Gapyeong Errand Roamer · 12 stories
Writes about everyday shopping, cafes, and quick bar stops across Gyeonggi, Seoul, Gangwon, and Incheon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Bars
Texas BBQ Aloha is a barbecue steak restaurant near Manseok Park in Songjuk-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon. Three of us ordered one each of the Aloha Steak, Jambon Ppangmangi (ham baguette) and Texas Pork Ribs, added draft beer, and used the salad bar, which comes with ordering one main per person. Texas BBQ Aloha is a good-value lunch near Manseok Park when you want clean, generous portions of meat without grilling at the table.
Kkulkkuine Charcoal Pork Ribs (꿀꿀이네 연탄돼지갈비) is a pork rib restaurant at 86 Joyang-ro in Joyang-dong, Sokcho, Gangwon, that grills handmade pork ribs over coal briquettes. The writer, who prefers meat to seafood, had 3 servings of handmade pork ribs and mul naengmyeon (cold noodles) for dinner on a Sokcho trip: ribs are ₩15,000 per serving, doenjang stew and steamed egg come free, and soju and beer are ₩4,000, which made it great value. Kkulkkuine Charcoal Pork Ribs is a Korean BBQ spot near Cheongchoho Lake worth revisiting on every trip to Sokcho.
Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is a poke salad shop on basement level 1 of Banpo-daero 28-gil, between Seocho Station and Gyodae Station in Seoul. The writer ordered the steak poke with a 7:3 ratio of salad to oat brown rice, added truffle mayo and Buldak (fiery spicy) salmon, and took it home for 22,000 won. With generous steak toppings and pleasantly spicy Buldak salmon, Olla Poke Seocho Gyodae Branch is a recommended spot for a filling solo lunch.
Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu Gogidong Branch (윤우재 샤브칼국수 고기동점) is a shabu-kalguksu restaurant near Dongcheon-dong and Gogi-ri in Suji-gu, Yongin, where the meal runs as a course from shabu-shabu to kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) to fried rice. Spicy white-broth shabu-kalguksu for 3 plus a seafood pajeon (savory pancake) came to ₩50,500, and the tender beef, chewy flat noodles and thin, crispy seafood pajeon stood out. Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu is a good-value Dongcheon-dong pick for family meals, where you'll finish with the fried rice even when you're full.
Halls Gimbap Main Branch (홀스김밥본점) is a gimbap and dakgangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken) snack bar near Exit 1 of Gyodae Station in Seocho, Seoul. Stopping by before a meal, the writer took out a Halls gimbap + dakgangjeong set, a konjac minari (Korean water parsley) gimbap and a double cheese egg gimbap for ₩24,500; the dakgangjeong batter was crispy and the konjac minari gimbap went well with mustard sauce. Halls Gimbap Main Branch is an easy, no-fuss pick for a solo meal or an office lunch to go near Gyodae Station.
Cảm Ơn Yongin Bora is a Vietnamese pho restaurant in Bora-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin, a 2-minute drive from the Korean Folk Village. The writer's group ordered brisket pho, seafood rice and a large banh xeo (Vietnamese crispy pancake) for 51,000 won to share, and all three dishes won them over: the broth was deep and refreshing, the banh xeo sauce was a hit, and the seafood rice came in a generous portion. Thanks to its clean new building and partitioned booths, Cảm Ơn Yongin Bora is a comfortable choice for a family meal out.
Cork Bake Bar is a bakery café on Dongsuwon-ro in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, with a wide range of bakes from salt bread and ciabatta to cakes and cookies. The writer paid 27,500 won for an iced americano, an iced café latte, a lemon lime mojito, a chocolate terrine baguette and an olive ciabatta, and was most impressed by the breads kept in showcases, the self-serve toaster and the antique interior. Cork Bake Bar is a solid stop on a Suwon bakery crawl if you want both atmosphere and good bread.
Daedong Korean Buffet & Dosirak (대동한식뷔페&도시락) is an all-you-can-eat Korean buffet near Yongin Service Area in Yangji-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi. The writer paid 9,000 won for an adult weekday lunch before noon. They filled a round tray with gochujang chicken stir-fry, sweet and sour pork, kongguksu (cold soybean noodles) and yeolmu guksu (young radish noodles), then added slushy iced sikhye (sweet rice drink), the fresh vegetable corner and self-serve ramen. With a wide variety of dishes, good flavor, a big parking lot and solo seats, Daedong Korean Buffet & Dosirak is a great-value Korean buffet you could eat at every day without getting tired of it.
Seokmuneo Yongin Bojeong (석문어 용인보정점) is a stone octopus and minari kalguksu (water dropwort knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant on the café street in Bojeong-dong, Yongin. After coffee on the café street, the writer had the Octopus Jinsim Set for 3 for dinner: stone octopus shabu hot pot in the spicy red broth, gabrisal pork suyuk (boiled pork) and stone octopus mushroom jeon (pancake). The hot pot came with fresh octopus, crab and clams, and the writer added a bowl of rice. For a group that wants to try a bit of everything, the Octopus Jinsim Set at Seokmuneo Yongin Bojeong is a great-value choice.
Doseogwan Dwitjip (도서관뒷집) is a Korean-Chinese restaurant with house-made noodles on Guseong 2-ro in Giheung-gu, Yongin. The writer ordered the 2–3 person hot plate set of stir-fried jjajang (black bean sauce noodles), aged hun jjamppong (spicy noodle soup) and a mini sticky-rice tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) for 39,000 won. The jjamppong was rich and fiery enough to cure a hangover, and the hot plate jjajang had a Sichuan-style kick with rice that crisped like scorched rice on the bottom. Verdict: a good set for 2–3 people who want to share spicy jjajang and a hangover-curing jjamppong.
Yetnal Gyeongseong Sundaeguk Gorim Branch (옛날경성순대국 고림본점) is a sundaeguk (Korean pork and blood sausage soup) restaurant on Hanteo-ro in Gorim-dong, Cheoin-gu, Yongin. The original sundaeguk (₩11,000) and the spicy gukbap set (₩15,000), which comes with pyeonyuk (sliced boiled pork) and chalsundae (sticky-rice blood sausage) sides, stood out for a milky, nutty broth like bone soup with no porky smell, chewy offal and large pieces of sundae. For clean-tasting sundaeguk in generous portions, Yetnal Gyeongseong Sundaeguk Gorim Branch is a satisfying choice.
Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi is a flame-grilled baby octopus (jjukkumi) restaurant on Hanseo-ro in Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong, Gyeonggi. On an August holiday trip, three of us ordered the flame-grilled octopus with steamed egg for 3 plus fried rice for 48,000 won, which comes with a self-serve bar of tteokbokki, sundae (blood sausage), acorn jelly and jjolmyeon (chewy cold noodles). Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi is worth a stop for a filling, good-value dinner in the Seorak area of Gapyeong.
