Night Duffel Wanderer · 10 stories

Night Bag, Seoul/Gangwon and Jeju Bars, Stays and Beauty

Writes about bars, stays, and beauty spots found while moving between Seoul, Gangwon, and Jeju. · Writes about: Restaurants · Stays · Hair & beauty salons · Bars

PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Gongdeok izakaya for an anniversary dinner: Sarang gwa Pyeonghwa

Sarang gwa Pyeonghwa (사랑과평화) is an izakaya specializing in live mackerel and seasonal aged sashimi courses. It sits on the ground floor of the Gongdeok Park Xi shopping arcade in Mapo, Seoul, facing the Gyeongui Line Forest Park. For their 2nd wedding anniversary, the blogger and her husband had the Sarang Course at 58,000 won per person: five kinds of aged sashimi, mackerel bar sushi, tempura and a hot soup, with no fishy taste and not a bite left over. With window seats overlooking the forest trail, Sarang gwa Pyeonghwa is an anniversary date spot near Gongdeok Station worth recommending.

Written Jun 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Mapo Station izakaya for wedding anniversary drinks: Orot Robata

Orot Robata (오롯로바타) is a robatayaki izakaya on the ground floor of Gongdeok Park Xi in Mapo, Seoul, picked by the Blue Ribbon Survey six years in a row. For a wedding anniversary second round, the writer and her husband ordered the Hwayo set (₩38,000), jamón chipotle baby potatoes (₩18,000) and abalone and shrimp agemono (₩28,000), and found the open kitchen and widely spaced tables comfortable. With both the food and the atmosphere satisfying, Orot Robata is an easy recommendation for an anniversary date near Mapo Station.

Written Jun 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Gangnam Station hair salon blow-dry-only layered C-curl: Park Jun

Park Jun Beauty Lab Gangnam Branch (박준뷰티랩 강남점) is a hair salon on Gangnam-daero 110-gil near Exit 4 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul. After a March perm on thinned-out long hair turned frizzy, the blogger had designer Yeoreum trim the damaged ends and give a heat-free ribbon magic setting perm (layered C-curl perm) at Park Jun Beauty Lab Gangnam Branch. The verdict: the hair now sits smooth with just a morning blow-dry, feels softer, and the blogger is very happy with the result.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangneung, GangwonStays

Gangneung pension with rocking chair sea view: Dangsinuianmok Brie 401

Dangsinuianmok Juncheon (당신의안목 주문진점) is an ocean-view pension on Deungdae-gil in Jumunjin, Gangneung, near Jumunjin Port. The writer stayed in the Brie 401 duplex room, watched the sea from a rocking chair by the window and ate raw fish from Jumunjin Pungmul Market in the room's kitchen. Dangsinuianmok Juncheon stayed quiet even on a fully booked night, and the only drawback was that the floor-to-ceiling windows make mornings bright early.

Written Jul 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Digital Media City hair salon: patchy self-dye toned down, JUNO Hair

JUNO Hair Sangam DMC (준오헤어 상암DMC점) is a hair salon near Digital Media City Station and Susaek Station in Mapo, Seoul. Hair with uneven root, mid-length and end colors from frequent self-dyeing of gray hair was toned down to a level 4 color, black with a slight hint of brown, in about 1 hour 30 minutes. The patches disappeared, the color looked even in natural light and the shine came back, making this second visit to JUNO Hair Sangam DMC a big success.

Written Jun 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Date-night Korean pub in Mangwon comparing two set menus: Baennori

Baennori (뱃놀이) is a Korean gastropub in Mangwon, Seoul, 200m from Mangwon Station Exit 2. Over two visits the writer tried the flatfish & beef tartare basket with clear clam soup and the garlic gopdoritang (spicy braised chicken stew) with beef tartare gimbap (seaweed rice roll) set; both visits were satisfying, from the complimentary warm tofu with three toppings to the generous portions. Baennori was full even on a Monday evening, so if you want a date-night bar in Mangwon, book ahead.

Written Jul 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

After-work gyukatsu date in Gwanghwamun, no smell on clothes: Ichigyu

Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch (이치규 광화문점) is a Japanese restaurant on Basement 1 of Le Meilleur Jongno Town in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, where diners grill gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) themselves on a tabletop brazier. On an after-work weekday date with no wait, the writer had sirloin gyukatsu for 2 and a spicy tantanmen; the ventilation kept clothes free of smell, and sauce topped with wasabi was the best combination. With the fun of brazier grilling, tantanmen on the side and 2 hours of free parking, Ichigyu Gwanghwamun Branch is a recommended pick for a Gwanghwamun dinner date.

Written Jul 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong shabu-shabu, packed even with a booking: Shabu in Seoul

Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch is a shabu-shabu restaurant on B2 of Delight Square Building 1 in Hapjeong, Mapo, Seoul, connected to Hapjeong Station Exit 8. On a booked weekend visit the restaurant was still nearly full; the order was the grade-1 black pork belly shabu set with clear mushroom broth, extra meatballs brought by a serving robot, rice paper wraps, egg porridge and omija (five-flavor berry) tea. Verdict: the spacious room, fresh vegetables and mild, clean broth explain why Shabu in Seoul Hapjeong Branch stays busy on weekends.

Written Jul 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong pub-style burgers with charcoal pork neck: New York Apartment

New York Apartment is a New York pub-style handmade burger restaurant on the 2nd floor of Delight Square, near Exit 8 of Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a weekend date the writer ordered the New York Special set for two: the New York Steak Burger with smoked pork neck grilled over charcoal, truffle mushroom cream pasta and cheese fries, with Stella and Budweiser draft beers. For a steak burger that differs from the usual handmade burger, in a setting that feels far from Seoul, New York Apartment is a satisfying choice.

Written Aug 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulBars

Gwangheungchang izakaya for two: butter clams with pasta, Mulgogijip

Mulgogijip (물고기집) is an izakaya on Baekbeom-ro 10-gil in Mapo, Seoul, right in front of the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail and near Gwangheungchang and Daeheung stations. At Mulgogijip we had dry-aged sashimi (7 kinds, ₩39,000), sake-steamed clams in butter (₩26,000) and shrimp tempura (₩22,000) with Yebisu draft beer, and the clams came with pasta noodles, making the dish filling enough to work as both a drinking snack and a meal. Mulgogijip is recommended for anyone who wants aged sashimi with a floor-to-ceiling window view of the Forest Trail.

Written Aug 5, 2026Sponsored
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