Slow Hearth Traveler · 7 stories

Slow Stove, Gangwon-Chungcheong Cafes and Restaurants

Writes about small cafes and restaurants scattered through Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and the Daejeon-Chungcheong area. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés

PlaceCheonan, ChungnamRestaurants

Cheonan crab restaurant: male vs female roe crab sets, Huni Gejang

Huni Gejang Cheonan Main Branch (훈이꽃게장) is a restaurant specializing in soy-marinated and spicy marinated crab on Taejosan-gil in Dongnam-gu, Cheonan. The writer and her husband tried both the male-crab gejang set (25,000 won per person) and the roe-filled female crab set (40,000 won per person). The soy crab had no fishy smell, wasn't salty and had plump meat, while the spicy crab tasted clean, with no sweetness. Verdict: for a filling meal of marinated crab with pot rice and nurungji (scorched rice), order the soy crab at Huni Gejang.

Written Jun 10, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGuri, GyeonggiRestaurants

Guri weekend lunch crab buffet that won over a spicy crab fan: Onggi

Onggi Kkotgejang Main Branch (옹기꽃게장 본점) is an all-you-can-eat soy sauce crab and spicy marinated crab restaurant across from Donggureung in Guri, Gyeonggi. The writer, a lifelong Guri local, went for a weekend lunch with her husband at ₩24,000 per adult. She had soy and spicy crab, a runny fried egg, Yeol Ramyun and crab-shell bibimbap, and even the refill crabs came out whole and plump. Verdict: she normally prefers spicy crab, yet ate more soy sauce crab at Onggi Kkotgejang Main Branch because it was that good.

Written Jun 27, 2026Sponsored
PlacePyeongchang, GangwonRestaurants

Bongpyeong noodle house, master chef's tartare noodles: Migayeon

Bongpyeong Memil Migayeon (봉평메밀미가연) is a hanok buckwheat noodle restaurant in Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang, near Phoenix Park, run as a century-old shop by a Korean food master chef. On a Sunday visit at 11am, the hanwoo (Korean beef) tartare bibim noodles (17,000 won) came alive with a splash of kelp vinegar over the handmade buckwheat noodles, and the boiled pork (suyuk) was tender with no gamey smell. Bongpyeong Memil Migayeon is mild rather than spicy and makes an easy Pyeongchang lunch with parents or kids.

Written Jun 28, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSiheung, GyeonggiRestaurants

Shellfish grill buffet in Siheung Baegot: stone clams, corn cheese

Unlimited Refill Grilled Shellfish Siheung Baegot Branch is an all-you-can-eat shellfish grill restaurant with no time limit, on the 2nd floor of Building A, Avenue France Central Purple, in Baegot, Siheung. At the self-serve bar, the writer picked scallops, pen shells, blood clams, stone clams, thin-sliced beef brisket and pork belly to grill, and mixed their own corn cheese and chojang (sweet chili-vinegar sauce) at the table. Adults pay ₩35,900, and the writer plans to return to Unlimited Refill Grilled Shellfish Siheung Baegot Branch for the fresh scallops, well-purged clams and freedom to pick only the shellfish they like.

Written Jul 2, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGangneung, GangwonRestaurants

Gangneung tofu restaurant, kodari my husband now loves: Jeong Eunsuk

Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu (정은숙초당순두부) is a soft tofu restaurant on Nanseolheon-ro in Gangneung, Gangwon, near the Chodang sundubu alley. A couple shared the Chodang Premium Table (₩25,000 per person) for lunch. The crab sundubu hot pot had a rich, refreshing broth, and the husband, who had always disliked kodari (semi-dried pollack), happily ate the seasoned grilled kodari. Jeong Eunsuk Chodang Sundubu is mild enough to suit parents and children, making it an easy family pick in Gangneung.

Written Jul 1, 2026Sponsored
PlaceGwangmyeong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Soha-dong galbi restaurant with marinade that won't burn: Sodam Galbi

Sodam Galbi Gwangmyeong Soha Branch (소담갈비 광명소하동본점) is a pork galbi restaurant on the 2nd floor of 346 Ori-ro in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong, on the road to Gwangmyeong Cave, and a Gwangmyeong Cave partner discount restaurant. On a weekday evening, a couple grilled marinated pork galbi over charcoal at Sodam Galbi; the meat hardly burned and stayed tender, and they finished 3 servings plus doenjang stew and steamed egg. With pork galbi at ₩16,000 per 250g and side dishes made by the owner, Sodam Galbi is excellent value for a Soha-dong Korean BBQ.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored
PlaceSokcho, GangwonCafés

Sokcho market gangjeong shop worth 5+ repeat buys: Ibuja Mayak Gotgan

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan (이부자마약곳간) is a grain gangjeong (crispy puffed-rice snack bar) shop in the main food alley of Sokcho Central Market (Sokcho Tourism & Fisheries Market) in Sokcho, Gangwon, selling gangjeong made the same day. The writer has bought Ibuja Mayak Gotgan gangjeong more than five times, sampled all 5 flavors (brown rice, buckwheat, black rice, white rice and yellow rice), then took home two 8-piece sets (₩10,000 each) to compare the flavors. Verdict: Ibuja Mayak Gotgan gangjeong is neither too sweet nor too salty, crisp outside and chewy inside, and the writer's number one snack in Sokcho Central Market.

Written Jul 30, 2026Sponsored
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