Open Jar Wanderer · 21 stories

The Open Jar

I write about beauty products I use in everyday routines. · Writes about: Beauty products · Restaurants · Food & snacks · Cafés

PlaceYuseong, DaejeonRestaurants

Korean BBQ for four in Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon: Sanjang Samgyeop

Sanjang Samgyeop Daejeon Bongmyeong is a pork belly restaurant in Bongmyeong-dong, Yuseong, Daejeon, where the staff grill all the meat before serving it. Two couples with children, four adults in total, ordered the minari pork belly set for 4 and ate pork belly grilled with minari (water dropwort), mushrooms, gosari (bracken) and bean sprouts, plus the Hanu daechang jjageuli (Korean beef intestine stew) that comes with the set, without worrying about grease or smoke. With its wooden mountain-cabin interior and wide tables, Sanjang Samgyeop is a Bongmyeong-dong Korean BBQ spot that suits company dinners and family gatherings with kids.

Written May 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceCheongju, ChungbukRestaurants

Cheongju snack bar with curry-scented sweet tteokbokki: Bubuduri

Bubuduri Tteokbokki is an old-school, school-gate-style snack bar in the Bongmyeong-dong food alley in Cheongju, Chungbuk. The full snack set included sweet tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) with a hint of curry, chewy sundae (Korean blood sausage), fish cake and mixed fritters, and one fish cake serving with broth and 3 twisted fish cake skewers was ₩3,000. Bubuduri Tteokbokki is a cheap, tasty snack bar worth recommending in Bongmyeong-dong.

Written May 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongRestaurants

Couple's sweet and spicy jokbal takeout in Sejong: Cheongmigwan

Cheongmigwan is a jokbal (braised pig's trotters) and bossam restaurant in Naseong-dong, Sejong. A couple who have been going to Cheongmigwan for years stopped by at 5 PM to pick up the Cheongmi half-and-half jokbal (Cheongmi front-leg jokbal and spicy chive fire jokbal) plus flying fish roe rice balls to eat at home. They were happy to get the same side dishes as dine-in, along with front-leg jokbal sweetened with jujube and gangyeot (Korean hard taffy) and a spicy chive fire jokbal. The verdict: alternate between the two jokbal flavors and finish with the flying fish roe rice balls.

Written May 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongRestaurants

Sejong gamjatang restaurant with mild broth and fried rice: Chungsilok

Chungsilok Ppyeohaejangguk Cheotmaeul main branch (충실옥 첫마을본점) is a Korean restaurant specializing in ppyeohaejangguk (pork bone soup) and gamjatang (pork backbone stew) on Hannuri-daero in Naseong-dong, Sejong. The writer ordered a small gamjatang for 28,000 won and loved the meat, cooked so tender it came off the bone with just a ladle, plus the non-spicy broth, then finished with fried rice. Chungsilok's gamjatang is soft enough to share with kids or older relatives, and takeout costs 4,000 won less.

Written May 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeo-gu, DaejeonRestaurants

Daejeon udon shop: peanut sauce himokawa udon at Jemyeonsoui Haru

Jemyeonsoui Haru Dunsan Directly Operated Branch is a Blue Ribbon udon restaurant in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, that makes its udon from noodles made in-house every day. On a weekday lunch, mostly cold udon was ordered at Jemyeonsoui Haru: the 1mm himokawa udon, ebiten bukkake udon and 2 handmade shrimp tempura. Dipping the rice-cake-chewy thick noodles and gum-chewy thin noodles alternately into peanut sauce and the house special sauce was great fun, and both cold udon bowls at Jemyeonsoui Haru were a huge hit.

