Warm Diarist · 47 stories

Warm Cup Diary

I write about beauty finds and meals I come across in Seoul and Incheon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Hair & beauty salons · Cafés · Bars · Home & living · Shopping

PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Sindang Korean BBQ for his birthday: 3-tier meat cake, Beefjeong

Beefjeong Gogi Jip (비프정) is a Korean BBQ restaurant in the Hipdang-dong alleys near Sindang Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, and it serves even its pork sets as a meat cake. For her boyfriend's birthday dinner, the writer ordered the Beefjeong sow pork set (550g, discounted to ₩59,000) and got gabrisal (pork shoulder cap), pork belly and pork neck stacked into a 3-tier meat cake with a birthday candle for making a wish. With great meat and the grandmother's doenjang stew included, Beefjeong is a Sindang Station Korean BBQ spot worth booking for a birthday.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwanghwamun Taiwanese noodle shop date: 1 bowl, 2 dim sum, Cheonghwa

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon (청화 우육도삭면) is a Taiwanese beef noodle and dim sum restaurant on Jongno in Seoul, between Gwanghwamun Station and Jonggak Station. A couple who have been coming back for years shared one bowl of knife-cut beef noodles (uyuk dosakmyeon) and two baskets of dim sum, xiaolongbao and crystal dumplings, enjoying the rich beef broth, the hand-shaved noodles and the juicy dumplings. Verdict: one noodle bowl plus two baskets of dim sum makes Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon a well-portioned, fairly priced Gwanghwamun date meal for two.

Written Oct 26, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Early-summer Seoulsup dessert café: peach & matcha soft serve, Mellows

Mellows is a coffee and soft serve dessert café near Ttukseom Station (Line 2), on the way to Seoulsup in Seongdong, Seoul. On an early-summer weekend the writer and her cousin tried four items at Mellows: an Americano, a vanilla latte, matcha soft serve and peach soft serve. The top pick was the peach soft serve, which tastes like real fruit juice. Mellows is a good stop when you want a cold dessert after a Seoulsup walk.

Written Jun 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Seoulsup taco spot: weekend cousin lunch & sparkling water, Morimoly

Morimoly (모리몰리) is a Mexican taco restaurant with fried-seaweed shells, tucked in an alley between Seoulsup, Ttukseom and Seongsu stations in Seoul. After browsing pop-up stores in Seongsu-dong, the writer and her cousin had a weekend lunch of the Morimoly Taco, the Garlic Butter Shrimp Taco and sparkling water; the crisp fried-seaweed shell kept each taco from falling apart, so it was easy to eat neatly. For an exotic lunch in a light, clean setting, Morimoly is a good fit.

Written Jun 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonCafés

Sokcho bakery ₩20,000 gift set: potato bread, spicy jjondeugi, Bultan

Sokcho Bultan Gamja Bread Main Store is a potato bread bakery café on Haksapyeong-gil in Sokcho, Gangwon. As Sokcho travel souvenirs, the writer bought several 20,000-won sets, each pairing a 4-pack of burnt potato bread (10,000 won) with a 12-pack of jjondeugi (chewy Korean snack strips) in 3 flavors (10,000 won), and gave them to family and friends. The chewy crust, fluffy potato filling and spicy jjondeugi stood out, making the Sokcho Bultan Gamja Bread 20,000-won set a smarter Sokcho gift than the usual dakgangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken).

Written May 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulBars

Euljiro date-night beer bar German tourists approved: Eulsam Hof

Eulsam Hof Euljiro Main Branch is a draft beer pub in the Hipjiro alleys near Euljiro 3-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. On a weekend evening, a couple paired the signature Sulsul and Taktak draft beers with grilled cuttlefish, and German tourists at the next table gave Eulsam Hof's beer a thumbs up for its freshness. For a cold draft beer as a second round on an Euljiro date, Sulsul, Taktak and grilled cuttlefish at Eulsam Hof Euljiro Main Branch are a safe bet.

