Afternoon Spoon · 13 stories

Tin Spoon Afternoons

Writes about cafes, restaurants and beauty shops visited around Seoul and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Sangdaewon, Seongnam pork belly set grilled for you: Musoe Ttuk

Musoe Ttuk Samgyeop Sangdaewon Branch (무쇠뚝삼겹 상대원점) is the original Musoe Ttuk Samgyeop, a pork belly restaurant in Central Biz Tower 2 in Sangdaewon-dong, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam, where staff grill the meat in a screened-off grill area and bring it to the table fully cooked. On a weekend visit at 6 p.m., booked through Naver, the writer had the Musoe Ttuk set for two and fried rice, and liked that domestic kimchi, water dropwort, tofu and meljeot (salted anchovy sauce) come grilled alongside the pork. Verdict: with no smell on your clothes and no spattering oil, Musoe Ttuk Samgyeop Sangdaewon Branch is a solid pick for families with kids or a company dinner.

Written Jun 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Saenae Station sandwich shop with free parking: Florisandwich Jamsil

Florisandwich Jamsil is a sandwich shop on the ground floor of the Ricenz shopping arcade, right by Exit 8 of Saenae Station in Songpa, Seoul. Florisandwich Jamsil opens at 7am and offers free parking in the building's garage. A husband who doesn't usually enjoy fresh sandwiches visited with his wife around 4pm and took home a spicy chicken ciabatta, a basil chicken apple bun, a ham and cheese sandwich and an americano, and both said "delicious" at first bite. Florisandwich Jamsil won over a sandwich skeptic and works well for both group orders and breakfast.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiCafés

Suwon bagel bakery gift box: Double Sand & garlic at Orange Bagel

Orange Bagel is a large three-floor bakery café on Omokcheon-ro in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi. The writer and his heavily pregnant wife ate only the Deep Choco bagel at Orange Bagel, then took home a 4-bagel gift box of Double Sand, pizza, olive tomato and garlic bagels to eat over two days. Each Orange Bagel bagel reportedly weighs over 150g, so half is filling, and parking attendants make parking easy: a reliable Suwon bakery stop.

Written Jun 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gwangju gukbap restaurant: pork vs sundaeguk sets at Old Gyeongseong

Old Gyeongseong Sundaeguk Mokhyeon Ibaejae Branch is a sundaeguk (Korean blood sausage soup) and pork gukbap (pork and rice soup) restaurant on Ibaejae-ro in Mokhyeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, which opened early this year. A married couple ordered the spicy sundaeguk with sliced pork set (special) and the pork gukbap with sliced pork set at the kiosk. They found the broth tasted homemade rather than store-bought, the native-style sundae and head meat generous, and the pork gukbap slightly better that day. For a bowl of gukbap at lunch around Ibaejae, Old Gyeongseong Sundaeguk Mokhyeon Ibaejae Branch is worth recommending.

Written Jun 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulCafés

Garden5 matcha café in Songpa: cream matcha at Wunder Coffee Bar

Wunder Coffee Bar Hyundai Outlet Garden5 branch is a newly opened ice cream and coffee café on B1 of Hyundai Outlet Garden5, near Jangji Station in Songpa, Seoul. After a meal, the blogger and his wife ordered a Wundergato with hojicha ice cream and a single cream matcha, and the strong, burnt-tasting coffee, bitter matcha and thick, gelato-like ice cream stood out. Wunder Coffee Bar is a good after-meal dessert stop at Garden5 for ice cream and matcha lovers.

Written Oct 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Stroller-friendly pot rice spot in Songpa: steak & katsu set, Gomemui

Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive is a Japanese pot rice (sotbap) and udon restaurant on B1 of Hyundai Gardenfive near Jangji Station in Songpa, Seoul. On a weekend evening with a baby, with the stroller parked beside the table, the writer ordered the steak pot rice and katsu set, maze udon and fried shrimp; the seasoning is mild, and families with babies made up over 80% of the diners. Thanks to its spacious seating and kids' tableware, Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive is a great Gardenfive restaurant to visit with a baby.

