Warm Powder Trailer · 12 stories

Warm Powder, Seoul, Gyeonggi and Gangwon Cafes, Restaurants and Beauty

Writes about cafes, restaurants, and beauty spots she visits around Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés · Hair & beauty salons

PlaceSeongdong, SeoulCafés

Seoulsup decaf café: a regular's #1 crème brûlée soufflé at 5to7

5to7 Seongsu Main Branch is an antique-style soufflé café on the Seoulsup café street in Seongdong, Seoul, right next to Seoulsup park. A blogger who paid their own way there often, even before blogging, returned and ordered the pearl crème brûlée soufflé, the cream cheese strawberry and a decaf café latte, and also described the changed entrance route and the custard cream. The blogger's verdict: the crème brûlée soufflé at 5to7 Seongsu Main Branch is the number one pick and comes strongly recommended.

Written Jun 12, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangneung, GangwonCafés

Gangneung dessert shop: coffee & corn sand by the sea—Gangneung Sand

Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a dessert café and souvenir shop near Ojukheon in Gangneung, Gangwon, selling butter sand cookies that won a Gangneung tourism souvenir contest. The writer bought a box of coffee sand and a box of Chodang corn (sweet corn) sand at the kiosk, tasted them in front of the Gangneung sea and enjoyed the dense butter cookie and natural-tasting cream. If you're buying Gangneung souvenirs, the Gangneung Sand coffee flavor deserves a spot in your bag.

Written Jun 1, 2026Sponsored

PlacePocheon, GyeonggiCafés

Desert-style Pocheon café, solo terrace brunch: Geurine Oasis

Geurine Oasis (그리네 오아시스) is a large, dog-friendly café with a mid-century desert look on Jugyeopsan-ro in Soheul-eup, Pocheon, Gyeonggi, right beside Gomo Reservoir. The writer visited Geurine Oasis alone on a weekday before noon and had brunch on the outdoor terrace: a strawberry preserve latte, a mozzarella bagel with basil cream cheese and a potato salad salt bread. The writer also noticed a newly added fire pit zone and dog run. Geurine Oasis gets busy enough to fill its parking lot even on weekdays, but a morning visit means a relaxed solo break on the reservoir-view terrace, making it a worthwhile café stop on a Pocheon trip.

Written Jun 20, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangbuk, SeoulRestaurants

Pre-hike cheese katsu & cold soba near Suyu Station: Katsu Shokudou

Katsu Shokudou Suyu is a tonkatsu (pork cutlet) restaurant on the first floor of Episode Suyu 838 near Suyu Station in Gangbuk, Seoul, reportedly a new branch of a Blue Ribbon–listed tonkatsu restaurant from Pangyo. Two people stopped by after 1 p.m. for lunch before a hike and ordered mozzarella cheese katsu (14,000 won) and cold soba (11,000 won): the soba came with thick noodles in a rich tsuyu, and the cheese katsu had cheese oozing out and clean-tasting pork. Katsu Shokudou Suyu is small, so it's best for a solo lunch after 1 p.m., once the peak rush is over.

Written Jul 3, 2026Sponsored

PlaceNowon, SeoulRestaurants

After-work solo conveyor sushi in Nowon: 20 plates at Sushi Ianen

Sushi Ianen Nowon Station is a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant right in front of Nowon Station in Nowon, Seoul, where every plate costs ₩1,990. On a weekday at the after-work rush the restaurant was full, but after a wait of about 5 minutes the writer ate 20 plates solo at a bar table with clear partitions: salmon belly, yukhoe tataki (seared beef tartare sushi), spicy seasoned shrimp and fruit for dessert. Sushi Ianen Nowon Station is worth returning to for good-value sushi on your own near Nowon Station.

Written Jul 8, 2026Sponsored

PlaceJongno, SeoulRestaurants

Hyehwa Indian restaurant, palak paneer and basmati Set B lunch: Meono

Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch is an Indian curry restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Ihwa Building (the Aladin used bookstore building) near Hyehwa Station in Jongno, Seoul. For a lunch date before a play, two people ordered Meono Kkameona Set B for 2 with palak paneer curry, a garlic naan swap and Indian basmati rice. The set also came with green salad, chicken tikka and two lassis, and the meal left both full. Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch is a good-value Indian curry spot where two people can try a variety of dishes for around 30,000 won.