Written Oct 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceEunpyeong, SeoulRestaurants

Date-night Korean BBQ in Nokbeon, Seoul: aged pork belly at Yukjjeup

Yukjjeup Nokbeon (육쯥 녹번점) is a pork belly Korean BBQ restaurant near Nokbeon Station on Line 3 in Eunpyeong, Seoul. On a weekend evening, two of us ordered 2 servings of aged pork belly, added a third, then had a wasabi meat rice ball and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) for the full course. Thanks to the thick, juicy pork belly and the wasabi meat rice ball, Yukjjeup Nokbeon is a date-night dinner spot near Nokbeon Station worth coming back to.

Written Oct 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ date in Jongno 3-ga: pork neck and heart fried rice, Tapgol

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch (탑골공원 종로3가점) is an outdoor Korean BBQ restaurant in an alley near Jongno 3-ga Station in Seoul, where flash-frozen pork belly and flash-frozen pork neck are grilled on foil-lined grills. On a weekend evening the writer and her boyfriend ate 2 servings of each cut, then mixed the leftover meat, kimchi and bean sprouts with extra rice into a heart-shaped self-made fried rice. Even after 4 servings of meat and fried rice, Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch felt easy on the wallet, making it a satisfying outdoor date spot in Jongno 3-ga.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongin, GyeonggiRestaurants

Yongin ramen shop's weekend set with half hire katsu: Myeonsikdang

Myeonsikdang Suji Government Office branch (면식당 수지구청점) is a ramen and tonkatsu restaurant in the food alley near Suji-gu Office Station in Yongin, Gyeonggi. For a weekend lunch, two people built the 2-person set: tonkotsu ramen with 2 extra soft-boiled eggs, handmade pork loin katsu, a fire-grilled mini butadon (pork rice bowl), a half portion of hire katsu (pork tenderloin cutlet) and lemonade, for just over 30,000 won. Getting ramen and katsu in one meal at that price made Myeonsikdang's set great value and very filling.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Suwon drive-date BBQ: prime rib & mushroom pot rice, Jipbul Taebaek

Jipbul Taebaek Suwon Ingye Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant on Nahyeseok-geori in Ingye-dong, Suwon, serving straw-fire-seared beef prime rib (udae galbi). At the end of a weekend drive date, the couple ordered 2 servings of fresh prime rib (300g) and mushroom pot rice, and Jipbul Taebaek staff grilled the meat from start to finish so the conversation never stopped. The smoky straw-fired prime rib and mushroom pot rice scraped down to the nurungji (crispy scorched rice) made a satisfying Suwon dinner date.

Written Oct 17, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYongsan, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Yongsan hair and makeup salon for meeting his friends: Cheongdam Shop

Cheongdam Shop Sinyongsan Branch (청담샵 신용산점) is a hair and makeup salon in Yongsan Central Park Harrington Square, near Sinyongsan Station and Yongsan Station in Yongsan, Seoul. Before meeting her boyfriend's friends for the first time, the writer had a 1:1 consultation and got a clean, natural daily makeup look with voluminous waves, and both held up without breaking down until late at night. For a day when you want a strong first impression without looking overdone, Cheongdam Shop Sinyongsan Branch's custom hair and makeup was a highly satisfying choice.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Jeongja lamb restaurant: minari refills and yuzu dumplings, Yangmadam

Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb, Bundang Direct Branch is a lamb restaurant on the first floor of Zelzone Tower 2, near the food alley by Jeongja Station in Bundang, Seongnam. On a first visit, the boiled lamb rib set for two (59,000 won) came with boiled lamb ribs served in a steamer, yuzu-sauce mandu gangjeong (crispy glazed dumplings) and a spicy hangover lamb hotpot made with 100% lamb broth. The lamb ribs had no gamey smell and slid off the bone, and the spicy lamb hotpot rounded off a satisfying set at Yangmadam Bangchon Lamb.

Written Oct 15, 2026Sponsored