Under the Lamp · 13 stories

The Reading Lamp

I write about everyday life at home, food I try, and books I read. · Writes about: Books & stationery · Home & living · Food & snacks · Restaurants · Kids & baby · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan Japanese restaurant: NFC ordering & high chairs, Hurato

Hurato Sikdang Dongtan Lake Commo is a Japanese restaurant on the 2nd floor of Lake Commo, beside Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, where diners grill gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) themselves on a mini tabletop brazier. The writer's family ordered by NFC and had gyukatsu, Japanese-style omurice (omelette over rice) and hot niku udon (beef udon); the food came out very quickly, and high chairs made Hurato Sikdang easy with a young child. Verdict: a safe pick for a date or family meal after a walk around Dongtan Lake Park.

Written Apr 24, 2026Sponsored
ProductChildlifeKids & baby

Liquid multivitamin for picky kids: Childlife Multivitamin & Mineral

Childlife Multivitamin & Mineral is a liquid multivitamin for children with 13 vitamins and 4 minerals. Given 1 spoonful a day to a child who swings between food strikes and picky eating, the mango orange flavor went down so well that the fussy eater looked forward to it like a snack. Childlife Multivitamin & Mineral is worth considering for nutritional support for kids who struggle with pills or powders.

Written Apr 26, 2026Product provided
ProductSangseung HyogwaBooks & stationery

Stock investing book for beginners: Sangseung Hyogwa's all-round guide

The Art of Stock Investing That Sees Through the Market (시장을 꿰뚫는 주식 투자의 기술) is an all-round stock investing strategy book by Sangseung Hyogwa, who runs the YouTube channel Sangseung Hyogwa TV with 260,000 subscribers. A cautious retail investor who kept swinging between gains and losses while battling FOMO related most to the book's chapters on retail investors' repeated mistakes and on leading-stock trading strategy. Verdict: The Art of Stock Investing That Sees Through the Market is a solid reference for stock beginners who haven't yet set their own investing criteria.

Written May 2, 2026Product provided
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Low-grease fried chicken and cheese potatoes in Dongtan: Fix Chicken

Fix Chicken Dongtan Central Park Branch is a fried chicken restaurant near Dongtan Central Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, with a big screen, kids' chairs and a self-serve pickled radish corner. On a return visit during a May outing, the writer ordered Fix Chicken's signature fried chicken with french fries and cheese potatoes; the chicken was crispy outside and light on grease, easy to eat with a child. For families who had gone off greasy chicken, Fix Chicken brought back their appetite for it.

Written May 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan kimchi jjim restaurant: set for 2 after playground, Yangpuni

Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal is a kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) and kimchi jjim (braised kimchi) restaurant in Bansong-dong, Hwaseong, near Dongtan Central Park. After an autumn evening at the Dongtan Central Park playground, the family ordered the kimchi jjim set for 2, which came with an egg roll, rice and a self-serve bar of squid and dried radish jeotgal (salted side dish), and the whole family was happy. Verdict: Yangpuni is a go-to Dongtan Korean restaurant where families can eat together without worrying about side dishes for the kids.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan Korean restaurant: 2-person kimchi jjim set feeds 3, Yangpuni

Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal is a Korean restaurant specializing in kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) and kimchi jjim (braised kimchi) in Bansong-dong, Dongtan, near Dongtan Central Park in Hwaseong. After playing in the park on a hot day, a family of three (one big eater, one average eater and one toddler) shared the 2-person kimchi jjim set with a rolled omelet, mixed rice into the kimchi jjim and added extra noodles. The 2-person kimchi jjim set at Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal is generous enough to fill a family of three, and it's the dish to come back for when you crave spicy Korean food.

Written Jul 16, 2026Sponsored
ProductMediteraBooks & stationery

Location analysis book for home buyers: Meditera's Self Ipjiryeok

Meditera's Self Ipjiryeok (Meditera) is a Korean real estate book on location analysis that helps readers set their own criteria for judging a home's location instead of naming specific areas to buy in. A parent weighing a move found that the book explains how to assess population, jobs and transport, along with future value, and how to use charts and apps, with screenshots included. With examples ranging from Gangnam to residential complexes in Gyeonggi-do, Self Ipjiryeok is a practical read for anyone getting ready to buy a home.

Written Aug 4, 2026Product provided
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan kalguksu restaurant with a yuzu radish self-bar: Yubok Haemul

Yubok Haemul Kalguksu Dongtan Direct Branch is a seafood kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant on Dongtangongwon-ro 3-gil in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. On a late lunch visit with family in mid-September, the order was two servings of seafood kalguksu plus octopus and seafood buchujeon (chive pancake), with several refills of the self-bar's yuzu radish salad and kimchi. A free bibimbap mixed with chojang (vinegared chili paste) came out first, which kept the big eaters happy, and the yuzu radish salad was good enough to ask the owner to sell it by the tub.

Written Sep 16, 2026Sponsored