Vanity Corner Regular · 27 stories

A Narrow Vanity Off Seochang-ro

Writes about restaurants, bars, cafes, and beauty spots she visits around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons · Shopping

PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Myeongdong Korean restaurant: pork gomtang set with a drink, Yangjaeok

Yangjaeok Lotte Department Store Main Branch is a Korean restaurant for pork gomtang (pork soup), bossam (boiled pork wraps) and makguksu (buckwheat noodles). It is on B1 of Lotte Department Store's main branch near Euljiro 1-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. On a Myeongdong shopping trip, the writer and a friend shared a pork gomtang set and a spicy pork gomtang set. The friend paired the savory broth with a drink, and gungchae pickles, octopus jeotgal (salted octopus) and jeyuk bokkeum (stir-fried spicy pork) made the meal generous. Yangjaeok is a good pick for a hearty soup meal and a drink without leaving the shopping route.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Cold-day spicy tripe hot pot at a Gwanghwamun Korean restaurant: Modam

Modam Dining Gwanghwamun is a Korean set-meal restaurant (hanjeongsik) on the first basement floor of Deoksugung The Palace in Jongno, Seoul, between Gwanghwamun Station and Seodaemun Station. On a suddenly cold day, the writer ordered the Korean beef (hanwoo) tripe hot pot set at Modam Dining Gwanghwamun, which came in courses: seasonal porridge, shiitake Modam tempura, perilla oil capellini, four side dishes and plum tea. With generous portions and a spicy broth, Modam Dining Gwanghwamun makes a hearty meal on a chilly day, and its private rooms make it worth considering for meeting the in-laws or family gatherings.

Written Oct 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulShopping

Namdaemun optician: family lens swap, questions answered, 007 Optical

007 Optical (007안경원) is an optician on the ground floor of Sangdong Church on Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, near Hoehyeon Station. The writer visited 007 Optical to replace a family member's glasses lenses and got detailed answers to questions left unanswered at a previous optician. For friendly advice and a careful eye exam, 007 Optical is worth shortlisting.

Written Oct 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Autumn-night Korean BBQ in Jongno: frozen pork & makgeolli at Chowon

Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant specialising in 1++ hanwoo (Korean beef) striploin and pork belly, tucked in an alley behind Tapgol Park in Jongno, Seoul, and known for its outdoor tables. On a cool autumn evening at Chowon Restaurant, the writer ordered flash-frozen pork belly and makgeolli (rice wine), grilled kimchi and bean sprouts alongside, and was pleased with the lamps on every table and the clean restroom. For frozen pork belly and makgeolli at an outdoor table before autumn ends, Chowon Restaurant in Jongno is a great fit.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwangjang Market Korean restaurant: gulbi for fish-shy eaters, Gu

Gu Table Korean Restaurant is a hanjeongsik (Korean set-meal) restaurant in an alley across from Gwangjang Market, near Jongno 5-ga Station Exit 1 in Jongno, Seoul. Over lunch, the writer and a cousin who loves gulbi ordered the barley gulbi set for 2: a large barley-aged dried croaker with green tea water, per-person side dishes, steamed whole abalone, beef tartare with octopus and millet rice, and even the writer, who is sensitive to fishy flavors, enjoyed it. For a neat, refined meal near Gwangjang Market that is different from market food, Gu Table Korean Restaurant's barley gulbi set is a good fit.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulBars

Wangsimni pub with valley sounds: jjamppong stew, gizzards, Ari Gyegok

Ari Gyegok Wangsimni Hanyang University Branch is a Korean pub in Seongdong, Seoul, about a 4-minute walk from Wangsimni Station Exit 6. Across two floors with flowing-water sound effects and an old-school tavern feel, the writer ordered roe-and-milt jjamppong stew, black garlic fried chicken and chewy rice cake garlic gizzards, and each of the three (a stew, a fried dish and a stir-fry) was satisfying in its own way. Ari Gyegok suits a night out with friends who want both atmosphere and distinctive Korean bar food in Wangsimni.

