Gangnam Spoon Notes · 45 stories

A Spoonful of Seoul

I write about restaurants I come across around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Food & snacks · Cafés · Things to do · Fashion · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Gangnam men's hair salon: two-block to shadow + down perm, Beorn Hair

Beorn Hair Cheongdam is a reservation-only hair salon on Seolleung-ro near Exit 4 of Gangnam-gu Office Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer's boyfriend had only ever had two-block cuts and wanted a shadow perm despite his in-between length, so the head designer gave him a shadow-style perm matched to his face shape and length, plus a side down perm. His shaggy hair became a soft style that only needs a towel shake and air dry, and he even got compliments at work, a good result for men growing out a two-block cut.

Written Apr 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulBars

Hyehwa izakaya after a play: keyring shop & Cuervo highball, Hanamato

Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa is a Japanese-style izakaya on Changgyeonggung-ro 34-gil near Hyehwa Station in Jongno, Seoul, with two floors and a mini shop selling keyrings and Japanese snacks. After seeing a Daehangno play on a rainy day, a couple sat at the first-floor bar and ordered the oden 5 + charcoal yakitori 5 set (26,000 won), wagyu tataki and a Cuervo grapefruit highball. Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa turned out to be a great spot for hot oden broth and skewers after a theater date.

Written Nov 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulRestaurants

Chinese lunch date at Guui Station: mala mapo tofu, Hyeongjeae Guui

Hyeongjeae Guui (형제애 구의점) is a modern Chinese restaurant right outside Guui Station Exit 2 in Gwangjin, Seoul, where every seat is in a private room. On a Saturday lunch booked through Naver Reservation, the writer ordered Sichuan-style mapo tofu with rice, Berkshire K Cantonese tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and seafood tray jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles). The strongly mala mapo tofu and the tender pork-tenderloin tangsuyuk stood out, making Hyeongjeae Guui a good fit for anyone looking for a private Chinese lunch date near Guui Station.

Written Apr 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulCafés

Seoul café near Children's Grand Park: butter tteok, free refills

Wonz Coffee Children's Grand Park Main Branch is a local café in Gwangjin, Seoul, near Guui Station and Seoul Children's Grand Park. After a walk through Children's Grand Park on a sunny day, the writer sat in a sunlit seat with the sourdough toast and Americano set, a salty chocolate financier and butter tteok (buttery rice cake), and found free Americano and cold brew refills, ₩1,500 off with a tumbler, board games and a photo printer. Wonz Coffee is an easy place to linger after a park walk.

Written May 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Spicy Buldak pizza date for two near Gangnam Station: Pug Pizza House

Pug Pizza House Gangnam is an American-style pizza restaurant with bagel dough near Gangnam Station Exit 11 and Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 6 in Seoul. After a group meal in February, the writer returned on a couple's date and paid ₩50,400 for an XR (11-inch) half-and-half pizza, Quattro Cheese Buldak (spicy fire chicken) and Flame-Grilled Beef Belly, with a whole-cheese milk bagel edge, truffle mushroom rice cake gnocchi and an oriental mini salad set. The creamy rice cake gnocchi balanced the spicy half-and-half pizza, making it a filling combination for two.

Written Nov 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Songnidan-gil beef BBQ & Balvenie 12 whisky pairing: Sutbul Seonghwa

Sutbul Seonghwa (숯불성화) is an aged-beef and whisky restaurant on Songnidan-gil in Songpa, Seoul, near Exit 1 of Seokchon Station. The writer and her boyfriend shared the 400g Seonghwa platter (₩88,900), spicy snowflake beef jjapaguri (black-bean ramyeon noodles) and the whisky of the day, a Balvenie 12 DoubleWood (₩7,500). The snowflake beef, grilled golden by the staff, was tender and juicy and paired well with the whisky. Thanks to its quiet, upscale atmosphere, Sutbul Seonghwa is a beef restaurant worth recommending for a blind date or a date night.

