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Cafés, restaurants and places in Seoul, written by bloggers who went there.
Wanyuk Sindaebang Branch is a charcoal-grilled pork restaurant in Gwanak, Seoul, at 1471 Nambusunhwan-ro. On a weekday evening the order was the Wanyuk value set (pork neck, chewy pork and stew) with beer, and the owner grills the meat to one side, so clothes pick up less smoke smell. The pork neck was the most satisfying cut at Wanyuk Sindaebang Branch, and it would be an automatic order on a return visit.
Ramen Truck Sangsu Main Branch is a Japanese ramen restaurant with house-made noodles in Mapo, Seoul, near Sangsu Station, which began as a Hongdae food truck and has since added Konkuk, Jangan and Mokdong branches. The event-menu Mega Ieke Ramen costs 16,000 won and comes with double the chashu and toppings in a thick, miso-leaning broth, with a mini chashu rice bowl at 5,000 won on the side. The seasoning runs strong for anyone who prefers mild food, but the broth at Ramen Truck is deep enough to keep the spoon moving.
Buchigom Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Branch is a Korean pub with open-air patio seating near Exit 4 of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station in Seoul. The house set brings bossam (boiled pork wraps), gulbaengi somyeon (whelk with cold noodles) and minari pancake together, paired here with a four-bottle traditional liquor sampler and a makgeolli sampler; the minari pancake came out thin and crisp and the bossam was tender with no off smell. Buchigom is a solid first-stop for a group night out when you also want a proper meal.
Hanuk is a cocktail bar on the basement floor of 18 Samil-daero 19-gil, near Jonggak Station in Jongno, Seoul, where Korean tradition is styled in a modern way. This visit took in the Ardbeg whisky tour, a welcome drink of sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch) with yakgwa (honey cookie), and a service that lends you a portable battery while your phone charges. Hanuk suits anyone who wants a new drinking experience and a space that photographs well, and it opens daily from 19:00 to 02:00.
Dongmyo Market is a self-service wine pub in an alley near Exit 6 of Dongmyo Station in Jongno, Seoul. After browsing the Dongmyo vintage market, the writer stopped at Dongmyo Market for seafood butter pasta (21,000 won), bacon kimchi fried rice (16,000 won) and bread with spreads, and the pasta came loaded with big shrimp, squid and mussels. Even with just cola instead of wine, Dongmyo Market works as a full meal in a cozy, vintage setting.
Tomo is a private-room izakaya on Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Station in Gwanak, Seoul, with rooms sized from two people up to groups of 15 or more, plus pets allowed and music you can play inside your own room. We ordered the sashimi for two at 48,000 won and the sous vide pork belly and aged kimchi combo at 28,000 won, tasting Tsumoto-style aged sashimi and juicy sous vide pork belly. Tomo is an easy place to talk and drink at your own pace with no eyes on you.
Gim Sukseong Seongnae Branch is an old-school aged pork belly restaurant in Cheonho-dong, Gangdong, Seoul, a 384m walk from Exit 6 of Cheonho Station (Lines 5 and 8). After the Cheonho Park autumn festival, the writer visited with two daughters, ages 7 and 3, and ordered the Gim Sukseong Special II 550g with bomb cheese steamed egg and rice for 62,000 won in total. Staff grilled the pork neck at the table and minari, aged kimchi and kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) came free, which made eating out with young kids easy.
Katsu Shokudou Suyu is a tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) restaurant on the first floor of Episode Suyu838, near Suyu Station in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul. Ordering the rosu-katsu set and the katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl) to share showed two clearly different dishes: the rosu-katsu came out freshly fried and crisp, while the katsudon was moist with sauce soaked into the rice. With rice, salad and soup refills included when each person orders a menu item, Katsu Shokudou Suyu is a solid pick for a filling meal near Suyu Station.
Sonjeong Bossam Sindorim Branch is a bossam (boiled pork wrap) restaurant a 10-minute walk from Exit 2 of Sindorim Station toward the food alley in Guro, Seoul. The gabri kimchi bossam (small) costs 42,000 won and comes with a free choice of seafood kalguksu (noodle soup), and the standout was the sauce that tastes like ground crab marinade alongside the tender gabri pork. With a wide dining room and generous space between tables, Sonjeong Bossam Sindorim Branch works well for office dinners and family gatherings near Sindorim.
Fresh Farmer Olympic Park Foreon Direct Store is a premium egg shop on the first basement floor of Park Foreon by Dunchon-dong Station in Gangdong, Seoul. Free-range fertilized eggs (rearing code 1) and animal-welfare fertilized eggs (rearing code 2) were bought at Fresh Farmer, boiled in water for 7 minutes and compared with olive oil, pepper and Grana Padano cheese. The yolk color and flavor differ between the two, so either one is a good egg depending on your taste.
Haeseonok Seolleung Branch is a gamjatang (pork bone stew) and kkotgetang (blue crab stew) restaurant in an alley near Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Seoul, with 40 years of tradition on its signboard. Eating alone, the writer ordered the single-serving neungi hanbang gamjatang with a shrimp pancake set: the broth, heaped with soybean powder, was light and clean rather than thick, and the pancake came with four big shrimp joined together. Haeseonok Seolleung Branch is worth a visit when thick bone-soup broth feels heavy, or when you simply want gamjatang on your own without any awkward looks.
Kuroiya is a basement izakaya-style bar near Itaewon Station in Yongsan, Seoul. On a Tuesday evening visit, Kuroiya served the today's sashimi (assorted sashimi platter) along with starters of fried eggplant, dried radish baek-kimchi and hijiki tofu salad, a complimentary anglerfish liver maki, and a warm broth to finish. For an Itaewon bar where the food matches the atmosphere, Kuroiya is the answer.
