Mealtime Keeper · 21 stories

Time to Eat

I write about meals at restaurants I visit in Busan and Gyeongnam. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Shopping · Bars

PlaceSeocho, SeoulCafés

Gangnam cake shop, mango cake my husband ate in one day: Chef Cho

Chef Cho Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam (쉐프조) is a cake shop on the B1 floor of Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam in Seocho, Seoul, featured as one of the "four cake kings" on the TV show Master of Living. The blogger picked up Chef Cho's signature Real Mango Rose No. 1 cake for her mango-loving husband and found it packed with fresh mango inside and out, balanced by the natural sweetness of 100% dairy fresh cream. Her husband finished the whole Real Mango Rose cake in one day, making it a mango cake well worth the trip.

Written Oct 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeosan, ChungnamRestaurants

Seosan conveyor sushi restaurant: 26 plates for two at Mikado Sushi

Mikado Sushi Chungnam Seosan Branch (미카도스시 충남서산점) is a conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Seongnim-dong, Seosan, where every plate costs a flat ₩2,100. The writer and her husband went for a weekend lunch and ate 26 plates for ₩54,600, including shrimp, red drum, salmon with onion, horned turban shell and wagyu sushi, plus a mini soba. Mikado Sushi Chungnam Seosan Branch is a good-value sushi spot in Seosan where two people can eat their fill for around ₩20,000-something each.

Written Jun 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDangjin, ChungnamCafés

Couple's go-to café in Dangjin: iced latte & rice almond tuile, MIMI

MIMI Coffee Mill is a warehouse-conversion café on Nambu-ro in Sunseong-myeon, Dangjin, Chungnam, and the writer couple's favorite coffee shop whenever they crave coffee. On this visit they had an iced cafe latte, Dangjin soft tofu ice cream, Dangjin strawberry jjondeugi (chewy strawberry snack), a Korean rice almond tuile, a chocolate chip cookie and krungji (crispy pressed croissant). For a nutty, rich latte with full body and little acidity, MIMI Coffee Mill is the answer.

Written Jun 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGeumcheon, SeoulRestaurants

Gasan Japanese restaurant for one: eel bowl & 10-kind sashimi, Gapposo

Gapposo (갓포소) is a sushi and Japanese restaurant on the 1st floor of Hyundai Terra Tower Gasan DK in Gasan Digital Complex, Geumcheon, Seoul, reportedly run by a chef who once headed the Japanese restaurant at a five-star hotel. Dining alone, the writer ordered the freshwater eel bowl (₩22,000), with eel grilled and brushed with extra tare sauce, and a one-person aged sashimi platter (₩28,000) of about 10 kinds of fish, including tuna belly, salmon and yellowtail belly. Because Gapposo serves sashimi and even course menus for one, it is a good Japanese restaurant in Gasan Digital Complex for a nourishing solo meal.

Written Oct 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuCafés

Jeju dessert shop with real product displays for gifts: Today Jeju

Today Jeju (오늘제주) is a dolhareubang (Jeju stone grandfather) madeleine dessert shop on the 1st floor of Shilla Duty Free Shop Jeju Branch at 69 Noyeon-ro, Jeju City. Wrapping up a Jeju trip, the writer bought an 8-piece Harubang madeleine set for 28,200 won as a gift; Today Jeju offers no tastings, but real product displays and staff explanations made choosing easy. For an upscale, distinctly Jeju dessert gift instead of the usual souvenirs, Today Jeju is a great fit.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuRestaurants

Jeju BBQ restaurant with solo booths, Set B: Woljeongri Galbibap

Woljeongri Galbibap (월정리갈비밥) is a Korean BBQ rice restaurant in Woljeong-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju. It serves flame-grilled marinated meat set meals and has individual one-person booths that make solo dining easy. On a 3-night, 4-day East Jeju trip, the writer visited Woljeongri Galbibap alone at 1 p.m. and ate Set B: half-and-half flame-grilled meat with spicy marinated crab, butter-grilled abalone and seafood pancake. Woljeongri Galbibap ran out of ingredients and closed right after the writer's order. Verdict: Woljeongri Galbibap is a solo-friendly lunch spot in Gujwa-eup for East Jeju travelers, best visited early.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuShopping

Sweets shop in Jeju Dongmun Market: carry-on oranda set for coworkers

Cheongchuni Oranda Dongmun Market Main Branch Tapdong is a traditional Korean sweets shop inside Dongmun Market in Jeju that sells handmade oranda (a crunchy puffed-grain candy bound with syrup), gwajul (crispy rice confections) and oranda donuts. On the last day of a Jeju trip, the writer stopped by for coworker gifts, sampled yuzu, nut, garlic and gamtae (seaweed) oranda, bought an oranda gift set that can go in carry-on luggage, and coworkers raved that the oranda does not stick to the teeth. Soft and not too sweet, Cheongchuni Oranda's gift set is a Jeju Dongmun Market souvenir that wins over even people who don't usually like oranda.

Written Jul 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJeju, JejuRestaurants

Solo black pork BBQ in Hamdeok, 500g grilled by staff: Jeju Samchun

Jeju Samchun (제주삼춘) is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Hamdeok Beach in Jeju that grills Jeju black pork, aged for 300 hours at low temperature, over charcoal. The writer went alone, ordered the 500g minimum first order and a bottle of Hallasan soju, and staff grilled the meat from start to finish, which made eating solo easy. Jeju Samchun is a low-pressure choice for anyone who wants solo black pork BBQ in Hamdeok.

Written Jul 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDangjin, ChungnamRestaurants

Dangjin fish restaurant's ₩41,000 pork & fish set: Hwadeogeuro Gan

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Dangjin Wondang Branch is a Korean restaurant specializing in oven-grilled fish in Wondang-dong, Dangjin, Chungnam. The writer and her husband ordered their regular spicy pork and grilled fish set for 2 (41,000 won) with brown rice, enjoying smoky stir-fried pork, fish grilled in a hearth oven, namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes from the self-serve bar and unlimited napa cabbage soup. Of all the grilled fish restaurants the couple has tried, Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo is their favorite, and they return whenever they crave grilled fish.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDangjin, ChungnamRestaurants

Dangjin Korean restaurant with private family rooms: Ojjingeo Dangjin

Ojjingeo Dangjin (오찡어 당진점) is a squid-specialty Korean restaurant on Cheongnyong-gil in Daedeok-dong, Dangjin, Chungnam. The writer visits Ojjingeo Dangjin every month or two and, this time, ordered mild squid stir-fry for 2 and a minari (water dropwort) squid pancake set, plus a free squid tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour fried squid) from a Naver review event; for family gatherings, the writer reserves a private room. Verdict: the taste and service at Ojjingeo Dangjin have stayed the same since it opened, making it a reliable Korean restaurant in Dangjin for dining with your parents.

Written Jul 12, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Yeoksam eel restaurant: Saturday solo deluxe hitsumabushi, Chisot

Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch is a hitsumabushi (Nagoya-style grilled eel rice bowl) restaurant on Bongeunsa-ro 30-gil in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam, Seoul. On a sweltering Saturday afternoon, the writer stopped by for a restorative meal, ordered the deluxe hitsumabushi (₩48,000) and ate it three ways, and was surprised by how closely it matched the hitsumabushi they had eaten in Japan. Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch is a quiet place for a weekend solo meal and a satisfying summer stamina dish.

Written Jul 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceDangjin, ChungnamBars

Spicy seafood stew and uni jjajangmyeon at Haemuljeom, a Dangjin pub

Haemuljeom Dangjin CGV Branch is a seafood pub in Udu-dong, Dangjin, with an indoor hall and a pojangmacha-style (street tent bar) outdoor terrace. On a Friday night, the writer and her husband had a free yam juice, 3,000-won event draft beer, spicy seafood stew and uni jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles with finely minced sauce), and their only letdown was that the stew has no add-on noodles. Haemuljeom Dangjin CGV Branch ranks among the best pubs the writer has tried in Udu-dong.

Written Jul 24, 2026Sponsored