Double Spoon Walker · 18 stories

Two Spoons in Seochon

Writes about small restaurant meals found while wandering Seoul's older neighbourhoods. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés

PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jongno 3-ga dumpling hot pot after a Seochon ginkgo walk: Jongga Mandu

Jongga Mandu (종가만두) is a dumpling hot pot restaurant on Supyo-ro in Jongno, Seoul, near Jongno 3-ga Station. After a walk to see the ginkgo trees in Seochon, the writer had the half-and-half broth dumpling hot pot at Jongga Mandu, with clear broth and meat dumplings on one side and spicy broth and kimchi dumplings on the other, then finished with kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). Jongga Mandu is an old-school Jongno dumpling hot pot spot that suits two people with different tastes, a hangover meal or daytime drinks.

Written Nov 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jonggak sashimi spot for a blind date: amberjack & gwamegi, Suksseong

Suksseong Susan Jongno Main Branch (숙썽수산 종로본점) is an aged sashimi restaurant on the 3rd floor of a building inside Jonggak's Youth Street, near Jonggak Station Exit 4 in Jongno, Seoul. The writer ordered two winter seasonal dishes there: the small amberjack (daebang-eo) platter for 2, eaten in seaweed with aged kimchi, and Guryongpo gwamegi (half-dried Pacific saury), eaten in vegetable wraps. With partitions and curtains around each seat, Suksseong Susan works well for a date or a blind date.

Written Nov 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Hyehwa Taiwanese restaurant for first-timers, tiger bowl: Cheonghwawon

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is a Taiwanese Chinese restaurant on Daemyeong-gil in Jongno, Seoul, near Hyehwa Station Exit 4. On a chilly day after a play, the writer ordered knife-cut beef noodles, a tiger rice bowl and guobaorou (crispy sweet-and-sour fried pork) with a companion who had never tried Taiwanese food, and the tiger rice bowl, tasted for the first time, became the favorite. As an introductory Taiwanese meal, Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch was satisfying.

Written Nov 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuRestaurants

Staff-grilled Hamdeok black pork BBQ, seaweed-roe wraps: Jeju Samchun

Jeju Samchun (제주삼춘) is a black pork BBQ restaurant in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, about a 5-minute walk from Hamdeok Beach, where staff grill grapevine-smoked, aged black pork from start to finish. On a full-house day I ordered the Jocha Set of neck and five-layer pork belly, ate it with seaweed-and-pollock-roe wraps and breadcrumb salt, and got a kimchi stew through the review event. Those sides are hard to find at other black pork restaurants, so Jeju Samchun is a place I'd stop by again on my next Hamdeok trip.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Haebangchon Italian restaurant for a sunset blind date: Villa de Blue

Villa de Blue Haebangchon (빌라드블루 해방촌) is a southern Italian and Mediterranean-style restaurant on Sinheung-ro in Haebangchon, Yongsan, Seoul. The writer came on a date around sunset and shared the Amalfi set of aligot cheese lasagna, pulpo mambo (octopus), gnocchi fritz (fried gnocchi) and lemonade, and the mood was good enough that a blind date was under way at the next table. Villa de Blue Haebangchon is worth recommending for a date or blind date, ideally sharing the Amalfi set at a window seat at sunset.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Mongchontoseong octopus pub with booths, first samhap: Muneo Cheonha

Muneo Cheonha (문어천하) is a live octopus pub in the Bangi-dong food alley in Songpa, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Jamsil Station and Mongchontoseong Station. On the way to Lotte World Mall, two first-timers tried the live octopus bossam samhap (octopus, boiled pork and aged kimchi eaten together). The meal came with generous side dishes such as octopus steamed egg and sizzling octopus corn cheese, and the tender octopus and moist pork wrapped in aged kimchi made a memorable combination. Muneo Cheonha is a great place to share food and drinks, and a good fit for a group dinner in Bangi-dong.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Bukchon pizza date with a midday beer: corn & chili potato, Low Five

Low Five Anguk is a pizza and pasta restaurant in a Bukchon alley in Jongno, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Exit 2 of Anguk Station. On a weekday lunch, with the windows open by the window seats, the writer had a half corn, half hot chili potato pizza and a truffle cream pasta, plus a beer in broad daylight. The mood, food and service at Low Five Anguk were all satisfying, making it a Bukchon date spot the writer would gladly revisit.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGimpo, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gurae Station Korean eatery: sooyuk hot pot with tendon at Okdoenjang

Okdoenjang Gimpo Gurae Branch (옥된장 김포구래점) is a Korean restaurant in Gurae-dong, Gimpo, a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Gurae Station on the Gimpo Goldline. The writer ordered the feast set for two, added a beef tendon (seuji) topping to the assorted sooyuk (boiled meat) hot pot, and ate it with a squid minari pancake and a squid cho-muchim (tangy squid salad) swapped into the set. The verdict: order the sooyuk hot pot at Okdoenjang Gimpo Gurae Branch, and don't skip the beef tendon topping.

Written Jul 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJungnang, SeoulRestaurants

Myeonmok Market late-night chicken for two: Pyeongjeong Dakgangjeong

Pyeongjeong Dakgangjeong is a takeout-only fried chicken shop inside Myeonmok Market in Jungnang, Seoul, near Sagajeong Station. On a weekday evening the writer took home a large mild dakgangjeong (sweet, crispy Korean fried chicken) and fried gizzards for a late-night snack with zero-alcohol beer; the large dakgangjeong filled two people with some left over and stayed crunchy even after cooling. Pyeongjeong Dakgangjeong's mild flavor is not spicy and only lightly sweet, making it a safe pick for anyone who can't handle heat or for the whole family.

Written Aug 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Noryangjin sashimi takeout, rainy-day jack mackerel: Ttangkkeut Maeul

Ttangkkeut Maeul (땅끝마을) is a live-fish sashimi shop on the first floor of Noryangjin Fisheries Market in Dongjak, Seoul, right in front of South Gate 1. The blogger picked up a medium jack mackerel assortment for a sashimi picnic on Nodeul Island, but sudden rain moved the meal home. Two people finished the whole platter there with aged kimchi and seaweed, and the shop packed plenty of sauces, sushi rice vinegar and spicy fish stew ingredients. Verdict: Ttangkkeut Maeul's medium jack mackerel assortment is a generous, well-composed Noryangjin sashimi takeout.

Written Oct 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Korean restaurant, solo doenjang stew +100g beef: 1992 Deopbap

1992 Deopbap & Jjageuli Gangnam Main Branch is a hanok-style Korean restaurant about a 2-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 3 in Seoul. Dining alone, the writer ordered beef brisket doenjang jjageuli (thick soybean paste stew) with a switch to giant egg-blanket rice, half a portion of ramen noodles, 100g of extra meat and 8 scored Vienna sausages, then mixed everything into the rich, reduced doenjang broth. With kiosk ordering, self pick-up, and free candy and gargle sticks, 1992 Deopbap & Jjageuli is a good place for a proper solo meal near Gangnam Station.

Written Oct 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ in Nonhyeon-dong: five dishes for two at Jabdam

Jabdam (잡담) is a frozen pork belly Korean BBQ restaurant tucked down an alley in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, Seoul. Two people ordered five dishes at Jabdam: frozen pork belly, the signature frozen pork belly gimbap (seaweed rice roll), dwitgolmok-gogi (back-alley meat), pork skin and bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles), and the owner's side dishes, made fresh daily, including pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi), stood out most. A single portion of pork skin was plenty for two, and Jabdam is a place worth coming back to.

Written Aug 3, 2026Sponsored