Weekday Cafe Circuit · 26 stories

Weekday Café Rounds

Yudam shares visits to cafés in Seoul and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Bars · Things to do

PlaceGuro, SeoulRestaurants

Jokbal for couples in Guro: 5:30 pm fresh-batch rear leg, The Jokbal

The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch is a jokbal (braised pork trotters) and bossam (boiled pork wraps) restaurant on the ground floor of the Sindorim Prugio 3rd Apartments shopping arcade, near Guro Station and Sindorim Station in Seoul. The writer and her husband arrived around 5:30 pm, timed to the jokbal serving times posted at the entrance, and ordered the rear-leg jokbal (42,000 won) and a small tray makguksu (9,000 won), with complimentary cabbage doenjang soup and a taste of cold jokbal. Chewy rear-leg jokbal with no porky smell, generous portions and friendly service made The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch the couple's regular neighbourhood jokbal spot.

Written May 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Salad shop by Danggok Station: pork rosé pasta & wasabi bowl, Prepers

Prepers Diet Food Boramae is a diet food restaurant near Exit 2 of Boramae Hospital Station in Gwanak, Seoul, serving salads, pasta, rice bowls and curry. For lunch, the writer took out a pork rosé salad pasta (11,900 won) and a beef wasabi rice bowl (13,900 won), and the thick-cut meat plus the generous layer of black rice under the salad made a filling meal. Prepers Diet Food Boramae suits office workers who find salad alone too light, and anyone trying to get more protein.

Written Oct 30, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGuro, SeoulBars

Guro after-work pub: tuna rice ball in BBQ chicken sauce, Monthly Beer

Monthly Beer Guro Digital Complex Station Branch is a Korean pub serving cooked bar food in the Kkalkkal-geori (깔깔거리) food alley near Guro Digital Complex Station in Guro, Seoul. After work, the writer and her husband ordered draft beer, charcoal BBQ chicken and a tuna rice ball, then enjoyed chibap (chicken with rice) by mixing the rice ball into the sweet-spicy BBQ sauce or topping it with chicken. The writer's verdict: at Monthly Beer, order the charcoal BBQ chicken and the tuna rice ball together.

Written May 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGeumcheon, SeoulRestaurants

Chewy-crust pizza at Gasan Public: large Supreme lunch, Clap Pizza

Clap Pizza Gasan Public is a pizza shop in Building A of Gasan Public in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, run together with Downtowner, so pizza and burgers can be ordered in one place. The writer and her husband came near the end of lunchtime, ordered a large Supreme pizza and loved the chewy dough, the generous toppings and the self-serve soda refills. For a filling lunch or a date meal around Gasan Digital Complex, Clap Pizza Gasan Public delivers both flavor and value.

Written May 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Korean BBQ in Hapjeong after a Hongdae escape room: Jeongyukdo

Jeongyukdo (정육도) is a charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant with a casual outdoor-stall vibe on the 2nd floor of Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, near Exit 5 of Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. After an escape room in Hongdae, the writer and friends sat indoors on a cold day and shared the 500g pork set (₩49,000) with Gijang earthenware-pot meljeot (salted anchovy dipping sauce), added doenjang stew as a side and finished with mul naengmyeon (cold noodles). Jeongyukdo is a solid pick for a friends' dinner in Hongdae or Hapjeong when you want both atmosphere and good value.

