Yeongdeungpo Third Seat · 8 stories
Writes about cafes, restaurants, and bars around Seoul, one neighborhood table at a time. · Writes about: Cafés · Bars · Restaurants
Pug Pizza House Sillim Branch is a pizza restaurant near Sillim Station in Gwanak, Seoul, that makes handmade American-style pizza on chewy bagel dough. A group of friends ordered the Deutsch Fillet Potato Pizza, the Whole Corn Double Bacon Pizza and the Original Chicago Deep Rush, dipping the crust in 4 unlimited house sauces. Pug Pizza House Sillim Branch suits both get-togethers with friends and meals out with your dog.
BLab Hongdae is an unlimited cocktail bar on Jandari-ro in Mapo, Seoul, where 18,000 won buys about 60 cocktails plus highballs, tequila and liquor shots with no time limit. On a Friday night with friends, the writer ordered every kind of cocktail by QR code at BLab Hongdae and enjoyed free board games and a fire-show style flaming liquor performance. For friends or couples looking for good-value cocktails and something fun to do in Hongdae, BLab Hongdae is a good fit.
Bakerist Brown is a large red-brick bakery café on Gangnam-daero 102-gil near Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam, Seoul. On a bakery tour with a friend, the writer shared a three-layer Ubae matcha latte, a salt cream coffee and a sand cookie set in peanut butter, matcha, chocolate ganache and London Fog flavors. With roomy seating on every floor and desserts that aren't too sweet, Bakerist Brown is a big Gangnam café made for long chats with friends.
Eulji Darak Gangnam Station is a Western restaurant on the 2nd floor at 22 Gangnam-daero 96-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The writer met friends at Eulji Darak, walked in through an elevator-style door, ordered by shaking a bell and shared omurice, katsu sando (pork cutlet sandwich) and pork neck steak. With a white-and-beige interior and fair prices for the portion sizes, Eulji Darak Gangnam Station is a solid pick for a date or a wedding invitation meetup near Gangnam Station.
Something About Coffee (썸띵어바웃커피) is a large dessert and bakery café spread over three floors on Gangnam-daero 102-gil in Gangnam, Seoul, near Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station. On a bakery hop with a friend, the writer tried an Americano, the signature black sesame cream coffee, Yangzhi Ganlu (mango pomelo sago) cake and a chocolate pudding scone, and enjoyed the terrace on every floor, the roomy seating and the countless desserts. Verdict: Something About Coffee is a recommended near Gangnam Station for a relaxed date or a dessert break with friends.
Upper and Under is a large terrace café on three levels, from basement to 2nd floor, in an alley between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul. The writer had the chestnut cake and fig financier at Upper and Under with an iced Americano and a pistachio cream latte, and found the chestnut cake never too sweet to finish. With roomy seating and a terrace, Upper and Under is a dessert café worth returning to for meetups near Gangnam Station.
Songjjujip Magok is a jjukkumi (baby octopus) restaurant on the 2nd floor of Central Tower 2, near Exit 1 of Magongnaru Station in Gangseo, Seoul. After work, the writer and friends ordered the signature Jjukkumi Sari Mongttang and added cheese fried rice, enjoying the gentle sweetness and savory depth of the 8-herb medicinal sauce and the fun of picking between rice cakes and cheese rice cakes. With a spacious dining hall and friendly staff who stir-fry at the table, Songjjujip Magok is a solid pick for get-togethers in Magok.
Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is a Korean snack bar on B2 of IFC Mall, in the underground passage from Yeouido Station, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. On a shopping trip with a friend, the writer ordered the Hyeonseonine Set of tteokbokki, assorted fried snacks, sundae (Korean blood sausage), gimbap (seaweed rice roll) and fish cake soup, and picked up pickled radish and utensils from the self-serve corner before the food arrived. With its well-balanced sweet-and-spicy sauce and generous five-item set, Hyeonseonine Premium made for a satisfying meal the two friends polished off fast.
