Place Setting Guest · 54 stories

A Place Setting

I write about meals and restaurants I visit in Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Shopping · Stays · Bars

PlaceJeonju, JeonbukRestaurants

Jeonju Korean BBQ after a Tour Pass day: US Prime beef ribs, Ubookgeum

Ubookgeum Saenggalbi Seosin Branch is a charcoal-grill restaurant for fresh, unmarinated beef ribs in Seosin-dong, Jeonju, near Lotte Department Store Jeonju. After touring Jeonju Hanok Village and other sights with the Jeonbuk Tour Pass, the writer stopped at Ubookgeum on the way home for 500g of fresh beef ribs (58,000 won) grilled over charcoal, served with steamed egg, sulguk (soup with rice) and side dishes such as myeongi (pickled wild garlic leaves) and pickled onions. With 2 hours of evening parking support at the K Parking Lot, Ubookgeum is an easy, stress-free spot for a beef rib dinner.

Written Nov 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Apgujeong Rodeo burgers to go: double-patty upgrade at Downtowner

Downtowner Cheongdam is a handmade burger shop on Dosan-daero 53-gil near Apgujeongnodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul. After meeting friends in Apgujeong Rodeo, the writer took home a Double Burger upgraded to a double patty, a Crispy Chicken Burger, Original Chicken Bites and Smoky Mustard sauce from Downtowner Cheongdam. Because every burger is cooked to order and the packaging arrived home neat and intact, Downtowner Cheongdam is a handmade burger shop that satisfies even as takeout.

Written May 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulCafés

Jongno 3-ga bakery by Seosulla-gil: garlic & cheese bread, Munhwa

Munhwa Bakery (문화제빵) is a small bakery on Donhwamun-ro in Jongno, Seoul, tucked in an alley between Jongno 3-ga Station and Ikseon-dong. On a walk through Ikseon-dong and Seosulla-gil, the writer followed the smell of butter filling the alley, joined the line at Munhwa Bakery, which lets in only 2 groups at a time, and took garlic bread and cheese bread home to eat with a drink and an Americano. Munhwa Bakery makes up for the wait with the taste of its bread and is worth a stop on a Jongno stroll.

Written May 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Chicken takeout, Yongsan Station: 20 peanut breads ₩5,000, Ppareuju

Ppareuju Deopbap & Gangjeong is a takeout Korean food counter inside Yongsan Station in Seoul, selling dakgangjeong (sweet, crunchy fried chicken bites), peanut bread and deopbap (rice bowls). Before catching a train, the writer picked up a small seasoned, a large soy and a large fried dakgangjeong to eat at home late at night, and also tried Ppareuju's in-store-baked peanut bread (20 pieces for ₩5,000) and onion-skin tea. Fast pickup and careful packing help, but the soy dakgangjeong with chewy rice cakes is the real reason to stop at Ppareuju.

Written May 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Anguk Station craft burger takeout that's still good cold: Downtowner

Downtowner Anguk is a craft burger shop on Bukchon-ro in Jongno, Seoul, close to Exit 2 of Anguk Station. On the way home from a day out in Jongno, the writer stopped at Downtowner Anguk and took home a Double Cheese Truffle Burger, an Egg Bulgogi Smash and a Downtowner Burger. Downtowner Anguk's burgers had gone cold by the time they got home, but the chewy buns and savory patties held up, making takeout a satisfying choice.

Written May 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeodaemun, SeoulCafés

Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3 bakery, 11am–9pm: garlic baguette, Mandong

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch (만동제과 연남점) is a bakery in Seodaemun, Seoul, known for its garlic baguette and about a 7–8 minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station. On a weekday afternoon visit, a staff member handed out generously cut samples, and the Mandong Jegwa garlic baguette eaten at home was crisp outside and moist with garlic sauce inside. Mandong Jegwa is small but easy to get around, with friendly staff, and the writer would 100% go back.

Written May 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Yeonnam-dong café, melted butter sand & cooler bag: Butter & Shelter

Butter & Shelter Yeonnam (버터앤쉘터 연남점) is a butter sand (cream-filled cookie sandwich) dessert café on Seongmisan-ro in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. After lunch with a friend, the blogger took frozen butter sands and cookies to go in a paper bag, but after a long walk on a hot day the cream and butter had melted slightly by the time they got home. Butter & Shelter's butter sands taste excellent, but if you buy them to go in warm weather, adding a cooler bag is a must.

Written May 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Ttukseom dessert café: millefeuille sold out, 3 picks to go, Notldun

Notldun is a high-end dessert café on Seoulsup 2-gil in Seongdong, Seoul, near Ttukseom Station. The writer went to Notldun just before closing for the vanilla caramel millefeuille, found it sold out, and took home a pistachio Festival, a Signature Blanc and a madeleine in a cooler bag instead. Even without the millefeuille, every Notldun dessert looked and tasted excellent, but go early if you want to choose what you order.

Written May 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulCafés

Yongsan Station coffee shop for a train wait: Eivsje & cookies, Berg

Berg I'Park Mall Yongsan is a dessert café on the 6th floor of I'Park Mall, which is connected to Yongsan Station in Seoul, near the CGV ticket booth. With time to spare before a train, the writer drank Berg's signature Eivsje, cold brew topped with milk ice cream, and took levain-style cookies home to eat later. Berg I'Park Mall Yongsan is a cool, easy spot to rest while waiting for a train at Yongsan Station.

Written May 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGunsan, JeonbukCafés

Gunsan bakery's red bean butter bun, smile macarons: Hongyun Bakery

Hongyun Bakery (홍윤베이커리) is a neighborhood bakery on Chukdongan-gil in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, that bakes with rice, sticky barley and Korean wheat instead of imported wheat. The writer stopped at Hongyun Bakery on the way home after meeting a friend in Susong-dong, picked bread from the glass display cases, browsed the smile macarons and fruit cakes in the chilled corner, and tried the red bean butter bun (angbeoteo) at home. Hongyun Bakery is a local Gunsan bakery where you can pick chewy, mild bread from a hygienic display.

Written Nov 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Garak Market fish shop, sashimi trio on the SRT home: Yeongjae Susan

Yeongjae Susan is a Garak Market raw fish shop on the 1st floor of the Garak Mall Panmae-dong building in Songpa, Seoul. Before boarding the SRT at Suseo Station, the writer took away a small dogwangchamhoe (flounder, large halibut and large red sea bream sashimi platter) in a cooler bag and ate it at home with spicy fish stew (maeuntang). With no smell on the train and sashimi still cold and fresh on arrival, Yeongjae Susan proved a dependable choice for long-distance takeout.

Written May 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong restaurant, honeycomb French toast: Hôtel de Couture

Hôtel de Couture (오뗄드꾸뜨) is a Western restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, about 500m from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station along the Gyeongui Line Forest Park. On a weekend just after the lunch rush, the writer and a friend ordered carrot duck aglio e olio, honeycomb seasonal fruit French toast and an iced americano, and with no break time they could eat at a relaxed pace at an in-between hour. A pasta that won over even a carrot skeptic and French toast topped with natural honeycomb made Hôtel de Couture a place the writer plans to revisit.

Written May 21, 2026Sponsored