Receipt Supper Keeper · 37 stories
I write about restaurant meals and small dining stops around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Shopping · Things to do
Upper and Under is a three-floor dessert café on Gangnam-daero 102-gil near Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam, Seoul. On a date after an eye clinic visit, the couple had a salty caramel cream latte, an iced Americano, a sweet corn pie and a lemon pound cake at a seat by Upper and Under's floor-to-ceiling windows. Upper and Under is a Sinnonhyeon Station café worth choosing for a dessert date on a sunny day.
Oldsse Seochon is a converted hanok café on Pirun-daero in Seochon, Jongno, Seoul, about a 10-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station. Arriving early for plans, the writer stopped at Oldsse Seochon alone to read a book over rooibos orange tea, and the glass windows on three sides kept even the inner seats from feeling cramped. Oldsse Seochon roasts its own coffee but does tea well too, and the writer would return to it as a Seochon café for resting or reading alone.
Café Ohkam is a dessert café on three levels (1st floor, 2nd floor and rooftop) in the café alley near Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. With time to kill before dinner plans, the writer skipped lunch and had tangerine ade, mascarpone tiramisu and the owner's recommended salty choco financier at Café Ohkam, and often comes back with friends for its pretty interior and handmade fruit desserts that change each season. Verdict: for a generous dessert stop near Konkuk Univ., Café Ohkam comes strongly recommended.
Mellang (카페멜랑) is a brunch café in Yongsan, Seoul, near Ichon Station and the National Museum of Korea. Before seeing the Daedongyeojido (the historic Korean map) exhibition, the writer ordered Mellang's garlic scape pasta made less spicy and eggs Benedict served on a croissant. Mellang is a filling Ichon Station brunch date spot before walking the huge museum.
Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is a gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurant in the basement of the LG Household & Health Care building at Seoul Station, in Jung-gu, Seoul. Arriving as the first table right after the 15:00–17:00 break time, the writer ordered the striploin gyukatsu, served with rice in a cute little crock and sweet-and-sour pickled cabbage, and seared the beef in French butter. Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is worth recommending for a date or an easy gyukatsu dinner at Seoul Station.
Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Jongno, Seoul, on the ground floor of the Piccadilly CGV building near Jongno 3-ga Station, grilling Jirisan black pork and Boseong green pork over real charcoal. On a Sunday at 6 PM, the writer ordered Boseong green pork belly and Jirisan black pork neck, which staff grilled at the table. The writer paired the pork with water dropwort (minari), shredded scallion salad, garlic stem pickles and shiitake wasabi, then ordered 1 extra serving. The charcoal aroma and the garlic stem pickle pairing make Cham Dwaejitgan a Jongno pork belly spot worth returning to.
Osteria Eden is a flower-filled, European-style restaurant on Seolleung-ro 152-gil in Apgujeong Rodeo, Gangnam, Seoul. On a sunny-day Apgujeong date, the writer ordered sweet shrimp uni capellini, truffle mozzarella gnocchi with a whole truffle grated at the table, and honey cod steak, and the wide spacing between tables made the meal feel private. Osteria Eden suits an Apgujeong date or blind date when you want Western food that feels upscale yet light.
Unagiwa (우나기와) is a hitsumabushi (Japanese grilled eel over rice) restaurant a 3-minute walk from Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer, who avoided eel for over 20 years until falling for hitsumabushi in Japan, ordered two Hitsumabushi Sang sets and ate them step by step: plain, with scallions and wasabi, as ochazuke (tea poured over rice), and finally with Unagiwa's plum sauce. With traditional Nagoya tare sauce and antibiotic-free Japonica eel farmed by the restaurant itself, Unagiwa is a strong pick for anyone missing the hitsumabushi they ate in Japan.
Bakerist Brown is a brick-fronted bakery café between Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam Station in Seoul, with seating from basement level 1 up to the 3rd floor. On a weekday visit around 2 p.m., the order was a black sesame latte, a salt cream coffee, a Gangnam Sand set and a sora cream pastry (cream horn), and the drinks turned out to be the unexpected highlight. At Bakerist Brown, the thick black sesame latte and the giftable Gangnam Sand set are well worth trying.
Pine Terrace is a large drive-in bakery café on Hoguk-ro in Deogyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, with parking for 120 cars. On a weekday just after lunchtime, the writer had a salmon bagel instead of lunch, along with house-made milk tea served in a bottle and a whipped cream fruit cake topped with melon. Pine Terrace is a good stop on a drive near Goyang when you want savory bread and dessert in one visit.
Boulangerie Copain is a takeout-only bakery in Mangwon, Mapo, Seoul, known for its baguettes and located on the way from Mangwon Market to Mangwon Hangang Park. Around 4pm on a weekday, the writer and her boyfriend bought a choco baguette, a basil sandwich, a fig financier, onion cream cheese and balsamic olive oil at Boulangerie Copain, had the baguette sliced, and took everything for a picnic at Mangwon Hangang Park. Boulangerie Copain is a great Mangwon bakery for picking up bread to go before a Han River picnic.
Picnic List Mangwon is a self-service picnic mat and tent rental shop near Mangwon Han River Park in Mapo, Seoul. The writer rented a shade tent, wagon, embossed mat, wine glasses and more for a couple's picnic with potato chip charcuterie and white wine, and despite renting a lot, the total came to just ₩36,000. Picnic List Mangwon suits couples who want to show up empty-handed and enjoy a wine picnic by the Han River.