Written Oct 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Pregnancy-friendly lamb skewer spot in Gwangju, no wait: Sinbaegok

Sinbaegok Lamb Skewers Taejeon Branch is a lamb skewer restaurant on the 2nd floor on Taebong-ro in Taejeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, where there is a wait even at 8 p.m. After his wife became pregnant, the writer returned after a long gap and ordered the Value Couple Set (2 portions of lamb skewers, guobaorou and warm noodles), switching to seasoned lamb skewers and warm noodles; he was happy with the lamb's lack of gamey smell and the generous portions. Sinbaegok is a family-friendly lamb skewer spot whose strengths are value and portion size rather than a standout flavor.

Written Jul 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulRestaurants

Garak-dong gopchang grill where my wife fell for daechang: Jinseong

Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang Garak Flagship (진성한우곱창 가락본점) is a Korean beef gopchang (small intestine) and daechang (large intestine) restaurant near Garak Market Station in Songpa, Seoul. A couple arrived around 8:40 PM, waited about 20 minutes and ordered 2 servings of gopchang, 1 serving of daechang and kkakdugi yangbap (radish kimchi fried rice with tripe) for 9,000 won; the wife, who usually eats only a piece or two of daechang, ate more daechang than gopchang that night. The writer rates Jinseong Hanwoo Gopchang as the number-one gopchang restaurant they have ever been to.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSongpa, SeoulCafés

Jamsil cake shop: baby's 30-day rabbit carrot cake, Circus Rabbit

Circus Rabbit (서커스래빗) is a handmade lettering cake shop on basement level 1 of Building B in the Jangmi Shopping Complex in Jamsil, Songpa, Seoul. The writer pre-ordered a lunchbox lettering cake through KakaoTalk for daughter Yeoreum's 30-day celebration and picked it up. The cake got slightly squashed in the car, but the lettering was neat, the milk cream rich and the sponge fluffy like castella. Verdict: if you want a Jamsil lettering cake that tastes as good as it looks, Circus Rabbit is the one to order.

Written Jul 18, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulCafés

Jayang-dong croissant bakery in Seoul: 6 pastries ranked, Stack Bakery

Stack Bakery is a croissant and puff-pastry bakery café in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, between Konkuk Univ. Station and Jayang Station, made famous by a French YouTuber's Shorts. A couple took six Stack Bakery pastries home (plain croissant, hazelnut kouign-amann, pain au chocolat, egg flan, Johnsonville sausage pastry and almond pain suisse), each roughly ₩4,000-6,000, and ranked them. Verdict: the egg flan is the sleeper value pick, and Stack Bakery is a must for croissant and puff-pastry lovers.

Written Jul 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulRestaurants

Guui Station fried chicken for ₩9,900, eaten walking home: Mr. Kim's

Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch is a fried chicken and dakgangjeong (crispy glazed chicken bites) shop in the middle of Jayang Market in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. The writer and their spouse took out one fried chicken (₩9,900) and one yangnyeom (sweet-spicy glazed) chicken for ₩23,000 in total. They ate the fried chicken on the street on the way home and reheated the yangnyeom chicken in an air fryer. For old-style market chicken with a spicy kick at the finish, the fried chicken at Mr. Kim's Chicken Jayang Market Branch is great value.

Written Oct 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Men's hair salon at Cheongdam Station: shadow Phyllis perm, Park Jun

Park Jun Beauty Lab Cheongdam Branch (박준뷰티랩 청담점) is a large hair salon on the 3rd floor of the La Clash (라클래시) building, right by Cheongdam Station Exit 7 in Gangnam, Seoul. The writer had a scalp and hair diagnosis with designer Youngwan, then a cut and his signature Phyllis perm, switching from an as perm to a shadow style. Men looking for a carefully done perm can confidently book designer Youngwan at Park Jun Beauty Lab Cheongdam Branch.

Written Jul 25, 2026Sponsored