Vanity Corner Regular · 28 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

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
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Hannam-dong burger date: house-smoked bacon cheeseburger at Daily Fix

Daily Fix Hannam is a burger restaurant serving hanwoo (Korean beef) patties inside the Gourmet 494 food court on the second basement floor (B2) of Nine One Hannam in Hannam-dong, Yongsan, Seoul. At Daily Fix Hannam we shared a bacon cheeseburger (12,900 won), a classic burger (11,900 won) and fries, and the house-smoked bacon paired well with the rich beefy flavour of the hanwoo patty. Choose the bacon cheeseburger if you love meat and cheese together, or the classic burger if you prefer a clean, simple taste.

Written Oct 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Hyehwa Indian curry with an old friend, tangy lassi: Meono Kkameona

Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch is an Indian and Nepali restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Ihwa Building in Jongno, Seoul, a 5–7 minute walk from Hyehwa Station Exit 4. Catching up with a curry-loving friend after work on a weekday evening, the writer ordered the set menu with an extra butter naan (salad, chicken tikka, curry, naan, rice and lassi), and the tangy lassi with no powdered-milk taste and the soft, tender chicken tikka stood out. Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch suits a get-together with friends or a Hyehwa date when you want mild Indian curry without heavy spice.

Written Oct 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon Station salad takeout, chicken plate & beef wasabi bowl: Prefers

Prefers Diet Food Nowon Station branch is a salad and diet food restaurant a 30-second walk from Exit 9 of Nowon Station in Seoul. While out in Nowon on errands, the writer took home a chicken plate (7,900 won), a beef wasabi rice bowl combo (14,900 won) and a fat-free latte; the wasabi sauce kept the beef bowl from feeling greasy, and the chicken plate was well seasoned. For a healthy, filling meal right by the station, Prefers Diet Food Nowon Station branch is a good fit.

Written Oct 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Hyehwa Taiwanese restaurant, beef noodles round two: Cheonghwawon

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is a Taiwanese-style Chinese restaurant serving beef knife-cut noodles and dim sum on two floors near Exit 4 of Hyehwa Station in Jongno, Seoul. After a Taiwan trip, the writer had given up on beef noodle soup because of its strong spices, but at Cheonghwawon the beef knife-cut noodles (10,500 won) had a clean broth without an overpowering aroma, alongside crystal dumplings, fish-fragrant shredded pork rice and a tangy cucumber salad. If spices have kept you away from beef noodle soup, the beef knife-cut noodles at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch are a good place to try again.

Written Oct 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Snack bar after Myeongdong Lotte shopping: spicy combo, Hyeonseoni-ne

Hyeonseoni-ne Cheonggye Instant Branch (현선이네 청계즉석점) is an old-school Korean snack bar in Jung-gu, Seoul, in the alley next to Mega Coffee, a 2-minute walk from Euljiro 1-ga Station Exit 3. After shopping at Lotte Department Store in Myeongdong, the writer ate the Hyeonseoni Combo of tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), sundae (Korean blood sausage), fritters, gimbap (seaweed rice roll) and fish cake at the spicy level, then took extra tteokbokki to go. Hyeonseoni-ne Cheonggye Instant Branch is an easy stop to link shopping and a Cheonggyecheon stream walk into one day out.

Written Jul 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jonggak sashimi restaurant with live octopus & beer: Parang Haenyeojip

Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch (파랑해녀집 종로본점) is an aged-sashimi and seafood restaurant on the Gwancheol-dong food street near Exit 4 of Jonggak Station in Jongno, Seoul. The writer and a friend paired live octopus, a long-awaited craving, and a 23,000-won king-size futomaki (thick sushi roll) with beer, in an interior that feels like being inside a ship. Both the chewy live octopus and the generously filled king futomaki at Parang Haenyeojip made satisfying beer snacks.

Written Oct 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Wagyu grill near Deoksugung in Seoul: chef's bar course at Hwarodam

Hwarodam is a charcoal-grill wagyu restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building near Gwanghwamun Station Exit 8 in Jongno, Seoul. At the bar seats around Hwarodam's owner chef, the writer ate a course running from salad and swordtip squid in vinegar dressing (hanchi chohoe) through an assorted wagyu platter, scallops, chicken neck, fish cake soup, gim maki (seaweed roll) and tempura to soba served in a star-shaped bowl, while hearing about the sauces brought in from Japan. For an atmospheric wagyu course after a walk around Deoksugung Palace and Seoul Plaza, Hwarodam is a good fit.

Written Oct 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jonggak Station pork bone stew with noodles and sujebi: Jangheon

Jangheon Gamjatang Jonggak (장헌감자탕 종각본점) is a gamjatang (pork bone stew) restaurant on Jongno Youth Street in Seoul, in the basement of the Point 23 building near Jonggak Station Exit 4. Early in the day, two friends ordered a medium gamjatang, a bowl of rice and a bottle of soju. The stew came packed with glass noodles and sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes) without any add-ons, along with a rich, savory broth and tasty homemade kimchi. Jangheon Gamjatang Jonggak is an easy recommendation for a Jonggak lunch or a group meal.

Written Oct 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongno 3-ga half-and-half dumpling hot pot after work: Jongga Mandu

Jongga Mandu (종가만두) is a handmade dumpling hot pot restaurant in Jongno, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 15. On a weekday evening after work, the writer and a coworker ordered the half-and-half broth mandu (dumpling) hot pot for two, tasting both clear and spicy broth, then had geotjeori (fresh kimchi) from the self-serve bar and finished with kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). With soju at 3,000 won, Jongga Mandu is an easy, affordable Jongno 3-ga pick for dumpling hot pot and a drink.

Written Aug 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulBars

Euljiro 3-ga bar with yuxiang eggplant for eggplant haters: Hey Jinny

Hey Jinny (을지로 헤이지니) is a Western-style bar and restaurant on the second floor of a building about 117 m from Exit 10 of Euljiro 3-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. With a friend, the writer ordered two signature dishes, Sancho Kick! Crispy Yuxiang Eggplant (18,000 won) and Osaka Niboebi Oil Pasta (20,000 won), with a mojito highball and a watermelon bar highball, and loved the yuxiang eggplant despite not liking eggplant. Hey Jinny's widely spaced tables make it a good bar for easy conversation.

Written Aug 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Root touch-up on light hair at Uahan Meori, a Wangsimni hair salon

Uahan Meori Wangsimni Centras Branch is a hair salon on the 1st floor of Building H at Wangsimni Centras in Seongdong, Seoul, a 7-minute walk from Sangwangsimni Station Exit 1. After a consultation with designer Chaea, Uahan Meori applied a scalp protectant and dyed the regrown roots so they blended naturally into the already-lightened color, then finished with a shampoo and blow-dry. If the line between your roots and your light hair bothers you, Uahan Meori is worth booking for the color-matching consultation alone.

Written Aug 13, 2026Sponsored