffet, garden-like entrance: Yangnam Yanghwa

Yangnam Yanghwa (양남양화) is a premium all-you-can-eat lamb rib and lamb T-bone steak restaurant near Mullae Station in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. On a weekday around 8:30 pm the wait at Yangnam Yanghwa was about 10 minutes. At the bar seats, staff grilled the lamb over charcoal from start to finish, and the meal included three sides (seafood ramyeon, bibim-myeon and garlic rice) plus orange ice cream. Yangnam Yanghwa suits a date or a relaxed meal out when you want lamb without grilling it yourself.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Gangnam hair salon first 5-step clinic for tangled long ends: Beorn

Beorn Hair Cheongdam is a hair salon on the 2nd floor of a building on Seolleung-ro near Gangnam-gu Office Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer's long hair had dry, easily tangled ends, and her first-ever hair treatment was Beorn Hair Cheongdam's 5-step inner clinic: high- and low-molecular keratin, nano steam and a water-repellent coating left the hair smooth and glossy from the mid-lengths to the ends. For long hair that home-care treatments can no longer fix, the Beorn Hair Cheongdam inner clinic was a satisfying choice.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Jungnim-dong Korean BBQ with torch-finished pork belly: Doldam

Doldam Sutbuljip (돌담숯불집) is an old-school charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant on Jungnim-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul, near Chungjeongno Station. At Doldam Sutbuljip we ordered 2 servings of pork belly and then added beef rib meat; staff grilled the meat, brought it to the table and finished it with a torch, and the soft tofu stew and the salted pollock roe and barley doenjang (soybean paste) side dishes were also tasty. Doldam Sutbuljip suits a day when you want hot Korean BBQ without grilling it yourself.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulBars

Sindang izakaya I keep revisiting for asparagus kushikatsu: Ibangin

Ibangin Sindang (이방인) is a kushikatsu and aged-sashimi izakaya on Toegye-ro 87-gil in Sindang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. After more than five earlier visits, the writer returned to Ibangin for whole asparagus, cumin-mayo lamb, blackthroat seaperch (nodoguro) and cheese kushikatsu, plus a one-bite sashimi platter with Hallasan soju. Verdict: Ibangin Sindang is satisfying enough to keep coming back to for kushikatsu and drinks in Sindang.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Seolleung eel restaurant team dinner with Koshihikari rice: Manmok

Manmok is a Japanese eel restaurant on Seolleung-ro 82-gil near Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul. At a reserved table, the writer ordered one whole salt-grilled premium eel, half a sauce-grilled eel, Koshihikari rice and Ebisu draft beer to compare the two styles, then finished with black tea and matcha ice cream. Ordering Manmok's light salt-grilled eel together with the sauce-grilled eel served over rice is the most varied way to enjoy the eel.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Sindang gopchang restaurant, last table on a Monday: Jinseong Hanwoo

Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Sindang Direct Branch is a Korean beef gopchang (grilled beef intestine) restaurant on Dasan-ro in Sindang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, serving hanwoo gopchang, daechang and makchang. Arriving around 6pm on a Monday, the writer only just got in as the last customer, ordered one serving each of gopchang, daechang and makchang (19,000 won, 19,000 won and 20,000 won per 220g), had them grilled by staff and ate them with green onion kimchi, minari (Korean water parsley) garlic sauce and complimentary steamed egg, then finished with kkakdugi yangbap (radish kimchi fried rice). Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang is a memorable Sindang-dong gopchang spot for its clean-tasting offal with no gamy smell, three kinds of homemade kimchi and a minari garlic sauce worth a refill.

Written Sep 30, 2026Sponsored
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