Late Mirror Visitor · 7 stories

Late Mirror, Seoul and Gyeonggi Cafes, Restaurants, Bars and Beauty

Writes about cafes, restaurants, bars and beauty spots she visits around Seoul and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Bars · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Jamsil Saenae snack bar: sunset rooftop & Sichuan pork, Color Bunsik

Color Bunsik Rooftop (칼라분식 루프탑) is a bunsik (Korean snack food) shop that has run for 40 years at the entrance of Saemaeul Market near Jamsil Saenae Station in Songpa, Seoul, with a domed rooftop on floors 3 and 4 for draft beer and soju. A regular of nearly 20 years visited Color Bunsik at 6:30 pm for the fish cake, sundae (Korean blood sausage) and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) set at 15,000 won and Sichuan glutinous-rice pork tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) at 22,000 won while watching the sunset. Verdict: the nostalgic flavors are unchanged, and with draft beer, a big screen and sunset views, Color Bunsik Rooftop is a great-value rooftop spot.

Written Jun 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangdong, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Cheonho salon: frizzy bob volume magic with C-curl ends, Yume's Hair

Yume's Hair Cheonho Branch is a hair salon on the main road between Cheonho Station Exit 5 and Gangdong Station Exit 1 in Gangdong, Seoul. The writer has thick, semi-curly hair cut in a bob that frizzed on every humid day, and got a cut and a bob volume magic (a Korean straightening perm that keeps root volume) at Yume's Hair Cheonho Branch, finished with a soft C-curl at the ends for glossy, neat hair. For anyone wanting to tame a frizzy, semi-curly bob, the volume magic at Yume's Hair Cheonho Branch is worth considering.

Written Jun 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ near Sports Complex Station: angelica ssam, Migang

Migang Sikdang (미강식당) is a pork belly Korean BBQ restaurant in Jamsil-dong, Songpa, Seoul, near the Asian Athletes' Village Apartments intersection between Samjeon Station and Sports Complex Station. Three friends ordered the 3-person set of pork jowl, pork belly and pork neck, each charcoal pre-grilled and served cut by cut, with angelica ssam (lettuce wraps) from the self bar, highballs and soju, then added 1 extra portion of thick pork skin. Migang Sikdang's quality meat and generous spread make it a Jamsil BBQ spot well suited to a slow, unhurried meal with friends.

Written Jun 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangdong, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ near Cheonho Station: gabrisal & potato, Gim Sukseong

Gim Sukseong Seongnae Branch (김숙성 성내점) is a retro-style Korean BBQ restaurant near Exit 6 of Cheonho Station in Gangdong, Seoul, where staff grill 480-hour cross-aged Korean pork (handon) for you from start to finish. The writer, a regular, ordered the Gim Sukseong Special 2 with pork neck, pork belly and gabrisal (pork shoulder cap), plus a complimentary kimchi stew, myeoljeot (salted anchovy dip) with minari (water dropwort) and a well-browned grilled potato. Gim Sukseong Seongnae Branch is worth booking if you want properly aged pork near Cheonho Station without lifting a finger.

Written Jul 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Lamb skewer restaurant in Gwangju with a cilantro self-bar: Sinbaegok

Sinbaegok Lamb Skewers Taejeon Branch is a lamb skewer and guobaorou (Chinese sweet-and-sour pork) restaurant on Taebong-ro in Taejeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi. The writer visited around 9 p.m. on a weekday and ordered the Value Couple Set with the cucumber salad swapped for warm noodles. The fresh cilantro at the self-bar and the option to add skewers in fives were highlights. For cilantro lovers and anyone after lamb skewers without a gamey smell, Sinbaegok Lamb Skewers Taejeon Branch is a great pick.

Written Jul 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Chowol, Gwangju Korean restaurant: croaker & green tea rice, Bomseol

Bomseol (봄설) is a Korean set-meal (hanjeongsik) restaurant in Jiwol-ri, Chowol-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, in the space that used to be Kang Minju's Deulbap. At Bomseol, the writer ordered the master-made bori gulbi (barley-dried yellow croaker) and grilled mackerel with stone-pot rice, cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew), the master's side dishes, and self-bar barley rice and ssam (lettuce wraps). The bori gulbi was firm and salty, so a whole bowl of rice in green tea water disappeared in no time, making Bomseol a great fit for family meals and group gatherings.

Written Aug 4, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Spiciest Set A monkfish jjim and whelk in Gwangju: Badaga Nae Sonagwi

Badaga Nae Sonagwi is a monkfish jjim and seafood jjim restaurant in Songjeong-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi. Set A costs 39,000 won and arrives as monkfish jjim, boneless monkfish stew, blanched seafood and steamed egg, ordered here at the spiciest of the three levels with whelk as the day's blanched seafood and an extra fried rice at the end. Wrapping the spicy monkfish jjim in sheets of gim (dried seaweed) is the move that keeps Badaga Nae Sonagwi full even late in the evening.

Written Aug 13, 2026Sponsored
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