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Cafés, restaurants and places in Seoul, written by bloggers who went there.
MELA Hongdae is an all-day brunch café on the 1st floor of Nudit Hongdae in Seogyo-dong, Mapo, Seoul. On a fall morning the writer came with her second child and ordered the Classic French Toast and Salmon Eggs Benedict, then added sourdough and sausage because the bread was so good. Thick, well-browned French toast and a caper hollandaise with no sharp bite made MELA Hongdae an easy brunch for both child and adult.
Picnic List Mangwon is a picnic gear rental shop right at the entrance to Mangwon Han River Park in Mapo, Seoul. A 3-item combo set plus a 4-item Mix & Match came to 18,000 won at Picnic List Mangwon and covered a one-touch tent, a wagon and an embossed mat, enough for a nap in the tent and wine glasses for sashimi bought at Mangwon Market. Since all you need to bring is food from Mangwon Market, Picnic List Mangwon makes an easy Han River date course.
Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is a large Chinese restaurant a 5-minute walk from Exit 3 of Yeoksam Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The jjamjjamyeon (half jjamppong, half jjajangmyeon) and sticky rice sweet and sour pork arrived 10 minutes after the table kiosk order, and the smoky jjamppong broth was finished off with free rice from the self-serve bar. With a spacious dining room, self-serve bar, disposable aprons and mouthwash in the restrooms, Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch suits dates, solo diners and group meals alike.
Miss Jokbal Seoul Myeongdong Branch is a jokbal (braised pig's trotters) restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, a 3-5 minute walk from Euljiro 1-ga Station exits 5 and 6, behind the Apple Store across from the Lotte Department Store Myeongdong main branch. On a weekend shopping trip with her husband, the writer ordered the 58,000 won emperor's jokbal with kimchi kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and three house sauces, and the table arrived loaded with lettuce wraps, japchae, gimbap, tangpyeongchae and dubu kimchi. Parking at Lotte Department Store and booking through Naver meant no wait for a seat, making Miss Jokbal an easy weekend stop in Myeongdong.
Hey Joji is a pasta and risotto restaurant tucked half a flight below an alley in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. On a weekday lunch visit with a child, the order was Cajun shrimp rosé pasta and duck steak cream risotto, and even a kid who can't handle any spice finished it happily. The only letdown at Hey Joji was the lack of garlic bread or bread before the meal, but it works just as well for couples and friends as it does for families.
Usijang Hoegwan (우시장회관) is a beef restaurant in Dohwa-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 260m from Exit 3 of Mapo Station. Arriving right at 5pm, when the 3pm to 5pm break ends, the writer ordered the assorted 3-person set for 116,900 won and paid a small surcharge to swap the rice course for saengbajirak sogogi gukbap (fresh clam and beef soup with rice). The Gangwon-do hanwoo 1++ No.9 kkuritsal beef sashimi was the standout, and with charcoal-grilled fresh galbisal, jin-galbisal and seasoned LA galbi, Usijang Hoegwan works well for a group dinner near Mapo Station.
PICT Roastery Mangwon Branch is a semi-basement roastery café a short walk from Exit 2 of Mangwon Station in Mapo, Seoul. A couple stopped in after lunch on a sweltering autumn day, drawn by the sidewalk sign promising powerful air conditioning, and ordered two iced americanos at 4,900 won each plus the house-made pistachio tiramisu. Because PICT Roastery roasts its green beans and brews on site, the coffee tasted crisp with a pleasant weight behind it, a good match for the gently sweet pistachio tiramisu.
Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is a ramen restaurant with house-made fresh noodles at 394 Gwangnaru-ro, near Children's Grand Park Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. The writer ordered the basic tori paitan with extra pork belly chashu and a soft-boiled egg, his girlfriend took the spicy version so the two broths could be compared, and a bowl of rice came at no extra charge to soak in the leftover soup. Bar seats facing the open kitchen at Mentsuru suit solo diners and dates alike.
Hyeonseonine Premium IFC Mall Branch is an instant tteokbokki (rice cakes simmered at the table) and Korean snack restaurant in the underground passage with the moving walkway by Exit 3 of Yeouido Station, Seoul. After a film at CGV Yeouido, an early dinner here meant the instant set for two at 22,000 won in medium spice, a tuna mayo rice bowl at 6,000 won and fish cake skewers, with the rice cakes staying chewy even as the broth reduced. The broth was generous and the yakimandu (fried dumplings) soaked in it were the highlight, so Hyeonseonine is worth another stop.
Naeil Didi is a nail salon on the 6th floor near Apgujeong Rodeo in Gangnam, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Apgujeong Rodeo Station. After three months with bare nails because of thin nail plates, the visit was a magnetic gel one-color in color No. 1 from the Nunnu line, kept short in a round shape, and it finished in 40 to 50 minutes since there was no old gel to remove. Even the fragile cuticles were tidied up without a single nick, making Naeil Didi a satisfying choice.
Salering Gyodae Direct Store is a salad and poke restaurant on Seocho-daero 56-gil near Gyodae Station in Seocho, Seoul. For dinner at her husband's company book concert, the writer ordered two takeout bowls at Salering: the Real Raw Salmon Bibim Poke with a whole wheat pasta base and mentaiko wasabi mayo, and the Grilled Steak Bibim Poke 130g with a brown rice and barley base and gochujang mayo, with 1 hour of free parking right outside making pickup easy. The couple picked Salering for a healthier meal and both liked it enough to plan on the protein rice bowl next time.
Bakerist Brown is a very large bakery café in a side street between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul, filling one whole building from the basement up to the 3rd floor. Driving there means using a nearby private parking lot (₩2,000 per 30 minutes, ₩15,000 for 12 hours), and an 8-piece Gangnam Sand set with salted cream coffee and an americano stretched into a two-hour chat at a big 3rd-floor table. Seats at Bakerist Brown go fast, so the trick is to claim a table before you order.
