Yerin Cho · 2 stories
Writes about Seoul restaurants she visits, one neighborhood meal at a time. · Writes about: Restaurants
Gungmin Nakgopsae Gangseo Branch is a nakgopsae (stir-fried octopus, shrimp and beef intestine) bar in Gangseo, Seoul, a short walk from Balsan Station. A couple ordered the hanwoo beef intestine nakgopsae in the medium size with rice and drinks, and a warm bowl of seaweed soup arrived first with the basic side dishes. Wrapping the nakgopsae in a perilla leaf with a little mayonnaise was the most satisfying bite of the night.
Hyehwahwa is a Korean restaurant and bar on the 2nd floor of a building on Daemyeong-gil in Jongno, Seoul, a short walk from Hyehwa Station, where dinner and drinks happen in one sitting. On a date with her boyfriend, the writer ordered straw-fire seared cauldron knife-cut octopus and egg-loaded fire-grilled mentaiko (pollock roe) pot rice, plus the daily welcome drink offered through the table QR ordering screen. The octopus was springy and not overly spicy, making it the clear favorite at Hyehwahwa, while the mentaiko pot rice was merely fine on its own but made the meal filling alongside the octopus.
