Crossroads Lunch Goer · 104 stories

Lunch Along the Way

I write about restaurants I visit around Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Things to do · Hair & beauty salons · Bars · Shopping

PlaceSongpa, SeoulCafés

Quiet-day OTT café near Sports Complex Station: iced tea, One Play

One Play Jamsil Branch (원플레이 잠실점) is a manga café on the 2nd and 3rd floors near Jamsil Saenae and Sports Complex stations in Songpa, Seoul, offering manga, Nintendo, PlayStation, board games and OTT streaming. On a day the writer just wanted to rest quietly, they chose the 3-hour plan with iced tea (14,900 won) and watched movies and dramas on OTT. One Play Jamsil Branch suits anyone looking for a comfortable indoor spot to stay a long time in Jamsil.

Written Oct 16, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

American brunch café in Yeonnam-dong: Brunch All the Way at Hippo

Hippo Brunch House is an American-style brunch café on a residential side street in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul, about an 8-minute walk from Gajwa Station Exit 1. On a weekday visit, the signature Brunch All the Way (21,800 won) arrived as a generous plate of bacon, sausage, avocado, baked beans and whole wheat bread, and the sweet, nutty baked beans were the standout. Hippo Brunch House is a satisfying choice if you want an American diner feel and a hearty brunch plate.

Written Jun 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeodaemun, SeoulCafés

Hongdae bakery: ₩1,200 cheese malang & meal breads, Mandong Jegwa

Mandong Jegwa Yeonnam Branch is a takeout-only bakery on Yeonhui-ro in Seodaemun, Seoul, between Hongik Univ. Station and Yeonnam-dong, best known for its garlic baguette. On this visit the regular writer skipped the garlic baguette and took away four breads: Ssuktteok Ssuktteok mugwort bread (₩4,900), bacon ciabatta (₩4,900), a shrimp baguette (₩5,800) and a ₩1,200 cheese malang (soft cheese bun). With choices ranging from meal breads to mugwort bread, Mandong Jegwa suits repeat visitors looking beyond the garlic baguette.

Written Oct 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Jonggak sashimi bar, bone-in autumn gizzard shad: Parang Haenyeojip

Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch is a seafood and aged sashimi restaurant near Exit 4 of Jonggak Station in Jongno, Seoul. The blogger had seasonal autumn gizzard shad sashimi sliced bone-in (sekoshi) for 35,000 won and half a futomaki roll for 12,000 won with a bottle of soju, and the crunchy bone-in shad and the generously filled futomaki stood out. Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch is a good stop in Jonggak whenever you're craving autumn gizzard shad.

Written Oct 15, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Hongdae salon covering redness for a profile shoot: Moi Hair Makeup

Moi Hair Makeup is a hair and makeup salon in Hongdae, Seoul, on basement level 1 of the Hyosung Hongik Ingan building right at Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station. Before a profile photo shoot, the writer had hair and makeup done at Moi Hair Makeup, where the basic package costs 120,000 won, and was happy with the thin coverage of redness and blemishes, camera-friendly contouring, hair styled to a reference photo and lip products portioned out to take home. The session at Moi Hair Makeup wrapped up within 2 hours including the wait, so allow at least two hours before a shoot.

Written Jun 20, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeodaemun, SeoulRestaurants

Sinchon Chinese restaurant, fried eggplant for three: Cheonghwaweon

Cheonghwaweon (청화원) is a Chinese restaurant on Myeongmul-gil near Sinchon Station Exit 3 in Seodaemun, Seoul. Three diners shared shrimp fried rice, tomato egg stir-fry and fried eggplant. For the writer, an eggplant fanatic, the crispy-outside, tender-inside fried eggplant was the most memorable, and the tomato egg stir-fry and smoky, wok-fired shrimp fried rice were also satisfying. Cheonghwaweon is a solid pick for good-value Chinese food in Sinchon.

Written Jun 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Bukchon wood-fired pizza: hot pepperoni-taco half-and-half, Low Five

Low Five Anguk is a wood-fired pizza and pasta restaurant on Bukchon-ro in Jongno, Seoul, near Anguk Station and Bukchon Hanok Village. On a Bukchon outing, the writer ordered a half-and-half pizza (hot pepperoni and taco, ₩26,000), truffle cream pasta (₩19,000) and a classic Caesar salad (₩12,000), and especially liked the wood-fired dough, crisp outside and chewy inside, and the subtle truffle aroma. Low Five Anguk is a good Anguk pizza spot for a Bukchon date when you want several flavors on one pizza.

Written Jun 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong eel rice bowl: unagi-don in a hexagon box, Jongno Donburi

Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a Japanese rice bowl (donburi) restaurant in a basement off an alley in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. The writer ordered the special unagi-don (grilled eel rice bowl, 23,000 won), served in a black hexagonal bento box with large pieces of teriyaki-glazed eel, and a tarako (salted pollock roe) sampler side (7,000 won), which pairs well with seaweed, radish sprouts and wasabi. With its cozy Japanese-style interior, Jongno Donburi Yeonnam is a solid pick for a date or a solo meal in Yeonnam-dong.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong hanu sukiyaki restaurant: lunch set for 2 with gyudon, Io

Io Hanu Gui Sukiyaki Yeonnam (이오 한우구이 스키야키 연남) is a Korean beef restaurant on Yeonnam-ro in Mapo, Seoul, about 5 minutes on foot from Exit 1 of Gajwa Station, serving 1++ hanu (Korean beef) grilled, as sukiyaki and as shabu-shabu. The writer had the weekday hanu sukiyaki lunch set for 2 with a gyudon (beef rice bowl) finish for 35,000 won, and staff helped with the broth and the first round of cooking, making the meal easy. Io Hanu Gui Sukiyaki Yeonnam is a hanu sukiyaki spot worth recommending in Yeonnam-dong for a date, a meal with parents or a weekday lunch.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Quiet Yeonnam-dong café in Seoul with fudgy chocolate brownie: Sideway

Sideway is a café and wine-and-whisky bar tucked into an alley in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. In Sideway's wood-toned vintage space, the writer ordered a chocolate brownie, Goyo Relaxation Tea (고요 이완차) and an Americano, and the brownie, rich like raw chocolate, paired well with the tea's mild herbal notes. For a quiet dessert break in Yeonnam-dong, Sideway is a good choice.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Sandwich café in Yeonnam-dong with many outlets and decaf: Noknok

Noknok is a large two-floor bakery café on Seongmisan-ro in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. The writer worked at an outlet-rich seat on Noknok's 2nd floor and made a meal of a sandwich and a decaf americano, enjoying the clean taste of the decaf and the hearty sandwich. For a long laptop session and a meal in one stop in Yeonnam-dong, Noknok is a good fit.

Written Jun 29, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Yeonnam-dong brunch spot in a pink antique hall: Hôtel de Couture

Hôtel de Couture is a vintage-styled Western restaurant on the 1.5th floor of a Yeonnam-dong alley in Mapo, Seoul, a short walk from Hongik Univ. Station. In the pink antique dining hall, the jambon truffle cream risotto (17,000 won) had a deep truffle aroma, and the honeycomb seasonal fruit toast topped with figs (15,000 won) never felt too rich thanks to the fruit and granola. For atmosphere and brunch in one place, Hôtel de Couture in Yeonnam-dong is a good fit.

Written Oct 14, 2026Sponsored