Midnight Mirror Rover · 9 stories
Writes about cafes, restaurants, beauty spots, and bars across Gyeonggi, Busan/Gyeongnam, Seoul, and Jeju. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Bars · Hair & beauty salons
Hi-Nic Hair is a small hair salon near Oncheonjang Station in Dongnae, Busan. After repeated root touch-ups left her color patchy, the writer's mom got an all-over dark brown dye with gray coverage at Hi-Nic Hair for 70,000 won (women's dye, size S, gray coverage included). With careful color consultation and a refreshing scalp shampoo, Hi-Nic Hair is a salon worth recommending for parents who need gray hair coloring.
Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a basement Japanese restaurant near Gangnam Station Exit 6 in Seocho, Seoul, serving kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) and sushi, with omakase also on offer. On a Gangnam date with her boyfriend, the writer ordered the kaisendon (26,000 won), the Ilpum-don (30,000 won) and 3 shrimp sushi (5,500 won), and was happy with the ankimo (monkfish liver) served on the side of the kaisendon, the fish cake udon brought out mid-meal and the kabocha pudding for dessert. Ilpum Gangnam Branch is a date spot worth recommending for good sashimi at a reasonable price in Gangnam.
Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb, Bundang Direct Branch is a lamb restaurant on the ground floor of Zelzon Tower 2, near Exit 3 of Jeongja Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. A lamb-loving couple tried boiled lamb ribs for the first time with the boiled lamb rib couple set (59,000 won) and Tsingtao beer. They were happy with the tender lamb, which had no gamey smell, the herb cumin, BBQ and wasabi mayo sauces, the glazed dumplings and the spicy hangover hotpot. Because Yangmadam is corkage-free, it suits a quiet date or a dinner over drinks.
Yukmildo Dongnae Direct Branch is an aged-pork Korean BBQ restaurant near Exit 1 of Dongnae Station in Busan, where staff grill the meat at your table. The writer couldn't forget the aged fresh pork belly (130g for 14,000 won) from an earlier visit, so returned with their parents and also ordered whole gabrisal (pork collar cap, 130g for 15,000 won) and a stone-pot cheonggukjang (fermented soybean) stew. Thanks to the calm, partitioned seating and the quality of the meat, Yukmildo Dongnae Direct Branch was just as satisfying the second time.
Kkai 9 (까이9) is a Thai restaurant right outside Exit 9 of Euljiro 3-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. The writer shared the leng saep (Thai spicy pork rib soup) set for two with a boyfriend, switched the second dish to tom yum rice noodles and added Nutella to the banana roti for 56,500 won in total, and the mountain of pork back ribs in the leng saep was more than the two could finish. For a first try at leng saep, the Kkai 9 set for two delivers on both flavor and portion size.
Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch is a Korean restaurant specializing in spicy galbijjim (braised short ribs) on the 2nd floor of Cheonji Officetel near Seohyeon Station in Bundang, Seongnam. On a second visit, the mild pork galbijjim (16,000 won) with added flat glass noodles and rice came with big, plentiful pork ribs, and even the mild level was spicier than Shin Ramyun, enough to make your forehead sweat. Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim is most satisfying when you stir the seasoned bean sprout side into the stew and always add the flat glass noodles.
Moshi Moshi Sushi, Lotte Department Store Dongnae Branch is a sushi restaurant on the 8th-floor dining level of Lotte Department Store in Dongnae, Busan. The writer and their parents shared Set 6 for 3–4 people (97,900 won): 26 pieces of sushi, shrimp tempura, salmon salad and soba (buckwheat noodles). They left full and especially liked the thick-cut fish, the eel sushi and the crispy shrimp tempura. With its roomy, comfortable dining room, Moshi Moshi Sushi Dongnae is a good choice for a family meal with parents.
Bulmak Yeolsam Sajik is a Korean BBQ restaurant on Seoksabuk-ro in Sajik-dong, Dongnae, Busan, open until 2 a.m. On a visit with their parents, the writer ordered the Donggo Set (46,000 won), which comes with fresh pork belly, kkodeulsal (chewy pork jowl), doenjang (soybean paste) stew with beef brisket and grill cheese, and added pork skin. The pork skin, crispy outside and chewy inside, became the family's top pick. Bulmak Yeolsam Sajik is worth recommending for a late family dinner or a group meal after a baseball game.
Yanggyegok is a charcoal dakgalbi (grilled chicken) restaurant about 128 meters from Exit 4 of Yangjae Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writers ordered all three versions of the dakgalbi — salt, soy sauce and gochujang — to compare them side by side, and both picked the gochujang one as the favorite. The most memorable bite at Yanggyegok was a perilla leaf topped with dakgalbi, flying fish roe and wasabi mayo.
