Weekend Table Hopper · 42 stories

Across the Weekend Table

I share restaurant visits from Seoul and Gangwon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Bars · Cafés

PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Gwanghwamun sushi spot: caviar sea bass & flatfish fin aburi, Ilpum

Ilpum Gwanghwamun is a Japanese restaurant specialising in kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) and sushi, on the second basement floor of Le Meilleur Jongno Town in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. On a weekday around 1:30pm, the writer booked through Naver, sat at the bar and ordered the white fish sushi set (₩33,000) and kaisendon (₩26,000). The meal included sea bass topped with caviar, sea bream with shiitake wasabi and torched (aburi) flatfish fin sushi, followed by cold udon and mango panna cotta. Ilpum Gwanghwamun is a quiet, good-value choice for sushi and kaisendon at lunch or dinner in Gwanghwamun.

Written Jul 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulCafés

Gongdeok bakery café: 6 bakes eaten on the drive to Busan, Fluffy Bake

Fluffy Bake Shop is a baked-goods dessert café in a shopping arcade near Exit 2 of Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul, baking its own financiers, madeleines, canelés and salt bread with Lescure AOP butter. After lunch on a Seoul trip, the writer picked up Nunetine and apple churros financiers, salt bread, a vanilla canelé, an egg tart and a matcha madeleine for the drive back to Busan, then couldn't wait and ate nearly all of them in the car. Fluffy Bake Shop is a good Gongdeok dessert café for anyone who wants crisp-outside, moist-inside bakes and cute gift boxes.

Written Jul 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Burger diner with no break time near City Hall: pretzel bun, Daily Fix

Daily Fix Euljiro is a New York diner-style burger restaurant serving handmade Hanwoo (Korean beef) patty burgers near Euljiro 1-ga Station and City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. After sleeping in and looking for an Euljiro restaurant with no break time, the writer ordered a Double Cheese Burger switched to a pretzel bun (15,900 won, plus 900 won for the bun), a Philly cheesesteak sandwich (13,900 won) and the 18mm-thick 18 Fries (7,800 won). Daily Fix Euljiro is a filling choice for a solo lunch or a date with draft beer.

Written Jul 25, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangsan, GyeongnamRestaurants

Mulgeum, Yangsan sushi: Saturday lunch and perilla squid, Shirokuma

Shirokuma is a sushi restaurant in the Beomeo housing district of Mulgeum, Yangsan, Gyeongnam. After booking the day before for a Saturday lunch, the writer had the Lunch Special Omakase 14-piece set (28,000 won) and the Premium 12-piece set (22,000 won) with udon and soba. The standouts were the thick aged halibut, the swordtip squid sushi topped with perilla leaf and the signature eggplant sushi. Shirokuma gets a weekend lunch queue, but booking ahead makes it an easy, good-value sushi meal.

Written Aug 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNam-gu, BusanRestaurants

Korean BBQ in Daeyeon-dong, Busan: post-workout 10pm galbi, Gim Geumja

Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi Daeyeon Branch (김금자숯불갈비 대연점) is a charcoal-grilled pork galbi restaurant near Motgol Station in Daeyeon-dong, Nam-gu, Busan, open until 1am. After a workout, the writer arrived around 10pm on a Friday and ordered the half-and-half set (45,800 won for 400g of fresh pork belly galbi and 400g of marinated galbi), plus a 1,000 won bone soup and icy kimchi noodles. For smoky, charcoal-grilled pork galbi at a fair price late at night, Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi Daeyeon Branch is a good choice.

Written Jul 31, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSuyeong, BusanRestaurants

Millak-dong sashimi spot: 17 sides & anglerfish liver roll, Gwanganda

Gwanganda Jjji Gwangalli Main Branch (광안다찌 광안리본점) is a sashimi restaurant with Gwangan Bridge views on the 6th floor of Sanbada Hoetown in Millak-dong, Suyeong, Busan, serving a dachi set course (a multi-course seafood spread) for 55,000 won per person. On a return visit after about a year with a friend visiting Busan, the writer had 17 starter dishes, a seasonal ankimo (anglerfish liver) roll, a platter of red sea bream, flounder, halibut and sea bass, then braised fish, fried dishes, blue crab stew and abalone porridge. With thick, odor-free sashimi and floor-to-ceiling Gwangan Bridge views, Gwanganda Jjji Gwangalli Main Branch is a strong choice for a Gwangalli sashimi dinner with friends or a date.

