Rice Pot Neighbor · 54 stories
I write about restaurants and everyday meals I visit around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Bars · Hair & beauty salons · Things to do · Shopping
Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch is a takeout-only bakery on the Yeonnam-dong and Yeonhui-dong border at 32 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun, Seoul. On this visit the writer bought a fig campagne, chestnut bread, Emmental cheese bread and a salt soboro (streusel bread) never seen before, and both the salt soboro and the Emmental tasted exactly as their names promise. Mandong Jegwa is a solid pick for big, Korean-style breads at a good price.
Daesin Ttangkong-ppang Namdaemun Market branch is a peanut bread and egg bread shop on Namdaemunsijang 2-ga-gil in Jung-gu, Seoul, that also sells peanuts, peanut butter and peanut smoothies. While shopping in Namdaemun Market, the writer stopped in for a snack, tried the free sample peanut bread, and bought a 400g jar of Daesin Peanut Butter Creamy for ₩10,000 as a gift for peanut-loving parents to eat with their morning apples. For a Namdaemun Market souvenir, Daesin's peanut butter and gift-boxed peanut bread are a good choice.
Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese salmon restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, near Hongik Univ. Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer dropped by alone just after 3 p.m. on a weekday for salmon sashimi, onsen tamago (soft hot-spring egg) and natto, and keeps coming back again and again for thick, fresh salmon dipped in the onsen egg. Verdict: Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a satisfying Yeonnam-dong salmon spot whenever a salmon craving hits, whether you go solo or on a date.
Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan Sinjungdong Station Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building in front of Lotte Department Store's rear gate, near Sinjungdong Station in Bucheon. After a morning strength workout, the blogger and her husband shared the Bangatgan A Set (1kg+50g, ₩57,000) for lunch and ate their fill of pork jowl, pork neck, pork belly and smoked makchang (pork large intestine), with the self-serve bar, cheap drinks, free corkage and a window seat overlooking a park and trees standing out. Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan suits anyone who wants to eat plenty of meat without worrying about the bill.
Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is a Japanese restaurant serving gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) and steki (unbreaded beef) that diners finish on a tabletop brazier, in a basement on Huam-ro near Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. After shopping for kids' clothes at Namdaemun Market, the writer waited about 15 minutes for a weekend lunch, chose the batter-free steki set while dieting, and grilled it alongside a friend's gyukatsu set and 2 extra sunny-side-up eggs with runny yolks. On a cold early-winter day, Ichigyu Seoul Station Branch is a warming lunch worth recommending after Namdaemun shopping.
Apple Smile is a children's clothing shop in Unit 12 of the Bourdain Kids' Clothing building in Namdaemun Market, Jung-gu, Seoul. To beat the crowds, the blogger arrived at Apple Smile around 9:45 am, browsed winter outerwear, sets, fleece-lined pants and beanies, and picked a car-logo fleece-lined T-shirt for a boy. With sizes listed by height and weight and the owner recommending sizes by age, Apple Smile makes winter kidswear easy to shop.
Dance Dance Dance Seoul Station is a baguette brunch café on B3 of Grand Central at Seoul Station, in Jung-gu, Seoul. On a weekend afternoon coffee break after a meal, the writer ordered a decaf sugar-free vanilla bean oat milk latte and a strawberry mango tea, and the separate decaf section on the Dance Dance Dance menu was a real plus for someone who can only drink decaf. For a diet-friendly café stop at Seoul Station, Dance Dance Dance is a good choice.
Italy Madam Sinchon (이태리마담) is a Western-style restaurant serving salads, pasta, pizza and risotto on the 2nd floor on Myeongmul-gil in Seodaemun, Seoul. For a solo lunch, the writer ordered a flat iron steak salad and a chicken salad and liked the fresh ingredients, the homemade onion dressing and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking autumn leaves on the Sinchon streets. Italy Madam Sinchon is a good-value pick for a salad lunch in Sinchon, a meal alone or a date.
Seowon Angil Hapjeong is a large two-floor brunch café near Hapjeong Station, at 34 Jandari-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The writer sat on the 1st floor of Seowon Angil, ate a chicken breast steak with grilled vegetables and an apple cinnamon tea, and tried the free bread samples from the bakery display. Verdict: Seowon Angil is an atmospheric Hapjeong brunch café where you can have a filling lunch without straying from your diet.
Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun is a three-floor bakery café on Mugyo-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul, known for desserts like madeleines and financiers. On a visit around 4 p.m. after a meal, the blogger ordered just a Jeju matcha oat latte and worked alone on a phone at a 2nd-floor seat with an outside view. With a rich, slightly bitter matcha latte and roomy seating on every floor, Lemangdoré Gwanghwamun is a good café for quiet solo time in Gwanghwamun.
Eojil In (어질 인) is a two-floor dessert café right outside Exit 6 of Wangsimni Station in Seongdong, Seoul. On a late-afternoon visit, the blogger sat in a cozy, fabric-curtained nook by the first-floor counter of Eojil In with chamomile tea and Basque cheesecake. The cheesecake was creamy inside and firm on the sides, with a cookie crumble base that was not too sweet. With both the atmosphere and the desserts winning the blogger over, Eojil In is a Wangsimni café worth a return visit soon.
Focaccia Cucina (포카치아쿠치나) is a focaccia sandwich and brunch café on Banpo-daero 21-gil in Seocho, Seoul. The writer took away a Genovese (basil pesto pizza) and sugar-free granola, ate them a few hours later, and warmed the Genovese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds as the owner advised. For anyone on a diet looking for a sugar-free snack, Focaccia Cucina's chunk granola was as welcome as its sandwiches.
