After Rush Eater · 23 stories

Past the Lunch Rush

I write about meals and restaurant visits in Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés

PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gwanggyo trattoria under arches: charcoal prawn Scoglio lunch, Romaro

Romaro Trattoria Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Station branch is an Italian restaurant near Sanghyeon Station in Yongin, Gyeonggi, serving thin, crispy Roman-style pizza and traditional Italian pasta. On a weekday, the writer ordered the lunch set for two: the signature Romaro pizza and Scoglio, an oil pasta topped with charcoal-grilled king prawns, eaten in a cozy room with arched ceilings and checkered tablecloths. Romaro Trattoria Gwanggyo Sanghyeon Station branch is a good fit when you want to try Roman-style pizza and seafood pasta together.

Written Nov 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Suwon café near Changnyongmun, iced chocolate latte: Caffeine Focus

Caffeine Focus is a three-floor café near Changnyongmun Gate in Haenggung-dong, Suwon, with views of the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress wall. From a third-floor picture-window seat overlooking the fortress path and the Flying Suwon hot air balloon, the writer had an iced chocolate latte, a grapefruit ade and a jambon sandwich on levain ciabatta. Caffeine Focus is a good Haenggung-dong café for an unhurried break with fortress scenery.

Written Nov 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Window-booth family army stew in Giheung, Yongin: Uncle Johnson

Uncle Johnson Budae-jjigae Yongin Main Branch is an army stew (budae-jjigae) restaurant near Gangnamdae Station in Giheung-gu, Yongin, where it has held the same spot for 20 years. A family sat in a booth sofa seat by the floor-to-ceiling windows and shared Set A: original budae-jjigae, ramen noodles and a snowflake cheese pork cutlet. The broth was mild and refreshing, and the adults kept reaching for the cutlet ordered for the child. Uncle Johnson Budae-jjigae Yongin Main Branch satisfies both as a family meal out with kids and as a solo meal.

Written Nov 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Pho restaurant near Ajou, Suwon: com tam shared with my kid, Madam Hao

Madam Hao is a Hanoi-style Vietnamese restaurant near Ajou University in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, where everyone from the cooks to the staff is Vietnamese. On a return visit, the writer ordered clear brisket pho, spicy beef jjamppong pho, and com tam (charcoal-grilled pork rib rice bowl) to share with a child. For its broth and its authentic local atmosphere, Madam Hao is a pho restaurant near Ajou worth returning to.

Written Nov 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Mangpo Station dessert café for rice cake toast & rooibos: Hongrad

Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch is a dessert café on the 4th floor of a building near Mangpo Station in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon. The café is spacious, with brown leather sofas, solo seats and power outlets. The writer ordered a grapefruit ade, a decaf rooibos bilberry herbal tea and the Hongrad Toast topped with rice cake, red bean paste and ice cream, which was crisp outside, chewy inside, and both nutty and sweet. Hongrad Mangpo Station Branch is a good café near Mangpo Station for relaxing or working over dessert.

Written Nov 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Halloween tonkatsu in Dongtan Mokdong: tenderloin set, Kkot Gatsu

Kkot Gatsu Dongtan Main Branch is a handmade Korean-pork (Handon) tonkatsu restaurant in Mokdong, Dongtan, Hwaseong. On a Halloween-decorated weekend, after a wait, the writer had the Kkot Katsu (tenderloin) set and the loin katsu set with su udon. The tenderloin was crisp outside, juicy inside and especially good with lemon salt. Kkot Gatsu Dongtan Main Branch is worth the weekend wait for anyone who loves tenderloin tonkatsu in Dongtan Mokdong.

Written Nov 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiCafés

Giheung café by day: triangle windows and fruit tart, Terreno Cité

Terreno Cité Special is a large two-floor bakery café on Giheungdanji-ro in Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi. After a first visit in the evening, the reviewer returned to Terreno Cité Special in the daytime to explore the sunlit, window-walled first floor and the very different second floor, and tried a milk foam dutch latte, lemonade, salt bread with red bean and butter, and a fruit tart. With pretty lighting at night and sunshine by day, Terreno Cité Special has two distinct charms and is a good pick for anyone after lots of space and a wide bread selection.

Written Nov 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeo-gu, DaejeonRestaurants

Daejeon Chinese restaurant, garden-view seafood jjamppong: Macheonchwi

Macheonchwi (마천취) Daejeon Mannyeon is a Chinese restaurant in Mannyeon-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. At a floor-to-ceiling window seat overlooking the garden, the family had samseon jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and a small Peking-style tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork); there was a wait, but tables turned over quickly. The seafood-packed samseon jjamppong was the standout, and with a large hall and private rooms, Macheonchwi is a good choice for a family meal out.

Written Nov 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Flat ₩1,890 conveyor sushi in Yeongtong, weekday lunch: Teukbyeolhan

Teukbyeolhan Chobap (특별한 초밥) is a conveyor belt sushi restaurant on Cheongmyeongnam-ro in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, where every plate costs a flat 1,890 won. The writer went alone right at weekday lunch opening and, with a warm miso-style broth, picked fish, sashimi, steak and seafood sushi plus rolls and gunkan (seaweed-wrapped sushi); Teukbyeolhan Chobap filled up right after opening and a wait soon formed. Teukbyeolhan Chobap is an easy, budget-friendly Yeongtong sushi spot for solo meals, dates and family lunches with kids.

Written Oct 31, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Giheung Chinese spot, Shin Ramyun-spicy jjamppong: Doseogwan Dwitjip

Doseogwan Dwitjip (도서관뒷집) is a Chinese restaurant with bookshelf interiors on Guseong 2-ro in Giheung-gu, Yongin. The writer's family ordered 2 aged Hun jjamppong (spicy noodle soup), 1 kids' jjajang (black bean noodles) and a mini tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork). The jjamppong was about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, with a rich broth and thin noodles that didn't go soggy, and they finished the broth with the free rice. With a kids' menu and baby chairs, Doseogwan Dwitjip is a satisfying Chinese restaurant in Yongin for a family meal.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Suwon pork kimchi grill for a Halloween family lunch: Sarangjip

Sarangjip (사랑집) is a pork kimchi grill restaurant in Uman-dong, near Ajou University in Suwon. On a weekend lunch with a child, the writer took in the Halloween decorations and ordered a small 2-person pork kimchi grill (₩19,000) with snow cheese (₩3,000), steamed egg, soy sauce egg rice and finishing fried rice (₩2,000). With dishes for kids through to the fried rice finish, Sarangjip made for a satisfying family meal out.

Written Oct 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Giheung shabu-shabu weekday family dinner, 2 beef plates: Deungchon

Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch is a shabu-shabu and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant on basement level 2 of ICT Valley Building B in Giheung-gu, Yongin. On a weekday evening family dinner, we ordered the clear mushroom kalguksu with 2 extra plates of shabu beef and ate shabu-shabu, then noodles, then fried rice, and the underground parking lot had plenty of room. Thanks to the mild broth and chewy fried rice, Deungchon Shabu Kalguksu Giheung Station Branch is an easy family pick on a chilly day.

Written Oct 24, 2026Sponsored