Written May 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Vietnamese-Thai restaurant in Seongsu: seafood pad thai lunch at Noi

Noi Seongsu (노이 성수점) is a Vietnamese and Thai restaurant on Seongsui-ro 12-gil, near Exit 3 of Seongsu Station in Seoul. Before browsing Seongsu pop-up stores, the blogger had seafood pad thai, nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) and buffalo hot wings for lunch at Noi Seongsu. The peanut-sprinkled seafood pad thai was the favorite, and the wide table spacing and quiet atmosphere were a plus. Noi Seongsu is a good stop before a Seongsu date or an outing to Seoulsup.

Written May 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Seongsu café with a camping-style outdoor seat: orange crust at Biat

Biat Seongsu is a dessert café on the second floor of a building on Achasan-ro 5-gil, near Exit 1 of Seongsu Station in Seoul. After browsing Seongsu pop-up stores, the writer stopped at Biat Seongsu for orange crust (8,500 won), a tiramisu bowl (8,500 won), an iced Earl Grey Assam milk tea (6,000 won) and an iced basil citrus tea (7,000 won), and took photos at the café's single camping-style outdoor seat. For a quiet, atmospheric date café in Seongsu, Biat Seongsu is well worth recommending.

Written May 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGuri, GyeonggiRestaurants

Guri chicken stew with gizzards, lunch with dad: Gangnam Dakhansang

Gangnam Dakhansang Guri Dolidari branch (강남닭한상 구리돌다리점) is a restaurant specializing in pot-lid dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken stew) and dakhanmari (whole chicken hot pot), located on Angol-ro 85beon-gil in Guri, Gyeonggi, across from the Guri Traditional Market public parking lot. On a weekend, the writer and their dad shared one whole-chicken dakdoritang (39,000 won) at medium spice with live abalone and udon noodles added, and especially liked the perilla leaves and chicken gizzards in the stew and the self-service takeout for leftovers. For a hearty dakdoritang meal near Guri Traditional Market without parking worries, Gangnam Dakhansang Guri Dolidari branch is a good fit.

Written May 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulBars

Post-hike Sadang Station pub for crispy chicken, pale ale: Weizenhaus

Weizenhaus Bangbae Branch 1 is a wood-fired pizza, taco and craft beer pub right outside Exit 11 of Sadang Station in Seocho, Seoul. After coming down from a Sobaeksan hike, the writer ordered crispy chicken (₩22,000), arugula pizza (₩21,000), a draft pale ale (₩6,300) and a non-alcoholic Budweiser Zero (₩6,500), and the chewy wood-fired dough, crunchy chicken and refreshing draft beer eased the hiking fatigue. Weizenhaus Bangbae Branch 1 was a satisfying pick for chicken and beer or pizza and beer at Sadang Station after a hike.

Written May 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Songpanaru burger shop for solo lunch: avocado burger, Downtown Jamsil

Downtown Jamsil is a craft burger shop in Songpa, Seoul, near Songpanaru Station and Seokchon Lake. For a solo lunch, the writer ordered the avocado burger (₩12,700), Hot Honey Chicken Bites (₩6,800), 2 jumbo mozza sticks (₩3,800 each) and a ₩3,000 drink with unlimited soda refills. The best combination at Downtown Jamsil was the avocado burger, where the avocado cuts the richness of the patty, paired with the jumbo mozza stick filled with whole cheese.

Written May 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulRestaurants

Date-night hanwoo BBQ in Gunja, Seoul with free corkage: Hwayangri

Hwayangri Jeongyuk Sikdang Main Branch (화양리정육식당 본점) is a butcher-shop Korean BBQ restaurant on Gunja-ro in Gwangjin, Seoul, near Exit 5 of Children's Grand Park Station, where diners pick their own meat and grill it on a wire grill. After booking through Naver, the writer and her boyfriend had the wire-grilled hanwoo mixed platter (400g, 96,000 won) and kimchi stew (7,000 won), and were impressed by the welcome message at the reserved table, staff grilling the first round and free corkage. Verdict: Hwayangri Jeongyuk Sikdang Main Branch is a recommended pick for a hanwoo date or group dinner in Gunja.

Written Jun 7, 2026Sponsored