Written Oct 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan Station pho bar, pre-move scouting visit & corn tea: Mibundang

Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch (미분당 동탄역점) is a Vietnamese pho restaurant on the first floor of the Dongtan Station Richian commercial building in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, known for quiet meals at a U-shaped wood-tone bar. Ahead of a move to Dongtan, the writer went to explore the neighborhood, waited about 15 minutes with her husband around 8pm on a weekday, and ordered two bowls of brisket-and-flank pho (12,500 won each) and potato-wrapped shrimp (3,500 won). With rich beef broth, generous portions and a calm, pressure-free atmosphere, Mibundang Dongtan Station Branch comes strongly recommended for eating alone near Dongtan Station.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulThings to do

Beginner escape room with friends in Hapjeong: Pyramid at Cube Escape

Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is an escape room café on the 4th floor of the Mugwang Building on Yanghwa-ro, between Hongik Univ. Station and Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. On only their second escape room, the writer and close friends took on Pyramid, a 60-minute adventure theme with an official difficulty of 3/5. They used 3 hints and solved every puzzle, but an unexpected issue at the very end meant they did not escape. Pyramid at Cube Escape Hongdae Branch is barely scary, making it a solid first theme even for nervous beginners.

Written Oct 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceEunpyeong, SeoulRestaurants

Eungam Korean BBQ: aged pork neck and icy radish noodles, Yukjjip

Yukjjip (육쯥) is an aged-pork Korean BBQ restaurant on Bulgwangcheon-gil in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, a short walk from Exit 4 of Eungam Station. At Yukjjip the writer ordered 2 servings of aged pork neck with seasonal wild minari (water dropwort) and icy yeolmu mul-guksu (young radish kimchi cold noodles), and staff grilled the meat at the table, so the pork neck came out juicy rather than dry. For quality Korean BBQ near Eungam Station, Yukjjip's pork neck and yeolmu cold noodle combo is well worth recommending.

Written Jun 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Gangneung hanwoo restaurant for parents: 1++ chuck flap at Gangneungok

Gangneungok Hongje Branch is a hanok-style Korean BBQ restaurant in Hongje-dong, Gangneung, serving 1++ hanwoo (Korean beef) and charcoal-grilled marinated pork galbi. The writer ate at Gangneungok with their parents, ordering 2 servings of hanwoo chuck flap and 2 servings of charcoal-grilled marinated pork galbi, and was very happy with the side dishes, which include braised skate, seasoned raw crab and seaweed soup, as well as the owner's complimentary extras. Gangneungok Hongje Branch is a hanwoo restaurant in Gangneung worth recommending for a family dinner with parents, a meeting between two families or a work dinner.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Anguk Station pizza date for couples: Max Taco half-and-half, Low Five

Low Five Anguk is a pizza and pasta restaurant on Bukchon-ro in Jongno, Seoul, near Anguk Station Exit 2. On a weekday at 1 p.m., the writer and her husband ordered Caesar salad, Alfredo cream pasta with whole bacon, and a half-and-half Max Taco & Hot Chili Potato pizza at Low Five Anguk, then walked to the Damien Hirst exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA). Low Five Anguk is a good pick for an exhibition date near Anguk Station when you want both atmosphere and flavor.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Station baguette shop for KTX takeout, fig & pollock roe: Dance

Dance Dance Dance Seoul Station (댄스댄스댄스 서울역점) is a baguette sandwich and dessert shop on level B3 of Grand Central at Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. The blogger took away the fall-season fig pistachio baguette and the salty pollock roe (myeongnan) baguette to eat on the KTX: the fig pistachio baguette tasted like a high-end dessert, and the pollock roe baguette was addictive, with a crunchy bite and savory depth. Dance Dance Dance is a great baguette spot to grab takeout from before boarding a train at Seoul Station.

Written Oct 13, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan chicken pub for bone-in Fix and chili mayo: Fix Chicken

Fix Chicken Dongtan Central Park Branch is a fried chicken restaurant near Dongtan Central Park in Dongtan 1 New Town, Hwaseong, where a large wall-filling projector screen shows baseball games. The writer ordered half-and-half bone-in chicken (Fix and chili mayo) with the free tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and cabbage salad from the self-serve bar, and found the oven-baked-then-fried Fix chicken crispy outside, juicy inside and not greasy. Fix Chicken Dongtan Central Park Branch is a good Dongtan pick for chicken and beer over baseball, followed by a walk in Central Park.

Written Jul 5, 2026Sponsored