Written Oct 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongbuk, SeoulRestaurants

Seongbuk Korean restaurant lunch with a friend and soju: Seochon Nugak

Seochon Nugak (서촌누각) is a lunch-focused Korean restaurant serving rice bowls and set meals on Hyehwa-ro in Seongbuk, Seoul, near Seongbuk Elementary School. The writer and a friend visited at weekend opening time and paired a fragrant minari (water dropwort) rice bowl with beef brisket, Jeju hijiki rice topped with abalone and scallop, and Sokcho spicy pollock salad with Neurin Maeul soju, and found even the side dishes clean and tasty. Seochon Nugak gets many reservations, so booking ahead is wise, and it is also a good choice for a family gathering with parents in Seongbuk-dong.

Written Oct 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Dimly lit Wangsimni café with fresh cheesecake: Nerdy Blue Burrow

Nerdy Blue Burrow is a house café with low lighting and good music, tucked in the alley in front of Soweol Art Hall near Exit 9 of Wangsimni Station in Seongdong, Seoul. With a friend, the writer ordered the coffee of the month, a green Line 2 ade topped with a cherry, and the fresh cheesecake, a Basque cheesecake topped with cream cheese. The fresh cheesecake's smooth, rich cheese flavor was the most memorable, and Nerdy Blue Burrow is a Wangsimni café worth recommending for quiet music and dessert.

Written Oct 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido family-gathering clam hot pot, barley rice bar: Gaetbeol-ui

Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch is a clam and seafood hot pot restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Geukdong VIP Building near Exit 1 of National Assembly Station in Yeouido, Seoul. The writer ordered the small giant clam hot pot with scallops, assorted clams, crab and shrimp eaten with cheese, mixed barley rice from the self-serve bar with gangdoenjang (thick soybean paste stew), young radish kimchi and sesame oil, and emptied the shell bowl twice. With a spacious hall, several private rooms and free parking, Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch is worth considering for family gatherings or company dinners in Yeouido.

Written Oct 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwanghwamun pizza and beer on a packed weeknight: Didi's Pizza Pub

Didi's Pizza Pub Jongno Main Branch is an American-style pizza pub on the ground floor of Doosan We've Pavilion, between Jonggak Station and Gwanghwamun Station in Seoul. On a cool late weekday evening, Didi's Pizza Pub was full, so the writer was seated in another space inside the building and shared a half pepperoni, half Hawaiian thin-crust pizza with beer. With a bigger-than-expected size and generous cheese and toppings, Didi's Pizza Pub is a satisfying choice for after-work pizza and beer or a team dinner.

Written Oct 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwanghwamun sushi and beer after work: abalone, uni, Choe Uyeong

Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch (최우영스시야 종로점) is a sushi and sashimi restaurant on basement level 1 of TOWER 8, between Jonggak Station and Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno, Seoul. After work on a weekday, the blogger and a friend ordered the Top Sushi Set and the Premium Supreme Sushi Set with beer, and every piece satisfied, from bigeye tuna, flounder and red sea bream to sea urchin, steamed abalone and monkfish liver. Choe Uyeong Sushiya Jongno Branch is a good choice near Gwanghwamun and Jonggak stations for sushi with friends or a solo meal at the bar.

Written Oct 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Euljiro Thai restaurant lunch: tom yum a cilantro hater loved, Kkai 9

Kkai 9 (까이9) is a Thai restaurant on the 2nd floor near Euljiro 3-ga Station Exit 9 in Jung-gu, Seoul, run by a Thai wife and her Korean husband. On a weekday lunch with a cousin, the writer ordered spicy pad thai kung (shrimp pad thai), poo pad pong curry (crab curry) and tom yum rice noodles; Kkai 9's signature leng saep (spicy pork spine soup) was sold out. Even a writer who disliked cilantro and tom yum flavors fell for Kkai 9's tom yum rice noodles, and all three dishes made a satisfying lunch.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored