Pouch Lunch Packer · 47 stories

Pouch and Lunch

I write about beauty finds and restaurant visits around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Things to do · Bars

PlaceNowon, SeoulBars

Nowon izakaya: flounder sashimi & Cass draft beer, Pyeonghwaroun Jip

Pyeonghwaroun Jip Nowon Station branch (평화로운집 노원역점) is a seafood izakaya on the 2nd floor of a building near Exit 1 of Nowon Station in Nowon, Seoul. After work on a weekday, the writer and a friend had Cass draft beer, thick-cut flounder sashimi with aged kimchi (mukeunji) and a mini seafood pajeon (savory pancake), and were impressed by thoughtful touches like refillable cabbage, tea and plenty of coat hangers. For fresh seafood and cold draft beer in Nowon, Pyeonghwaroun Jip is a 100% would-return.

Written Apr 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulCafés

Seochon date brunch café, 2nd floor: shrimp egg sandwich at Respire

Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a salt bread–focused bakery café in a Seochon alley on Hyoja-ro 13-gil in Jongno, Seoul. On a date with her boyfriend, the writer ate a garlic shrimp egg sandwich and a choco butter ciabatta in the air-conditioned 2nd floor of Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon. She especially loved the soft egg, plump shrimp, chili sauce and crisply toasted salt bread. Verdict: with its wood interior and cozy mood, Respire Bakery Cafe Seochon is a brunch café worth recommending for a Seochon date or blind date.

Written Apr 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Gongneung French restaurant sister date: bisque pasta, LA RUELLE

LA RUELLE is a newly opened French restaurant on the second floor at Gongneung-ro 35-gil in Nowon-gu, Seoul. On a date with her older sister, the writer had a shrimp and pistachio starter, bisque pasta and sous vide pork belly at LA RUELLE, and the French-alley interior and springy noodles of the bisque pasta stood out most. If you want a pretty setting and good food in Gongneung, the bisque pasta at LA RUELLE is a must-order.

Written Apr 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Sangwangsimni hair salon: clinic for hair burnt by 2 perms, Oreudeubi

Oreudeubi Sangwangsimni Station Branch (오르드비 상왕십리역점) is a hair salon specializing in hair clinic treatments on the first floor of the Centras shopping arcade at Sangwangsimni Station in Seoul. After two failed perms left the blogger's hair completely burnt, she booked a weekday after-work visit for a hair clinic at Oreudeubi: treatment applied with a tail comb, heat absorption, then a scalp massage and shampoo. The frizzy, damaged hair came out smooth and silky, and the blogger was delighted with Oreudeubi's clinic.

Written Apr 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Mapo hair salon delays root magic, trims long layers: U Art Hair

U Art Hair Hongdae is a hair salon on Wausan-ro in Mapo, Seoul, 2–3 minutes from exits 8 and 9 of Hongik Univ. Station. The writer came in for root magic straightening, but designer Iro (이로) advised putting the magic off for 1 year because her hair was damaged, so she got a cut and blow-dry that kept her existing layered length instead. U Art Hair Hongdae stood out for not pushing treatments and for explaining when to come back and how to care for damaged hair in the meantime.

Written Apr 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae halal restaurant: overflowing beef-lamb gyro, Halal Steaks

Halal Steaks is a New York-style halal restaurant on the 2nd floor across from A-LAND near Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a weekend outing to Hongdae, the writer stopped by alone for lunch, ordered a beef-and-lamb gyro sandwich and a Zero Coke at the kiosk, and spooned about half of the overflowing meat and vegetables off the plate because the pita was so packed. The Halal Steaks gyro sandwich is a filling solo lunch in Hongdae on its own, no sides needed.

Written Apr 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jonggak dim sum restaurant, afternoon beer: shumai + Harbin, Cheonghwa

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon (청화 우육도삭면) is a Taiwanese-style beef noodle and dim sum restaurant at the entrance to Pimatgol in Jongno, Seoul, across from Le Meilleur Jongno Town. At 3 p.m. on a weekend, the blogger skipped the noodles and ordered just two dim sum, shumai and crystal dumplings (sujeong dalmandu), with a Harbin beer, and the big shrimp-packed shumai and chewy-skinned crystal dumplings alone made a filling meal. For a light dim sum meal with beer around Gwanghwamun and Jonggak, Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is a good choice.

Written Apr 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Seokchon izakaya after a work trip: flounder ceviche at Motokurashi

Motokurashi (모토쿠라시) is a Japanese izakaya behind a second-floor wooden door on Songni-dan-gil, near Seokchon Station in Songpa, Seoul. After a work trip to Jamsil, the writer and a dieting companion ordered moriawase (assorted sashimi), flounder ceviche, mentaiko (pollock roe) cucumber and tako wasabi (octopus with wasabi) with draft beer at Motokurashi, and enjoyed the quiet, cozy atmosphere and fresh sashimi. Motokurashi is a good Seokchon Station izakaya when you want light sashimi plates and a calm end to the day.

Written Nov 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Noodle spot near Yangjae Flower Market: clam kalguksu, Seonbawi

Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch (선바위메밀장터) is a buckwheat noodle restaurant on an alley off Gangnam-daero 18-gil in Yangjae-dong, Seocho, Seoul. On a rainy Sunday on the way to Yangjae Flower Market, we ordered buckwheat clam kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) for 2 and king mandu (dumplings) filled with neungi mushroom and meat. The clams seemed endless, and the buckwheat noodles were pleasantly chewy. If you need somewhere to eat after Yangjae Flower Market, Seonbawi Memil Jangteo is worth a return visit.

Written Nov 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Apgujeong Rodeo salon: men's easy-care see-through dandy perm, Biorn

Biorn Hair Apgujeong Rodeo is a reservation-only hair salon 1–2 minutes' walk from Apgujeongnodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer brought her boyfriend, who usually sticks to his regular salon, on a rainy weekend morning for a cut, a side-hair down perm and a see-through dandy perm. Biorn Hair Apgujeong Rodeo is a good pick for men without a clear style in mind who want neat, natural-looking hair.

Written Nov 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulCafés

Seoul Station dessert café, post-lunch matcha, choco for family: Dance

Dance Dance Dance Seoul Station is a shop selling baguette sandwiches and tofu cream cheese dessert baguettes on level B3 of Grand Central near Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. After a filling weekend lunch, the writer chose the matcha and choco tofu cream cheese baguettes for dessert, ate half of the matcha one and took the choco one home to share with family. The tofu cream cheese at Dance Dance Dance Seoul Station is moderately sweet, thick and rich, making a satisfying dessert.

Written Apr 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Solo tonkatsu in Gongneung: jowl katsu & mini curry, Jeongseong Katz

Jeongseong Katz Gongneung is a tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant near Exit 2 of Gongneung Station and Gongneung Dokkaebi Market in Nowon, Seoul. On a half-day off, the writer had the pork jowl katsu set alone for lunch: tender jowl katsu with a mini curry and cabbage in a spicy sauce, finished quickly without any greasy aftertaste. Jeongseong Katz Gongneung is an easy place to eat solo, and the writer is 100% planning to go back.

Written May 3, 2026Sponsored