Mirror Table Regular · 31 stories

Mirror and Menu

I write about beauty finds and restaurant visits around Seoul. · Writes about: Hair & beauty salons · Restaurants · Bars · Cafés · Shopping

PlaceJung-gu, SeoulShopping

Namdaemun optician: Mom's photochromic progressive lenses, 007 Optical

007 Optical is an optician on the first floor of Sangdong Church on Namdaemun-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul, near Hoehyeon Station. The writer's mother could only see 0.6 with progressive glasses from another shop, so the writer took her to 007 Optical for a precision exam on ZEISS equipment and received photochromic (color-changing) progressive lens glasses 5 days later. With the new glasses, her corrected vision reached 1.0, making 007 Optical a recommended choice for anyone buying glasses for their parents.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Apgujeong Rodeo salon detox clinic for Mom's gray-dyed hair: Biorn

Biorn Hair Apgujeong Rodeo (비오른헤어 압구정로데오점) is a premium hair salon near Exit 5 of Apgujeongnodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer's mother, whose hair had turned dry and brittle from frequent gray-coverage dyeing, had the Basic Inner Keratin Clinic: a scalp shampoo and a detox shampoo, high- and low-molecular keratin, nano steam and a water-repellent coating. Her hair went from snagging on her fingers to combing through smoothly, and because the booked designer handled every step personally, Biorn Hair is a salon worth revisiting with Mom.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulBars

Mom's birthday izakaya in Yongridan-gil: mackerel sushi, Hatpiendo

Hatpiendo is a casual izakaya (Japanese-style pub) on Yongridan-gil near Samgakji Station in Yongsan, Seoul. For her mom's birthday, the writer took both parents to Hatpiendo's 3rd-floor group seating and ordered the mackerel bar sushi (limited to 5 a day), abalone guts pasta, butter white pollock roe with cucumber, a highball and a non-alcoholic drink, and the parents loved it more than expected. With the station and a public parking lot close by, Hatpiendo was a satisfying Yongridan-gil izakaya for a family gathering with parents.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDongjak, SeoulRestaurants

Isu Station pizza pub with parents: 4 giant slices, Raymond

Raymond Isu Branch is an American-style pizza pub a 3-minute walk from Exit 9 of Isu Station in Dongjak, Seoul. On an early weekday evening, a party of three with parents ordered four slices of the 50.8cm giant pizza (Mac & Cheese, Spicy Fusilli, Brown & Potato and American Bulbeok), plus cream spaghetti and melon ade, and Raymond Isu Branch's big TV also suits pizza and beer during matches like the World Cup. With generous portions, good value and group seating, Raymond Isu Branch is a solid pick for a family dinner or watching a game near Isu Station.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Apgujeong crab restaurant with hangover crab ramyeon: Aemo Kkotgejang

Aemo Kkotgejang Apgujeong Main Branch is a soy-marinated and spicy marinated crab (gejang) restaurant in Apgujeong, Gangnam, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Apgujeong Station Exit 3. The writer, a Korean food lover from Gwangju, went on a date with her mom and ordered mild spicy marinated crab, spicy crab ramyeon and rice served in a large bowl. She found the mild crab still plenty spicy and the crab ramyeon just like seaside seafood ramyeon. Her verdict: Aemo Kkotgejang Apgujeong Main Branch is the place in Seoul for proper marinated crab plus a hangover-curing bowl of ramyeon.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Sangwangsimni hair salon: mother-of-the-groom gray coverage, Oreudeubi

Oreudeubi Sangwangsimni Station Branch (오르드비 상왕십리역점) is a hair salon on the ground floor of the Centras shopping complex in Seongdong, Seoul. Ahead of her son's wedding, a mother who had always dyed her own hair at home got a mother-of-the-groom full-head dye and clinic treatment at Oreudeubi, and her patchy color became one even tone that covered the gray. Verdict: on the wedding day her hair looked almost the same as her son's natural, never-dyed hair.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Hyehwa poke shop before Jekyll and Hyde: salmon bibim poke, Sallering

Sallering Daehak-ro is a poke and salad shop in Jongno, Seoul, within a 2-minute walk of Hyehwa Station Exit 2. Before seeing the play Jekyll and Hyde, the writer ordered a salmon bibim poke with pollock roe wasabi mayo dressing and multigrain rice, plus an apple cider vinegar drink. The food arrived in under 5 minutes, leaving time to get to the theater. Sallering Daehak-ro is a good fit for a quick, filling solo meal before a show in Daehak-ro.

Written Jun 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ lunch set for 14,000 won near City Hall Station: Geumseong

Geumseong Hoegwan Seoul City Hall Direct Branch (금성회관 서울시청직영점) is a Korean BBQ restaurant in the Bukchang-dong food alley near City Hall Station Exit 7 in Jung-gu, Seoul. Three friends who work near Gwanghwamun, Seoul Station and Seodaemun Station met there for the hwangje galbi lunch special at 14,000 won, added extra meat and spicy Jjapaghetti (black bean instant noodles), and the bite-size cuts let them eat without rushing on a short lunch break. The writer has paid their own way and returned many times, and Geumseong Hoegwan is a good-value, no-wait pick for office workers looking for a Korean BBQ lunch near City Hall Station.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Pasta near Express Bus Terminal: corn gnocchi with Mom at Pasta Trio

Pasta Trio is a wood-toned pasta restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, a 1-minute walk from Exit 5 of Nonhyeon Station and close to Express Bus Terminal Station. On the terrace with her Western-food-loving mom, the writer ordered burrata cheese basil pesto paccheri (23,000 won), corn cream gnocchi (19,000 won), an extra garlic baguette and crème brûlée. Pasta Trio was good enough to mop up every bit of leftover sauce with the garlic baguette, and it's a solid pick for a date with Mom or a blind date.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Jamsil Saenae hair salon: demi clinic for perm-fried hair, CHOP Hair

CHOP Hair Jamsil Branch is a hair salon on the 3rd floor of Gyeongjung Building, near Exit 4 of Saenae Station in Songpa, Seoul, known for clinics for severely damaged hair. After a hippie perm and, a month later, a volume magic C-curl perm left the writer's hair burnt and melted, senior stylist Ally gave it a demi clinic: two shampoos, moisture, silk and oil proteins, a treatment and two 10-minute steams, and hair that couldn't even be brushed came out smooth. The demi clinic at CHOP Hair Jamsil Branch suits anyone who wants thorough damaged-hair care without being pushed into extra services.

Written Jul 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

City Hall ramen for offal skeptics: hormone-don and karaage, Mentsuru

Mentsuru City Hall Branch is a Japanese ramen restaurant right outside Exit 10 of City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. After work, two diners shared tori paitan ramen (12,000 won), hormone-don (beef intestine rice bowl, 15,000 won) and handmade karaage (7,000 won); the boyfriend, who dislikes offal, happily ate the hormone-don and finished every drop of the tori paitan broth. Mentsuru City Hall Branch makes an easy dinner stop before a night-opening stroll at Deoksugung Palace.

Written Jul 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Cheongdam hair salon gray coverage for Dad before a wedding: Beorn

Beorn Hair Cheongdam is a hair salon in Cheongdam, Gangnam, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Gangnam-gu Office Station. Before her brother's wedding, the writer brought her father, whose white hair had long been left untouched, and Beorn Hair Cheongdam sprayed scalp protector thoroughly before dyeing his hair a color that covers gray moderately, making him look much younger. Verdict: Beorn Hair Cheongdam is a trustworthy choice for pre-wedding dyeing for parents with sensitive, thinning scalps.

Written Oct 11, 2026Sponsored