Lunch Queue · 101 stories

Where Seoul Eats

I write about meals and restaurant visits in Seoul. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Bars · Shopping · Hair & beauty salons · Things to do

PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Sushi lunch after an autumn palace walk in Gwanghwamun: Elephant Sushi

Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is a sushi restaurant on B1 of KT Gwanghwamun, connected to Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno, Seoul. On her husband's day off, during an autumn palace outing, the writer stopped at Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun for lunch and shared the 10-piece Elephant A set, the 12-piece Elephant B set, plump shrimp tempura and truffle mayo fries. The thick-cut fish and well-matched rice won over even her picky husband. For a sushi lunch combined with sightseeing or a palace walk in Gwanghwamun, Elephant Sushi Gwanghwamun is a good fit.

Written Oct 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceJung-gu, SeoulHair & beauty salons

Hotel spa near Euljiro 1-ga for poor leg circulation: Da Hanoi

Da Hanoi Foot & Body City Hall President Hotel Branch is a 100-pyeong hotel spa-style massage shop on the B2 floor of the President Hotel in Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul. The writer booked ahead and enjoyed a foot bath and welcome tea before a 60-minute aroma basic care with Porcelain White oil (₩77,000 member price). Legs that felt heavy from poor circulation felt lighter and hot stones warmed the lower back, making Da Hanoi Foot & Body a good private place to unwind near Euljiro 1-ga Station.

Written Oct 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon Korean set from sesame porridge to tteokgalbi: Sutgarak Masil

Sutgarak Bansang Masil is a long-running fusion Korean set-course (hanjeongsik) restaurant on Nowon-ro near Nowon Station in Seoul. A longtime regular ordered the Masil set and worked through sesame porridge, salad, japchae (glass noodles), bossam (boiled pork), a mustard-sauce cold dish served for the first time, perilla seaweed soup, tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties), mushroom galbijjim (braised short ribs), lotus seed rice and nurungji (scorched rice). With several private rooms, Sutgarak Bansang Masil is a quiet Nowon pick for family gatherings and in-law meetings.

Written Oct 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSeocho, SeoulRestaurants

Poke shop in Seocho: flame-grilled steak, truffle soup lunch, Salering

Salering Gyodae Direct Store is a poke, salad and sandwich shop in Seocho, Seoul, about 195m from Gyodae Station Exit 1. At lunchtime the writer ordered takeout: a flame-grilled steak bibim poke (mixed poke bowl) with rice and oriental sauce, a ham and cheese sandwich and a truffle mushroom soup. The bigger steak portion after the menu renewal and the rich truffle aroma of the mushroom soup stood out. For a light but filling healthy lunch or diet meal near Gyodae Station, Salering Gyodae Direct Store is a good fit.

Written Jun 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulCafés

Nowon Station café, rich latte with 3 bean choices: Jeong Ji-young

Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters, Lotte Department Store Nowon is a takeaway-focused roastery café in the basement level 1 food hall of Lotte Department Store Nowon in Seoul, near Nowon Station Exit 4. While shopping after errands in Nowon, the blogger found a menu offering a choice of dark, medium or decaf beans, ordered a café latte and a honey grapefruit black tea, and fell for the latte's nutty, rich body. Jeong Ji-young Coffee Roasters Nowon is a coffee spot worth recommending when you want good coffee to go on a shopping trip.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon Station diet food lunch, steak wasabi bowl in soy sauce: Prefers

Prefers Diet Food Nowon Station branch is a salad and diet-food restaurant near Exit 9 of Nowon Station in Seoul. On an errand to Nowon Station, the writer had the beef wasabi rice bowl mixed with soy sauce for lunch and took a beef plate salad home as part of a combo. The beef wasabi rice bowl came with more steak than expected, making it good value, and Prefers broke the idea that diet food tastes bad.

Written Oct 19, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangneung, GangwonCafés

Gangneung gift café: cherry blossom pink sand boxes—Gangneung Sand

Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a sand dessert café and souvenir shop near Ojukheon in Gangneung, Gangwon. During a cherry blossom trip, the writer browsed the resort-style shop and bought two boxes of sand, one dried persimmon and one strawberry, packed in pink boxes inspired by cherry blossoms as travel gifts. For a spring souvenir from Gangneung, Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a great fit, with packaging made for the season.

Written Apr 11, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulBars

Konkuk Univ. weekend bar: yakiniku set, beef sushi, Yukhoe Gongjakso

Yukhoe Gongjakso Sejong University branch is a yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) and yakiniku bar near Children's Grand Park Station Exit 4, in the Konkuk Univ. and Sejong University area of Gwangjin, Seoul. On a weekend visit with a friend, the writer grilled a yukhoe yakiniku set on a mini brazier and also had beef sashimi, beef sushi and the complimentary beef egg soup with free refills. Yukhoe Gongjakso is a good-value pick for a quiet yukhoe night out in partitioned seats.

Written Jun 23, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Seokgye Korean BBQ for a picky eater: special cuts platter, Hanam

Hanam Doeji Jip Seokgye branch (하남돼지집 석계점) is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Seokgye Station in Nowon, Seoul, where staff grill the meat for you on a stone plate. On a first visit, the writer's family ordered the Special Platter (pork skirt, gabrisal and pork jowl), a beef belly doenjang stew and mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) with spicy seasoning paste, and loved the tender meat with no gamey smell and the sweet-and-tangy lettuce salad. Even the picky second child ate well, making Hanam Doeji Jip Seokgye branch a confident pick for a family dinner near Seokgye Station.

Written Jun 22, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangjin, SeoulCafés

Konkuk Univ. café with friends: mango bingsu & cat Koko, Café Ohkam

Café Ohkam (카페 오캄) is a three-floor dessert café in an alley about a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Konkuk Univ. Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. The writer visited Café Ohkam with friends on a weekend and had a mango bingsu (Korean shaved ice) piled high with fresh mango for about ₩23,000, and the milk snowflake ice and the mango's natural sweetness kept it from getting cloying to the last spoonful. Café Ohkam is a good Konkuk Univ. café for sharing bingsu and conversation with friends in the summer heat.

Written Jun 24, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Quiet after-work Gangnam Station café: yangzhi ganlu, Upper and Under

Upper and Under is a large café occupying an entire red brick building in an alley between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul. On a weekday after work, the writer had the Hong Kong-style dessert yangzhi ganlu (mango sago pomelo), a mango drink, a financier and a matcha canelé, and the evening was quiet enough to linger in comfort. Upper and Under is a Gangnam Station café for when you want sweet desserts and a pretty space to reward yourself after a tiring day.

Written Jun 21, 2026Sponsored
PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

Tuna sashimi takeout near Taereung Station, Seoul: Kim Yonghui Tuna

Kim Yonghui Tuna (김용희 참치) is a tuna specialist run by an owner with 30 years of experience, close to Exit 4 of Taereung Station in Nowon, Seoul. The writer took tuna sashimi for 2 from Kim Yonghui Tuna to Jungnang Stream to share with a friend over soju, and found the well-aged tuna soft with no fishy taste, packed with the owner's special sauce, seasoned raw fish salad and white kimchi. Kim Yonghui Tuna is a satisfying pick for takeout tuna sashimi to enjoy outdoors near Taereung Station.

Written Jun 25, 2026Sponsored