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Cafés, restaurants and places in Seoul, written by bloggers who went there.
Katsu Monster Myeonmok is a tonkatsu restaurant in Jungnang, Seoul, near exit 2 of Myeonmok Station. The writer and her boyfriend ordered the ₩29,900 two-person set with cheese katsu, tenderloin katsu and cold soba, and the cheese-stuffed cutlet and freshly fried loin katsu both hit the spot. A solid pick for a date or a solo meal.
Gyeryugwan is a chicken restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, tucked in an alley beside Sindang Central Market, grilling whole chickens over oak firewood. Visiting straight after work on a weekday, the writer paired an oak-fired chicken stuffed with rice cooked in neungi and shiitake mushroom water, house-made buckwheat noodles, and an assorted jeon plate with pork neck, breast, leg and heart skewers, all with beer. From the crispy, fat-free skin to the surprisingly tender chicken breast, this is a Sindang favorite worth ordering instead of fried chicken.
Eco Revy Hair Ewha Branch is a hair salon in Seodaemun, Seoul, just in front of Ewha Station, specializing in hair loss, head spa, and scalp scaling. Bothered by scalp trouble and itchiness, the writer booked a premium deep scaling and cut set, going through precision camera scalp diagnosis, aroma massage, massage-chair shampoo, and infrared care before finishing with a layered cut. After scaling, the pores were visibly open again, enough to make the writer want to come back monthly.
37.5 Signature Mia Branch is a brunch and Western food restaurant between Gireum Station and Miasageori Station in Seongbuk, Seoul. This visit combined pork jowl green onion cream pasta, cube steak pilaf, and a house Caesar salad for a full spread of noodles, rice, and salad. The pork jowl twist on classic cream pasta plus a filling rice dish makes this a satisfying full meal.
Selecto Coffee Sinnonhyeon Branch 24 Auto Brew Cafe is a 24-hour café right beside Exit 1 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Seocho, Seoul, staffed during the day and switching to unmanned auto-brew service overnight. Visiting for a late-afternoon solo work session, the writer sat at a single seat with its own outlet and had a mocha blend americano with a smoked salmon sandwich. Spacious and quiet, it's a solid pick for solo work in the Gangnam area.
Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Exit 1 of Hongdae Station in Mapo, Seoul, open from noon for grilled pork belly and pork skin. On a weekday lunch visit the writer ordered three servings of salted pork belly, two servings of pilsal gyeopdegi (signature grilled pork skin), radish rice in a bowl, and pork kimchi stew, with a bottle of cheongha rice wine on the side. The pork belly was good, but the crispy-chewy pilsal gyeopdegi eaten last was the most memorable part of the meal.
Olla Poke Munjeong Main Branch is a poke bowl restaurant in the basement level of Tera Tower, right inside Munjeong Legal Town in Songpa, Seoul, connected directly to Munjeong Station. The solo hearty set costs ₩15,500, and adding steak for ₩4,000 and mushroom soup for ₩1,000 brought the total to ₩20,500, finished off with wasabi sauce and rooibos tea from the self-serve bar. Warm soup paired with a cold, hearty salad bowl makes for a satisfying solo meal without feeling heavy.
Daily Fix Seoul National University Entrance is a burger restaurant near the entrance of Sharosu-gil in Gwanak, Seoul. On a hot day the writer and a friend ordered chili cheese fries, a double cheese burger, and a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, and finished everything down to the last bit of seasoning on the fries. With seating for 2 to 6 and hours until midnight, it's a solid pick for solo dining near Seoul National University Entrance station.
Something About Coffee is a three-floor dessert café in Gangnam, Seoul, near Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 6. The writer tried the new autumn fig black sesame cake alongside Earl Grey pound cake, black sesame cream latte and iced americano, finding the nutty black sesame balanced nicely by moist fig for a seasonal touch. A great pick when you want a dense, rich cake and roomy seating at once.
Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is a tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) restaurant on basement level 2 of IFC Mall in Yeouido, Seoul. The writer ordered instant tteokbokki for two at ₩22,000 with Coolpis and bong-eomuk (fish cake skewers), enjoying the yaki-mandu (fried dumplings) inside two ways — crispy first, then soaked soft in the broth. A nostalgic, satisfying bowl that earned a promise to come back.
Kosi Isu Branch is a udon and tonkatsu restaurant with 48-hour aged handmade noodles, on the first floor of the Isu Xi commercial building right by exit 9 of Isu Station, Dongjak, Seoul. Visiting by car and parking in the basement, the writer had handmade ten bukkake udon (with added tempura), mixed tonkatsu, and sweet potato cheese croquettes — the noodles were chewy with no flour smell, and the cutlets were thick-cut. If you're after a clean, not-too-salty meal near Isu Station, Kosi Isu Branch fits the bill.
Ssuk's Choco Pie Seoul is a mugwort dessert bakery right by Gwangjang Market's South Gate 1 in Jongno, Seoul. Pick six flavors like Haepung Mugwort Injeolmi and Udo Peanut for 24,800 won, with storage tips for fridge (8 days) and freezer (30 days), plus a trick for eating them semi-frozen dipped in milk. Moist, chewy, cream-filled choco pies worth stocking up on.
