Between-Meals Roamer · 23 stories
I write about restaurants I visit around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Bars · Cafés · Shopping · Food & snacks · Home & living
Beorn Hair Cheongdam is a hair salon on Seolleung-ro near Exit 4 of Gangnam-gu Office Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer came in for a spring wave perm, was told their hair would not take a perm well, and switched to a 7-step inner clinic plus a cut. Even after some time, tangles stayed down and the shine lasted, making Beorn Hair Cheongdam an honest salon that does not push unnecessary treatments.
Cheonghwaweon (청화원) is a Taiwanese Chinese restaurant on Myeongmul-gil in Seodaemun, Seoul, near Sinchon Station. The writer ordered xiaolongbao and crystal dumplings (₩9,500 each, 6 pieces), jingjiang rousi (shredded pork in sweet bean sauce) and tomato egg stir-fry, and was happy with the dim sum prices, the free rice, the friendly staff and the spacious, clean dining room. For a reliable, good-value Chinese meal in Sinchon, Cheonghwaweon is well worth recommending.
Choijin Hair Apgujeongnodeo flagship is a hair salon in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, close to Apgujeongnodeo Station. The blogger had a clinic (in-salon hair treatment) plus a cut for frizzy, layered hair. The designer did the clinic personally, and the hair came out visibly calmer and neater. If frizz from layered hair is your problem, the clinic + cut combination at Choijin Hair is worth considering.
Café Diaz Galleria Gwanggyo is a fruit and fresh cream cake café on the B1 floor of Galleria Gwanggyo in Suwon, Gyeonggi. Around Parents' Day, the blogger bought a size-1 mango strawberry fresh cream whole cake for 49,000 won as a celebration cake and shared it with everyone. The fresh strawberries, well-ripened mango and lightly sweet, nutty dairy cream went well together. For a celebration fruit cake you can pick up right in Gwanggyo, Café Diaz Galleria Gwanggyo is a satisfying choice.
Downtowner Gangnam is a handmade burger shop on Teheran-ro 1-gil, a short walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11 in Seoul. At Downtowner Gangnam the writer ordered the signature Downtowner burger set (9,900 won), swapped in Hot Honey chicken bites (+2,000 won), added sweet potato fries (6,800 won) and tried all 6 sauces at 500 won each. Verdict: even the sides at Downtowner Gangnam are high quality, making it the place to return to whenever a burger craving hits near Gangnam Station.
Nu Waxing & Brow is a reservation-only waxing and brow salon near Gangnam Station in Seoul. Before summer, the writer returned to Brazilian waxing after a long break (₩50,000). Thanks to Lycon wax and the waxer's quick hands, it hurt less than expected, and the session ended with a calming pack chosen from 3 options. Nu Waxing & Brow suits anyone nervous about pain after time off, and the writer plans to go back.
Downtowner Gwanggyojungang Station is a handmade burger shop in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, a one-minute walk from Gwanggyojungang Station. For lunch, the blogger ordered a 7,800 won cheeseburger, made it a 4,900 won set and paid 3,500 won extra to swap in chicken fries; the juicy patty and the chicken fries' addictive sauce were the highlights. Downtowner Gwanggyojungang Station is a good-value pick for a solo burger lunch near the station.
Izakaya Goko Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch is an aged-sashimi izakaya on the 2nd floor of the Banseok Building on Bongeunsa-ro 2-gil, between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul. On a weekend at 6:30 p.m., the writer and a friend ordered the Goko aged sashimi for 2 (42,000 won), mackerel bar sushi (25,000 won) and two Goko highballs (8,000 won each); every seat except the counter and two or three tables was taken, and there was a waitlist by the time they left. Thick-cut aged sashimi, mackerel sushi with no fishy taste and friendly service earned Izakaya Goko a 5/5 and a planned return visit.
Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam is a Korean BBQ restaurant on the 3rd and 4th floors in an alley off Gangnam Station Exit 11 in Seoul, open daily from 1 PM, where staff grill the meat for you from start to finish. The writer ordered the Chunbae Couple Set (71,000 won, 450g of skirt meat, boneless short rib and five-layer pork belly), and staff grilled it in order from skirt meat to pork belly. Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam suits daytime drinking, a late lunch-dinner, group gatherings or a date, with partitioned tables and 4th-floor private rooms.
Elf Bar Jamsil is a disposable vape shop in Songpa, Seoul, a 1-minute walk from Exit 4 of Saenae Station. The writer compared testers of disposables including the Elf Bar BC10000, Ice King, Solo Bar and Nasty, then bought a Solo Bar 50,000-puff and Gello cartridges, and was impressed by the tidy displays and friendly explanations. For comparing disposable vapes side by side near Saenae, Elf Bar Jamsil is an easy choice.
Hola Poke Seolleung Branch is a poke salad shop near Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer ate a seafood poke (13,500 won) solo in the shop on a weekday lunch break and took a smoked duck poke (11,000 won) to go for the afternoon at work. With fresh ingredients and easy solo dining, Hola Poke Seolleung Branch is a lunch spot near Seolleung Station worth returning to for office workers.
Prefers Diet Food Bundang Seohyeon is a high-protein diet restaurant for solo diners on Rodeo Street near Seohyeon Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. The writer ordered the beef curry bowl (14,900 won) at the kiosk with a baked egg and a Narangd Cider, and the tender beef and rich curry made a filling meal that never got boring. Thanks to solo bar seating and a clean interior, Prefers Diet Food Bundang Seohyeon is a good spot for a solo diet-friendly meal near Seohyeon Station: 4/5, and the writer would return.
