Spine Skin Keeper · 18 stories

Spines and Skincare

I write about books I pick up and beauty products I try in everyday routines. · Writes about: Beauty products · Books & stationery · Restaurants · Shopping · Cafés · Bars

PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Sindang Station Korean BBQ revisit: ribeye and kongguksu, Beefjeong

Beefjeong Gogi Jip is a Korean BBQ restaurant at 6 Toegye-ro 74-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, near Sindang Station Exit 8. After a first visit for pork belly, the writer came back for kkotdeungsim (marbled ribeye, ₩30,000 per person), gabrisal (pork shoulder cap, ₩19,000 per person) and kongguksu (cold soybean noodles, ₩10,000), walking in without a wait around 6:30pm on a weekday. At Beefjeong Gogi Jip, the ribeye beats the pork, and the rich kongguksu is the way to finish.

Written Jul 13, 2026Sponsored

PlaceJung-gu, SeoulShopping

Hoehyeon optician: ₩70,000 glasses made in 10 minutes, 007 Optical

007 Optical (007안경원) is an optician on the ground floor of Sangdong Church on Namdaemun-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul, near Hoehyeon Station. A blogger who arrived at work with only an empty glasses case went to 007 Optical at lunch and got frames plus twice-compressed lenses for a -4.75/-4.50 prescription for ₩70,000, ready in about 10 minutes. The verdict: 007 Optical is worth returning to for office workers who find high-prescription lenses pricey or need glasses in a hurry.

Written Jul 21, 2026Sponsored

PlaceJongno, SeoulCafés

Jongno 3-ga bakery 3pm office coffee bread, free salt bread: Munhwa

Munhwa Bakery is a hanok-fronted takeout bakery near Jongno 3-ga Station and the Ikseon-dong hanok street in Seoul. The writer stopped in at 12:30pm for coffee bread and sweet potato bread, received a free salt bread for posting a Naver receipt photo review, and shared the haul with office coworkers at 3pm — the coffee bread was packed with coffee cream and the salt bread stayed crisp outside. The verdict for the next visit at Munhwa Bakery: garlic bread and coffee bread.

Written Aug 20, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGwangjin, SeoulRestaurants

Konkuk Univ. date lunch, Gwangjin: abura soba and free rice, Mentsuru

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is a ramen restaurant in Gwangjin, Seoul, one minute from Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station. This visit covered shoyu ramen at ₩11,000, abura soba at ₩12,000 with a free rice refill mixed into the leftover sauce, and gyudon at ₩11,000. Even people sensitive to ramen's smell should find this an easy, satisfying Konkuk-area lunch.

Written Sep 7, 2026Sponsored

ProductGoraeinBooks & stationery

Instagram comic essay book you can read in an hour: Small Sketchbook

Goraein Small Sketchbook is an illustrated essay book from Korea that follows author Sanghyeon’s life from high school onward. More than 80% of the book is Instagram-style comics, so it took about 1 hour to read, but its reflections on what we have done and its father story lingered. A light read worth returning to again and again.

Written Jul 18, 2023Product provided

ProductHEEDABeauty products

Makeup melting balm for dehydrated oily skin: HEEDA Charcoal Balm

HEEDA Jirisan Moisture Charcoal Cleansing Balm is a makeup melting balm the writer, who has dehydrated oily and sensitive skin, used 1-2 times a week. The balm melted easily with hand heat and left little harsh tightness, though the writer applied moisturizer right afterward. Blackheads and whiteheads eased gradually with steady use rather than clearing in one wash.

Written Sep 24, 2024Product provided

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