Anyang Commuter Diner · 49 stories

Receipts from Seoul

I write about restaurant meals I try around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons · Bars

PlaceGuro, SeoulRestaurants

Guro jokbal restaurant: free barley rice and cold bossam, Sambaekga

Sindorim Sambaekga (신도림삼백가) is a Korean restaurant serving jokbal (braised pig's trotters), bossam (boiled pork wraps) and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) on the ground floor of the building across from D-Cube City at Sindorim Station in Guro, Seoul. On a Saturday evening the writer ordered the Sambaek Jokbal + Kalguksu set (₩51,000) and was happy with the cold bossam served as a side dish, the yeolmu barley rice that comes free with any kalguksu order and the tender front-leg jokbal. Sindorim Sambaekga is a Sindorim jokbal spot that even won over the writer's husband, who doesn't usually care for jokbal.

Written Jul 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Dog-friendly poke spot in Seongsu: Salchi Bowl at Le Vegie Wang

Le Vegie Wang Seongsu Space is a dog-friendly salad and poke restaurant in a Yeonmujang-gil alley in Seongsu, Seoul. Arriving just before the 14:30 lunch last order, the writer had the salsa chicken poke (Salchi Bowl) and the Le Vegie Wang tomato soup, which is said to be made by slowly sautéing vegetables without water or flour; the tomato sauce and granola topping went especially well together. Le Vegie Wang Seongsu Space is a good fit for tomato lovers who are watching their diet.

Written Jul 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Garak Market gopchang grill with a 70-minute Friday wait: Jinseong

Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship (진성한우곱창 가락본점) is a Korean beef gopchang (grilled beef intestine) restaurant near Garak Market in Songpa, Seoul. A couple who first fell for the Sindang branch arrived at 7:30 PM on a Friday, waited 1 hour 10 minutes behind 19 parties, and ate 3 servings of gopchang, janchi guksu (noodles in light broth) and kkakdugi fried rice. The wait is long, but the gopchang and the upgraded kkakdugi fried rice at Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang make it worth going back.

Written Jul 31, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Kaisendon restaurant in Gwanghwamun: late-lunch uni toro don, Ilpum

Ilpum Gwanghwamun is a Japanese restaurant specializing in sushi, kaisendon (seafood rice bowls) and unagi don (eel rice bowls), located on B2 of Le Meilleur Jongno Town in Jongno, Seoul. The writer sat at the bar around 2pm on a weekday and ordered the uni toro don, a rice bowl topped with fatty tuna, sea urchin and salmon roe, and especially liked the well-seasoned rice and the salmon roe with no fishy taste. Verdict: Ilpum Gwanghwamun is the writer's go-to whenever a kaisendon craving hits in Seoul, reliable for both the rice and the seafood.

Written Jul 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangcheon, SeoulRestaurants

No-alcohol gopchang dinner with cheese fried rice in Mokdong: Omokgyo

Omokgyo Gopchang Mokdong Main Branch is a grilled beef gopchang (small intestine) restaurant in a side street near Omokgyo Station, across from Hyundai Department Store Mokdong in Seoul. A gopchang-loving couple ordered 1 serving of the mixed grill platter and 1 serving of hwangso gopchang (bull small intestine) on a weekday evening, then finished with Omokgyo fried rice with extra cheese. With its signature traditional handmade garlic gopchang and spacious dining hall, Omokgyo Gopchang is a safe pick for a group dinner in Mokdong.

Written Jul 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulBars

Sadang pub, mild daechang gopdoritang with egg mandu: Hansabal Pocha

Hansabal Pocha Sadang Branch is a retro-style pub on Bangbaecheon-ro near Sadang Station in Seocho, Seoul, known for gopdoritang (spicy chicken stew with beef intestines) made with daechang (beef large intestine) instead of gopchang. A couple went on a weekday evening, skipped the alcohol and ordered the set of egg mandu and mild gopdoritang with extra udon noodles; the rich daechang paired well with the savory, not-too-spicy sauce. Even people who can't handle spicy food should be happy with the mild gopdoritang and egg mandu at Hansabal Pocha Sadang Branch.

Written Aug 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Dog-friendly Sillim pizza and pasta set on a weekday night: Pug Pizza

Pug Pizza House Sillim Branch is a dog-friendly pizza and pasta restaurant in Gwanak, Seoul, a 3–4 minute walk from Sillim Station Exit 6, with regular seating on floors 1–2 and a pet zone on floor 3. On a weekday evening, the writer ordered the half-and-half pizza & pasta value set: an XR 11-inch pizza, half mentaiko (pollock roe) fire-grilled beef brisket and half truffle mushroom gnocchi, upgraded to a whole cheese milk crust edge, plus rucola tomato cheese pasta and an Oriental mini salad. Because the floors are separate, Pug Pizza House Sillim Branch is comfortable for dog owners and for people who are uneasy around dogs alike.

Written Aug 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Sinyongsan tteokbokki spot, Catchtable lunch for three: Hyeonseonine

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch (현선이네 용산본점) is an instant tteokbokki (spicy rice cake stew) and Korean snack restaurant a 3-minute walk from Sinyongsan Station in Yongsan, Seoul. Three of us joined the Catchtable waitlist at 12:00 on a weekday, got in after about 20 minutes, and ate 2 servings of mild instant tteokbokki, mixed fritters, mini gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and fried rice. The self-bar fritter crumbs soaked in the broth, which the Euljiro and Yeouido branches don't offer, are the reason to come back to Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch.

Written Oct 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Suji-gu sundaeguk restaurant with sesame broth: Yeonnal Gyeongseong

Yeonnal Gyeongseong Sundaeguk Suji-gu Office Station Branch is a sundaeguk (Korean blood sausage soup) restaurant in Suji-gu, Yongin, across from the Yongin Lifelong Learning Center, known for a rich broth made with sesame. On a weekday late lunch at 4 p.m., the sundae-only gukbap set came with chalsundae (glutinous rice blood sausage) and pyeonyuk (sliced boiled pork); the nutty, well-seasoned broth needed no extra salted shrimp, and the sundae portion was so generous that the leftovers went home as takeout. Yeonnal Gyeongseong Sundaeguk is a satisfying pick for anyone after a rich, hearty gukbap.

Written Aug 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSiheung, GyeonggiRestaurants

Siheung duck BBQ for a Jungbok raw-and-spicy combo: Grill Duck

Grill Duck Hangari Barbecue is a duck restaurant on Beoman-ro in Siheung, Gyeonggi, near Starfield Bucheon and Okgil-dong in Bucheon. For Jungbok, the midsummer day Koreans eat restorative food, the writer visited Grill Duck on a Friday evening and ordered a half-and-half platter of plain raw duck and duck jumulleok (spicy marinated duck), with the smooth, not-cloying gochujang sauce, the potato topping and the garlic chive fried rice to finish as highlights. At 800g of duck for around ₩50,000, Grill Duck Hangari Barbecue is good value for a hearty duck dinner.

Written Aug 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceAnyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Anyang Bisan-dong grilled fish with high chairs: Hwaddeugeuro

Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo Bisan Branch is a grilled fish restaurant with a 500-degree oven on the 1st floor of the Blue Building at Kids Mom Center in Bisan-dong, Anyang. A couple arrived right at weekend opening, ordered one grilled mackerel set and one braised mackerel with radish and bracken, and mixed their own bibimbap at the self-bar, which is open to anyone who orders one menu item per person. With high chairs for babies and wide gaps between tables, Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo Bisan Branch works well for a family meal in Anyang.

Written Aug 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Mapo Station gyukatsu with tonkotsu broth ochazuke for two: Gyudo

Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch is a premium smoked gyukatsu (beef cutlet) restaurant on basement floor 1 of the Hanwha Obelisk building, directly connected to Mapo Station in Seoul. A couple ordered one iron-plate steak set and one smoked gyukatsu set, both with Sindongjin-rice pot rice, mu-saengchae (spicy radish salad) and onsen tamago (soft-cooked egg), then finished by comparing the bonito ochazuke broth with Gyudo's new tonkotsu (pork-bone) broth. The bonito broth is on the salty side and the tonkotsu tastes like a light gomtang (beef bone soup), so either one works depending on your taste.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored