Dobong Brush Fan · 17 stories

Loose Brush, Seoul Eats and Faces

Writes about Seoul cafes, restaurants, and beauty spots visited in daily rounds around the city. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceJung-gu, SeoulCafés

City Hall café, 8 Blue Ribbons: latte & Earl Grey tart | Center Coffee

Center Coffee Gwanghwamun is a specialty coffee café between Gwanghwamun Station and City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, close to Cheonggyecheon Stream. The writer and a friend ordered a latte, a vanilla latte and an Earl Grey lemon tart: the latte was smooth from the first sip, and the tart paired zesty lemon cream with Earl Grey flavor. Center Coffee Gwanghwamun is worth recommending to anyone who wants proper coffee and dessert during a Cheonggyecheon stroll.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Jeongdong-gil Korean restaurant: pork set with yuja greens, Tanbaek

Tanbaek (탄백) is a Korean kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) restaurant on Jeongdong-gil in Jung-gu, Seoul, right next to Jeongdong Theater. After a walk along the Deoksugung stone wall road, the jeyuk modeum (assorted pork set) arrived as a set of mushroom rice, warm pork and hanwoo (Korean beef) broth, and with herring roe, fresh wasabi, yuja-dressed chamnamul and kimchi on the side it never felt greasy to the last bite. For a neat meal that makes even solo diners feel well looked after, Tanbaek's jeyuk modeum is an easy recommendation.

Written Jun 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

New Jongno burger spot with candied sweet potato fries: Reel Burger

Reel Burger Gwanghwamun is a newly opened handmade burger restaurant on Sambong-ro in Jongno, Seoul, near Jonggak Station and Gwanghwamun Station. Visiting with a friend soon after opening, the writer ordered by QR code an egg Benedict burger, a Classic burger with an extra patty, onion rings and sweet potato fries; the sweet potato fries came out sweet like matang (candied sweet potato), and the handmade onion rings were crisp. Reel Burger Gwanghwamun has no set menus, but it is a Jongno burger spot worth visiting before the lines get long.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

City Hall ramen shop: free-chili spicy shoyu, hormone-don, Mentsuru

Mentsuru City Hall Branch is a Japanese ramen and rice bowl restaurant near City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, known for long lunch queues of office workers. On a second visit, the spicy shoyu ramen came with free extra cheongyang chili (a fiery Korean green chili) alongside a hormone-don (beef intestine rice bowl), and the deep, spicy broth and rich, savory intestine made a sweet-salty, spicy match. At Mentsuru City Hall Branch, the spicy shoyu ramen and hormone-don combo is the one to order.

Written Jul 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulCafés

Jongno 3-ga bakery revisit: garlic & squid-ink bread on the go, Munhwa

Munhwa Bakery (문화제빵) is a bakery on Donhwamun-ro near Jongno 3-ga Station in Jongno, Seoul, known among bakery-hoppers as one of Seoul's top 3 bakeries. On a second visit to Munhwa Bakery early on a weekday, the writer bought the signature garlic bread and condensed-milk squid-ink bread and couldn't resist eating them right on the street. Verdict: Munhwa Bakery's moist garlic bread, crisp outside and soft inside with no harsh bite, and its chewy squid-ink bread with condensed-milk cream earn it a place on any list of favorite bakeries.

Written Jun 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Station sandwich shop, moist chicken ciabatta & decaf set: Dance

Dance Dance Dance Seoul Station is a baguette and ciabatta sandwich brunch shop on B3 of Grand Central near Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. The chicken breast sandwich, known as a celebrity-recommended menu item, was switched from baguette to ciabatta at no extra charge and ordered as a set with a decaf americano; the chicken was moist rather than dry, and the decaf americano wasn't watery. The free morning scone had sold out by the afternoon visit, but Dance Dance Dance Seoul Station is worth a return trip for a healthy, filling sandwich near Seoul Station.

Written Jul 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido burger shop with combos Gwanghwamun lacks: Lil' Burger

Lil' Burger The Hyundai Seoul is chef Lee Won-il's handmade burger shop on the B1 floor of The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul. On a weekend visit, the writer ordered the El Taco Burger combo with French fries and the Jalapeño Burger combo with sweet potato fries, tasting the taco flavor from nacho chips and cilantro, the clean heat of the jalapeño and the sweetness of the sweet potato fries. The writer was glad to find the combo sets missing at the Gwanghwamun branch at Lil' Burger The Hyundai Seoul, and recommends the El Taco plus Jalapeño Burger pairing as a perfect spicy-sweet-salty match.

Written Jul 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulCafés

Guui Station bakery café: ₩500 americano with sourdough, Wonz Coffee

Wonz Coffee is a specialty coffee and handmade bakery café between Guui Station and Children's Grand Park in Gwangjin, Seoul. With a sourdough set order, an americano costs just 500 won, so the writer had a Sirius Deep Black americano alongside the set and also tried the Wonz Coffee egg tart and butter tteok (buttery rice cake). The sourdough dipped in mushroom soup was the standout, and the writer would definitely return to Wonz Coffee.

Written Jul 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Yeontral Park walk café in Yeonnam-dong: salty choco financier, Noknok

Noknok (녹녹) is a two-floor bakery café on Seongmisan-ro in Mapo, Seoul, a walk along Yeonnam-dong's Yeontral Park from Hongik Univ. Station, with a parking lot and a ₩3,800 americano. On a walk with a friend, the writer ordered a café latte, salt bread, a salty choco financier and Noknok's best-selling NY levain cookie, and especially loved the generously salted salt bread and the moist levain cookie. Verdict: Noknok is a good-value Yeonnam-dong bakery café where the coffee, bread and baked sweets are all hits.

Written Jul 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Ttukseom Station café with a hotel-trained barista's latte: Iridescent

Iridescent is a Seongsu café on Seoulsup 4-gil in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, a short walk from Ttukseom Station on subway Line 2. On a lunchtime visit with a friend, the writer took the last free seat and ordered the signature Iridescent latte and a Maldon salt croissant; the smooth latte and the crisp, moist, sweet-and-salty croissant beat expectations. For a relaxed latte-and-pastry break during a day out in Seongsu, Iridescent is a spot-on choice.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Gongdeok lash salon: C/L-curl lift for a faded self-perm, Iyo Shop

Iyo Shop (이요샵) is a lash perm and extension salon on the 2nd floor of 143 Mapo-daero, near Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul. The writer's DIY lash perm from a month earlier had faded to straight lashes. After a consultation with the owner, the writer asked for a C-curl and L-curl feel and got a curl with no bent tips, in a treatment so comfortable the writer fell asleep. For anyone tired of using a lash curler and mascara every day, the Iyo Shop lash perm was a good choice that makes bare-faced eyes look defined.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Yongsan tteokbokki shop, staff talked us out of spicy: Hyeonseonine

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch (현선이네 용산본점) is a tteokbokki shop near Sinyongsan Station in Yongsan, Seoul, known for its spicy tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes). The writer and a friend ordered the Hyeonseonine Combo Set with tteokbokki, sundae (Korean blood sausage), assorted fried snacks, mini gimbap and fish cake, and switched from spicy to medium after a staff member warned that spicy is really hot. The medium tteokbokki at Hyeonseonine soaks up a sweet-and-spicy sauce that is addictive, and the combo is so generous two people may struggle to finish it.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored