Sugar Stick Regular · 27 stories

The Sugar Packet

I write about cafes I visit in Seoul and the details that stay with me. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Bars

PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Chungmuro Korean restaurant: Sunday bossam & makgeolli, Nagwon-ui Soba

Nagwon-ui Soba Bossam Kalguksu Chungmuro Station Main Branch is a bossam (boiled pork slices), soba and pork cutlet restaurant on the 2nd floor of Dain Building near Chungmuro Station Exit 1 in Jung-gu, Seoul. On a Sunday lunch visit the writer ordered a small bossam, a soba set with Jeonju-style soba and a half portion of pork cutlet, and 1 bottle of makgeolli (Korean rice wine); the thick bossam had no porky smell and the aged-tsuyu soba broth tasted clean. Nagwon-ui Soba is an easy, no-fuss choice for lunch or a light drink in Chungmuro.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulBars

Dongmyo weekend date bar with Kamkam Porter stout: Dongmyo Market

Dongmyo Market (동묘마케트) is a bar in Jongno, Seoul, tucked in an alley 3 minutes from Exit 6 of Dongmyoap Station, with a self-serve snack bar, a wine room and a menu of meals and bar food. On a weekend date the writer waited for a table, then had Kamkam Porter, a stout they had never seen before, Hanmac draft beer, the Market pork chop and beef belly ragu tteokbokki (rice cakes in a beef ragu sauce). Dongmyo Market is a cozy date spot in Dongmyo for dark beer and hearty bar food.

Written Jul 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Seongsu burger spot before last order, triple cheese: bd Burger

bd Burger Seongsu (bd버거 성수) is a handmade burger restaurant specializing in shrimp burgers, on the 2nd floor of a building on Yeonmujang-gil, a 6-minute walk from Seongsu Station Exit 3 in Seoul. After work, the writer and a partner arrived just before last order and had the bd Wasabi Shrimp Burger set, a Double Cheese Burger set with an extra cheese patty, and corn salad; the milkshake wasn't too sweet and paired well with the burgers, and the buns were crisp outside and soft inside. For shrimp burger lovers, bd Burger Seongsu is a handmade burger spot in Seongsu-dong well worth a stop.

Written Jul 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Hanwoo shabu-shabu, peppercorn egg porridge in Seongsu: Shabu in Seoul

Shabu in Seoul Seongsu is a premium shabu-shabu restaurant between Exits 3 and 4 of Seongsu Station in Seongdong, Seoul. The writer ordered the 1++ Hanwoo chuck flap shabu set for two with clear mushroom broth and added handmade fresh shrimp balls, mixed mushrooms and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). The meal finished with egg porridge topped with freshly ground black peppercorns, followed by omija tea. With a separate sauce bottle at every seat and an upscale atmosphere, Shabu in Seoul Seongsu is a good choice for a date or for hosting guests.

Written Jul 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Mapo Station gyukatsu restaurant: wild garlic wasabi, rice tea, Gyudo

Premium Gyukatsu Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok Main Branch is a log-smoked gyukatsu (breaded beef cutlet) restaurant on basement level 1 of the Hanwha Obelisk apartment arcade, right in front of Mapo Station in Seoul. Arriving just before the weekend waiting list closed, the blogger ordered the two-person gyukatsu set with seaweed pollack roe and a drink, paired the cutlet with myeongi wasabi (pickled wild garlic leaves) and pot rice, and finished with scorched-rice tea made by pouring tonkotsu broth over the pot rice. Neat table settings and attentive service at Gyudo Mapo Gongdeok made it clear why it calls itself premium.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Sindang Jungang Market pub, sold out at 9pm: family return, Gyeryugwan

Gyeryugwan is an oak wood-fired chicken restaurant right by Exit 2 of Sindang Station, near the entrance to Sindang Jungang Market in Jung-gu, Seoul. The wood-fired chicken was sold out by 9pm on the writer's first visit, so the writer returned with family at 7pm on a weekday. They ordered oak wood-fired neungi mushroom chicken, mixed chicken jeon (pan-fried chicken), chicken gizzard and scallion fritters and mul-makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles), with draft beer. The verdict: Gyeryugwan's wood-fired chicken was tender even in the breast meat, and the mixed chicken jeon, a first for the writer, was an unexpected find.

Written Jul 28, 2026Sponsored
PlacePaju, GyeonggiBars

Paju craft beer pub: Orion draft, steak pizza at Long Time No See

Long Time No See Yadang Branch is a pizza pub on the 2nd floor of Samyung Cinema, right outside Yadang Station on the Gyeongui–Jungang Line in Paju, Gyeonggi, where guests pour craft and draft beer themselves from self-serve taps. On a weekend evening at the window bar table, the writer ordered Couple Set B (39,900 won) with steak pizza, rosé pasta served in an earthenware pot and garlic-seasoned fries, alongside Orion draft and Sangsang Pale Ale. With a wide beer selection and a relaxed vibe, Long Time No See Yadang Branch is a good Yadang Station bar for two beer lovers.

Written Jul 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Lamb skewers and beer in Banpo after a 50-min wait: Banpo Yangkkochi

Banpo Yangkkochi (반포양꼬치) is a lamb skewer restaurant on basement level 1 of Banpo Shopping Town Building 3, in front of Exit 8-1 of Express Bus Terminal Station in Seocho, Seoul. On a weekday evening the writer waited about 50 minutes in line, then ordered one serving each of the house Banpo Yangkkochi skewers and the seasoned lamb skewers, plus cucumber tangtangi (smashed cucumber salad) and beer. The plain skewers had no gamey smell and the seasoned ones begged for beer; for dinner at Banpo Yangkkochi, join the Catch Table online waitlist ahead of time.

Written Aug 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Korean BBQ, draft beer and curry-dipped hanger steak: Yuklab

Yuklab Gangnam (육랩 강남본점) is a beef and lamb Korean BBQ restaurant on the 2nd floor of a building, a 4-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11 in Seoul. On an early weekend evening, the writer and their partner shared the 2-person Yuklab Set: 120g jingalbisal (beef rib finger meat), 230g lamb chops and 120g toshisal (hanger steak), with doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) and 10-second cheese. They paired it with Terra and Blanc draft beers and tried the hanger steak dipped in curry powder. With 8 sauces and grilled pineapple to finish, Yuklab Gangnam is a generous, good-value Korean BBQ pick near Gangnam Station.

Written Aug 5, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangdong, SeoulRestaurants

Gangdong jokbal restaurant, ₩4,500 draft beer after work: Iseon Hwaduk

Iseon Hwaduk Jokbal Bossam Myeongil Branch is a wood-fired jokbal (braised pig's trotter) restaurant in Gangdong, Seoul, a 2-minute walk from Myeongil Station Exit 2 on Line 5. On a weekday evening at a window table, the order was the half-and-half plate of wood-fired jokbal and cold jokbal with two 500cc draft beers at 4,500 won each, plus the complimentary sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) and three kinds of kimchi and a gorgonzola pizza given as a review perk. The oven-roasted jokbal stayed moist rather than hard on the outside, making Iseon Hwaduk an easy spot for a drink after work.

Written Aug 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Gangnam café, salted caramel cream latte and tiramisu: Upper and Under

Upper and Under is a large dessert café in Gangnam, Seoul, a five-minute walk from Exit 6 of Sinnonhyeon Station, with seating from basement level 1 up to the 2nd floor. On a holiday afternoon I took a 1st-floor window seat at Upper and Under and ordered tiramisu, crème brûlée flan, a salted caramel cream latte and an iced café latte. Even with plenty of customers, the tables are spaced far enough apart that it never felt crowded, and both the coffee and the desserts were worth the trip.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Late weekday Korean BBQ in Yongsan ending in doenjang rice: Muttuk

Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Yongsan, Seoul, a four-minute walk from Sookdae Station Exit 10, where the staff grill every cut from start to finish. On a late weekday evening the order was two servings of odol samgyeopsal (cartilage-edge pork belly) and one whole galmaegisal (pork skirt), finished with chadol doenjang sulbap (brisket and soybean-paste rice). Between the thickness of the meat, the heat control and the fresh vegetables and sauces, Muttuk Sookdae is a grill house worth remembering.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored