Closer Looker · 16 stories

A Closer Look at Seoul

I write about places I visit and things I try in Seoul. · Writes about: Cafés · Things to do · Bars · Restaurants

PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Teppan spot in Mullae: first monjayaki and waterfall potato at Jojo

Jojo Mullae Branch is a Japanese teppan (griddle) restaurant in Mullae-dong, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, specializing in monjayaki and okonomiyaki. The writer, who had never tried monjayaki before, ordered the monjayaki set for 2 (mentaiko monjayaki, karai yakisoba and waterfall potato, a dish that tastes like egg potato salad) on a weekday evening, and staff cooked the monjayaki on the tabletop griddle. The first monjayaki at Jojo Mullae Branch beat expectations, the griddle got scraped clean, and the writer would happily go back.

Written Nov 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam blind date pasta, cheese bunny & honey truffle fries: Brivit

Brivit Gangnam Station is a plant-filled Western restaurant on Gangnam-daero 102-gil, between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul. At Brivit Gangnam Station the writer ordered the Hop-Hop! Bunny Pasta topped with a mozzarella bunny, porcini shrimp gnocchi, honey-drizzled truffle fries and a lemon beet ade, enjoyed every dish and found the staff very friendly. Verdict: Brivit Gangnam Station is a Gangnam Station pasta restaurant worth recommending for a blind date, a date or a wedding-invitation get-together.

Written Nov 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Sillim Station pizza with friends: Hawaiian Munster half, Pug Pizza

Pug Pizza House Sillim Branch is a new dog-friendly pizza restaurant on Sillim-ro near Sillim Station in Gwanak, Seoul. Catching up with old friends on the 2nd floor, the writer ordered a fig jambon-beurre (ham and butter) arugula pizza, an Amazing Shrimp and Hawaiian Munster Cheese half-and-half pizza, tomato cheese spaghetti and butter garlic potatoes, then looked around the 3rd-floor pet zone. Pug Pizza House Sillim Branch is more than a dog-friendly restaurant: it is a genuinely good pizza spot for a group get-together.

Written May 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido Station Korean BBQ: galbi set grilling order for 2, Yuk Lab

Yuk Lab Yeouido is a beef and lamb Korean BBQ restaurant with private rooms only, on the 2nd floor of the Yeouido Comprehensive Shopping Center right by Exit 5 of Yeouido Station in Seoul. The blogger ordered the 2-person galbi set and grilled it in the owner's recommended order: jingalbisal (boneless beef rib meat), lamb ribs, then marinated galbi. Plenty of garlic sauce with a touch of wasabi was the best combination. Yuk Lab Yeouido suits dates or get-togethers where you want to try several meats at once and talk quietly.

Written Oct 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae slice pizza spot: Friday Ray Set with a friend at Raymond's

Raymond's Hongdae is an American-style slice pizza and craft beer restaurant on Yanghwa-ro 18an-gil in Mapo, Seoul. Two friends walked into Raymond's Hongdae around 7 p.m. on a Friday with no wait and ordered the Ray Set (4 pizzas, sausage and truffle fries), cutting each pizza in half so both could try every flavor. The Ray Set was a lot of food for two, and the bacon Hawaiian at Raymond's Hongdae was good enough to want again.

Written Jun 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae Korean restaurant: fire-grilled galbi set for two at Ok Galbi

Ok Galbi (옥갈비) is a Korean restaurant specializing in galbi (beef short rib) dishes on Eoulmadang-ro 5-gil in Mapo, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Hapjeong Station. After reserving ahead, the writer had the Ok Galbi set for two, which comes with grilled galbi, galbi salad, braised galbi and gomtang (beef bone soup); the tender braised galbi and the clear yet rich gomtang were the highlights. For a hearty Korean meal in Hongdae or Hapjeong, the Ok Galbi set is an easy choice that saves you from agonizing over the menu.

Written Oct 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYeongdeungpo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeouido IFC Mall Korean lunch: beef yukhoe bibimbap at Modam Urban

Modam Urban is a Korean restaurant on the L3 floor of IFC Mall in Yeouido, Seoul, serving modern takes on traditional Korean dishes plus sanggyeonrye (families-meeting) and surasang (royal table) set courses. For lunch, the writer ordered minari (water dropwort) Korean beef yukhoe (raw beef) bibimbap and assorted seafood jang (soy-marinated seafood) with gamtae seaweed butter rice, and both mains came with a starter spread and milk pudding for dessert. Modam Urban suits anyone in Yeouido looking for a calm Korean lunch or family gathering, thanks to generous starters, mains that aren't too salty and partitioned seating.

Written Oct 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Hapjeong café for a Chiikawa goods swap and drip coffee: Central Site

Central Site Hapjeong is a specialty drip coffee and tiramisu café about a 1-minute walk from Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. Over Chiikawa goods collected at Kukje Electronics Center and shared with a friend, the writer tried Colombia Gesha Washed Peach Punch and Ethiopia Nigusse Gemeda Washed Dark Room drip coffee with a classic tiramisu. With its drip coffee and tiramisu, Central Site Hapjeong is a Hapjeong Station café made for long chats with friends.

Written Oct 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ in Hongdae, Seoul with spicy green onion salad: Gogikkun

Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch is a charcoal BBQ restaurant for hanwoo (Korean beef) and handdon (Korean pork) on the 3rd floor of a building on Eoulmadang-ro in Hongdae, Seoul, a 6-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 9. The hanwoo and pork set for two (200g hanwoo sirloin of the day, 150g five-layer pork belly and 250g fresh rib meat) came with half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles) and kkakduk-bap (diced rice dish), all grilled at the table by staff, and the spicy, nutty green onion salad was the standout. With partitioned booths for dates and a 4th-floor annex for groups, Gogikkun Gim Chunbae is an easy pick among restaurants in Hongdae, Seoul.

Written Aug 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong date-night BBQ: pork ribs dipped in cheese fondue, Champpoppo

Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch is a jjokgalbi (pork rib) restaurant a 5-6 minute walk from Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. The meal was two orders of seasoned jjokgalbi and one soy jjokgalbi with cheese fondue in a hot stone pot, grandma-style doenjang rice with rice wine, and cold yeolmu kimchi noodles, and dipping the pre-seared ribs into the thick melted cheese was the best part. Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch suits a cozy date for two who want the side dishes done properly as well.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Sillim pizza restaurant with dog stroller rental: Pug Pizza House

Pug Pizza House Sillim Branch is a dog-friendly pizza restaurant in Gwanak, Seoul, a 4-minute walk from Sillim Station Exit 6, with regular seating on the 1st and 2nd floors and the entire 3rd floor run as a pet zone. Visiting for a family meal with a dog, I ordered the fig jambon beurre arugula pizza and the truffle mushroom gnocchi pizza in XR size with butter garlic potatoes. Between the dog stroller rental and the dog self-bar upstairs, Pug Pizza House Sillim Branch made eating out with a dog genuinely easy.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulThings to do

Horror-free escape room near Hongik Univ. Station: Cube Escape

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is an escape room café on the 4th floor of the Mugwang Building between Hongik University Station and Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. In the fairy-tale adventure theme Hansel and Gretel, the writer used 2 of the available hints and escaped with 16 minutes left on the 60-minute clock, in a room built on 70% locks and 30% devices with no horror elements at all. Hansel and Gretel at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch suits escape room beginners and anyone who wants a scare-free theme.

Written Aug 9, 2026Sponsored