Written Jul 11, 2026Sponsored

PlaceUijeongbu, GyeonggiRestaurants

Local-recommended fist-cut pork belly near Uijeongbu Station: Cheonpo

Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch is a pork belly restaurant in the food alley near Exit 1 of Uijeongbu Station in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi. On a Uijeongbu local friend's recommendation, the writer ordered 2 servings of thick fist-cut pork belly, 1 serving of beef rolls and fried rice, and especially liked the basic table setting at Cheonpo Hoegwan: free-refill wrap greens and minari (water dropwort), river snail doenjang, minari yukhoe and a self-serve kimchi pancake. If the meat tastes about the same as elsewhere, Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch is worth a visit for that table setting alone.

Written Oct 7, 2026Sponsored

PlaceMapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hapjeong Thai spot for first-timers: mild tom yum, Saeng Augustine

Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch is a Thai restaurant chain outlet on basement level 1 of Mecenatpolis, near Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. Over lunch with a friend new to Thai food, the writer ordered tom yum noodles (16,000 won), pineapple fried rice (16,000 won) and tod mun goong (14,000 won). The tom yum noodles came with thin noodles in a mild broth, and the pineapple fried rice was the standout. With free Mecenatpolis parking, Saeng Augustine Hapjeong Branch is a safe pick for lunch or a get-together with Thai-food beginners.

Written Jul 29, 2026Sponsored

PlaceJongno, SeoulCafés

Gwangjang Market souvenir bakery: free stickers, 30-day freeze, Ssuk's

Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is a mugwort dessert bakery inside Gwangjang Market in Jongno, Seoul, run by a Gwangju bakery that launched Korea's first mugwort choco pie in 2016. The writer bought the Ssuk's Choco Pie 6-piece gift set and tasted all six flavors: Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort, sea-breeze mugwort red bean, sea-breeze mugwort injeolmi (soybean-powder rice cake), Nonsan strawberry, Gwangju real chocolate and Udo peanut, all far softer and moister than expected. With free gift stickers and storage of 7 days refrigerated or 30 days frozen, Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is a strongly recommended souvenir or dessert gift.

Written Aug 6, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangnam, SeoulCafés

Big Sinnonhyeon café revisit, hwangchi cheese Basque: Upper and Under

Upper and Under is a large dessert café in Gangnam, Seoul, a short walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 6, with a different mood on each floor from the 1st to the 3rd. On this revisit to Upper and Under, the order was a mango lemonade (8,500 won), a pistachio cream latte (8,000 won) and a hwangchi (yellow cheese) Basque cheesecake (9,500 won), with a canelé added later. Upper and Under's drinks and desserts stay consistently good regardless of trends, making it a safe pick when you can't decide on a café near Sinnonhyeon.

Written Aug 10, 2026Sponsored

PlaceGangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Yeoksam eel restaurant: smoky Nagoya-style hitsumabushi, Chisot

Chisot Yeoksam Main Branch is a Nagoya-style hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice) restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Yeoksam Station Exit 7. On a boknal, one of Korea's hottest summer days, the writer ordered the deluxe hitsumabushi for 48,000 won to get an energy boost. It came with one and a half eels and chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), and the writer ate it four different ways in turn. The almost-charred look took some getting used to, but Chisot's rich tare sauce and chewy eel skin won out, and the scallion, seaweed and fresh wasabi combination was the best bite of all.

Written Aug 8, 2026Sponsored

PlaceSeongdong, SeoulRestaurants

Seongsu lunch spot for spicy monkfish stew for two: Seongsu AGU

Seongsu AGU is an agu-jjim (spicy braised monkfish) restaurant in a converted house near Seongsu Station Exit 3, in Seongdong, Seoul. On a third visit for a lunch gathering, the writer ordered the fried tripe agu-jjim for two at 46,000 won with a bowl of rice at 1,000 won and fried rice at 4,000 won, and found the whole Hanwoo beef tripe from Majang-dong, deep-fried and stirred into the spicy sauce, nutty rather than greasy. Seongsu AGU works well for a lunch meeting or a midday drink.

Written Aug 11, 2026Sponsored

You've reached the end · 12 stories