Written Oct 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongRestaurants

₩2,000-off takeout galbi kimchi hot pot in Sejong: Chung-sil Hoegwan

Chung-sil Hoegwan (충실회관) is a Korean restaurant on Noeul 3-ro in Hansol-dong, Sejong, serving galbi kimchi hot pot (short rib and kimchi stew), kimchi stew and pork belly. On a chilly evening, the writer's second visit with her husband brought galbi kimchi hot pot for two with pot rice included, two whole heads of aged kimchi, big ribs and free ramen noodles. Chung-sil Hoegwan is a good-value Sejong Korean restaurant where takeout galbi kimchi hot pot and kimchi stew are 2,000 won off.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongRestaurants

Aged kimchi galbi hot pot and ramen in Sejong: Chung-sil Hoegwan

Chung-sil Hoegwan (충실회관) is a kimchi stew and pork belly restaurant on Noeul 3-ro in Hansol-dong, Sejong, with a modern hanok-style interior, a self-serve banchan (side dish) bar and free ramen noodles. The galbi kimchi hot pot for 2 came packed with two whole heads of aged kimchi (mukeunji) and plenty of ribs, followed by the stone pot rice and nurungji (scorched rice) that come with it, a house special sauce and a ramen second round. For anyone who loves a meaty kimchi stew, the Chung-sil Hoegwan galbi kimchi hot pot is a satisfying pick that left the writer's husband wanting to come back.

Written Jun 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongRestaurants

Sejong anniversary Italian: arugula potato pizza & ink risotto, Olivus

Olivus Compagno Sejong Boram Branch is a Blue Ribbon Italian pasta restaurant on Sicheong-daero in Boram-dong, Sejong. Two adults and one child shared aglio e olio, octopus ink risotto, Korean new-potato and kabocha (sweet pumpkin) gnocchi, and an arugula potato pizza, and the writer's top pick was the kabocha gnocchi. Olivus Compagno is the Sejong Italian restaurant to remember for anniversaries and get-togethers when both atmosphere and flavor matter.

Written Jun 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongRestaurants

Sejong shabu kalguksu with group room and barley rice bar: Italy Shabu

Italy Shabu Kalguksu Sejong Eojin Branch is a shabu kalguksu (shabu-shabu with knife-cut noodles) restaurant near the Government Complex in Eojin-dong, Sejong, that makes its own noodles. The writer ordered the 6-item Italy shabu kalguksu for two and ate it as a course of shabu-shabu, kalguksu and fried rice, with special praise for the self-bar's homemade napa cabbage kimchi and barley rice. With a sliding-door group room, Italy Shabu Kalguksu is a kalguksu restaurant worth considering for company dinners and gatherings.

Written Jul 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongCafés

Brunch café in Sejong for moms with babies: risotto and brioche, Apere

Apere is a large brunch café on the 4th floor of River Picnic in Boram-dong, Sejong, with a view of Ieung Bridge. Four moms and four babies settled into Apere's toy annex and ordered 7 items: 3 drinks, aglio e olio, risotto, matcha cream castella and brioche bread. With unseasoned brioche for babies alongside proper meals, Apere is a good fit for a moms' brunch meetup.

Written Oct 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSejongCafés

Sejong café with fresh tomato juice and decaf: Café The Corner

Café The Corner is a specialty coffee café in the Dodam-dong food street of Sejong that has earned a Blue Ribbon 12 years in a row. At Café The Corner the writer had an iced americano, a decaf iced americano, tomato juice blended from fresh tomatoes and a sweet potato latte made with real ground sweet potato; the drinks came in generous portions, and stainless steel cups kept them cold to the last sip. Open every day until 1am, Café The Corner is an easy, no-pressure stop in Dodam-dong.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiCafés

Paju Unjeong window-view café for a group of four: Pound Coffee

Pound Coffee Unjeong Main Branch (파운커피 운정 본점) is a café with floor-to-ceiling windows in Unjeong, Paju, known for same-day baked goods and lattes. Four adults traveling from Sejong ordered an iced americano, a Jangdan bean latte, ice cream and a chocolate latte, with matcha soboro and cinnamon sugar financiers on the side. At Pound Coffee, the crisp-outside, chewy-inside financiers paired with the nutty Jangdan bean cream latte were the most memorable part.

Written Aug 3, 2026Sponsored