Written Oct 7, 2026Sponsored
PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Gongdeok, Seoul Korean BBQ course on a travel date: Usu Lunch C

Usu is a private-room Korean restaurant on B2 of the Lotte Castle President Arcade by Gongdeok Station in Mapo, Seoul, serving hanjeongsik (Korean set meal) and hanwoo (Korean beef) charcoal-grill courses. On a Seoul trip date, two people had Usu's Lunch C (80g grilled hanwoo, 79,000 won per person): six courses from a dry-ice ingredient presentation box to a personal grill of 1++ sirloin and striploin and a Korean melon sorbet. With 3 hours of free arcade parking, free corkage and group rooms for up to 30, Usu is a safe choice in Gongdeok for meeting the in-laws or a family gathering.

Written Jul 27, 2026Sponsored
PlaceHaeundae, BusanRestaurants

Haeundae European restaurant, Sunday 8pm abalone risotto: Bueokgan

Bueokgan Haeundae Branch (부엌간 해운대점) is a European restaurant styled like a vintage British hotel, on Dalmaji-gil in Haeundae, Busan. On a Sunday visit around 8pm the writer ordered arugula prosciutto pizza (22,000 won), shrimp rosé pasta (20,000 won) and, because the lasagna was sold out, abalone cream risotto (20,000 won); the abalone cream risotto topped with fried enoki mushrooms was the best of the three. With plenty of families even late in the evening and easy parking, Bueokgan Haeundae Branch is a good choice for a Western-style dinner when driving around Haeundae.

Written Oct 3, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangsan, GyeongnamCafés

Yangsan brunch café: peach herbal tea & French toast, Famous Venny

Famous Venny Yangsan Oslo Park Branch is an Australian-style brunch café on basement level 1 of Oslo Park in Mulgeum, Yangsan, Gyeongnam. On a Saturday at 2pm, the order at Famous Venny was French toast for 17,000 won and arugula cheese toast for 9,000 won with smoked salmon added for 5,000 won, alongside Australian premium peach herbal tea, a matcha latte and a decaf iced americano. The Oslo Park parking lot still had plenty of open spaces on a weekend, so Famous Venny is a good choice for anyone looking for a Mulgeum brunch café with easy parking.

Written Aug 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceYangsan, GyeongnamRestaurants

Western restaurant in Yangsan Mulgeum for a weekend date: Bueokgan

Bueokgan Restaurant Yangsan Oslo Park Branch is a Western restaurant on the basement level of Oslo Park near Namyangsan Station in Mulgeum, Yangsan. On a weekend visit the writer ordered shrimp anchovy oil pasta for 18,000 won, kung pao chicken pilaf for 22,000 won and pepperoni pizza for 17,000 won. The high ceilings and arched curves, said to be inspired by Sweden's national art museum, stood out. With 2 hours of Oslo Park parking and free corkage for up to 3 bottles, Bueokgan is a solid choice for both a family meal and a date.

Written Aug 6, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNam-gu, BusanRestaurants

Daeyeon-dong BBQ open till midnight with kimchi stew: Donnamu Jip

Donnamu Jip (돈나무집) is an old-school Jirisan pork belly BBQ restaurant near Exit 1 of Kyungsung Univ.·Pukyong Nat'l Univ. Station in Daeyeon-dong, Busan. On a weekday 8pm visit, the order was one plate of Jirisan pork belly (360g, 37,000 won) and Jirisan pork kimchi stew (12,000 won). The banga (Korean mint) and aged kimchi wraps and the deep stew broth stood out. Open until midnight, with tables that push together, Donnamu Jip works well for a Daeyeon-dong group dinner.

Written Aug 9, 2026Sponsored
PlaceBusanjin, BusanRestaurants

Seomyeon pizza restaurant with no break time, 5pm dinner: Pickles

Pickles is a pizza and pasta restaurant in Jeonpo-dong, Seomyeon, Busan, open daily from 11am to 9pm with no break time. After every other Seomyeon restaurant turned out to be on break at 4:30pm, a weekday 5pm visit to Pickles meant only a 5-minute wait, then a half taco, half beef cheeseburger pizza for 25,000 won, a puttanesca pasta set and a 9,000-won chicken steak. Between the crust you dip in salt and the house-made dill pickles, Pickles is an easy Jeonpo date spot for an early dinner.

Written Aug 14, 2026Sponsored