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Restaurants, cafés and salons across Korea — every story by a blogger who actually went, linked to Google Maps.

Seocho, SeoulRestaurants

Bangbae-dong family dinner with bomal porridge: Naegohyang Jeju

Naegohyang Jeju is a Jeju-style Korean restaurant on Donggwang-ro in Bangbae-dong, Seocho, Seoul. For a family dinner we ordered bomal-juk (top shell porridge), spicy minneo croaker stew and a mixed sashimi platter for three: the bomal-juk came loaded with top shells and the croaker stew broth was clean and sharply spicy. With a private room and wide, well-spaced tables, Naegohyang Jeju goes back on the shortlist for meals with parents or relatives.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Jung-gu, BusanRestaurants

Pet-friendly outdoor BBQ near Kkangtong Market, Busan: Bueongi Maeul

Bueongi Maeul is an outdoor grilled-meat restaurant (yajang) on Bosu-daero 36beon-gil near Bupyeong Kkangtong Market in Jung-gu, Busan. Bueongi Maeul has about six outdoor tables, with one more outdoor table at a second shop across the street, so even on a full night there was a seat outside for the 800g pork ribs at 42,000 won, served pre-seared and finished on the grill. Pets are welcome and there is no on-site parking, but a public lot sits right in front — one of the easiest open-air BBQ picks near the market.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Buk-gu, BusanRestaurants

Gupo jjamppong restaurant with seaweed broth in Busan: Hongmigwan

Hongmigwan is a Chinese restaurant near Gupo Market in Buk-gu, Busan, about 442m on foot from Deokcheon Station Exit 1. On a weekday lunch visit, Hongmigwan's lunch set brought mini sweet and sour pork, four chili shrimp, one jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and one jjajang (black bean noodles), with samseon jjamppong made from 24-hour aged handmade noodles and a seaweed-based broth. The broth was fiery but clean on the finish, making Hongmigwan a solid pick if you want jjamppong in Gupo.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Gwangjin, SeoulBars

Gunja Station bar with mozzarella-topped boneless rib grill

Saechamjip is a Korean bar in Gwangjin, Seoul, on the second floor of the food alley by Gunja Station Exit 6. Still hungry after naengsam (chilled pork belly), the writer and her boyfriend ordered the boneless aged-kimchi stone plate rib grill (29,900 won) with a 3,000 won mozzarella cheese blanket, plus beef yukjeon (pan-fried beef, 18,900 won). With partitioned tables, room-style seats and a parking lot right in front, Saechamjip is an easy place for a quiet dinner and a long conversation.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Jongno, SeoulRestaurants

Hyehwa-dong pub for post-play dinner: seaweed rice bowl, Hyehwahwa

Hyehwahwa is a straw-fire cooking and fusion Korean pub on Daemyeong-gil in Jongno, Seoul, an easy spot for dinner and drinks after a play in Daehangno. The order at Hyehwahwa was the straw-fired gopchang (beef tripe) bomb spicy hotpot, tteubbul hanwoo yukhoe (raw beef tartare) with aged-kimchi egg sushi, and gimgaru ttukbap (rice with seaweed flakes), plus side dishes refilled twice, a welcome drink, and ice cream from the Naver review event. With a window seat, the spicy hotpot and the rice turned the drinks into a genuinely filling meal.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae restaurant in Seoul: spicy vs clear tripe soup at Doonjeong

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch is a hanwoo beef soup restaurant tucked into an alley near Hongik University Station in Mapo, Seoul. This lunch put the spicy hanwoo yang gomtang (beef tripe soup) large at 18,000 won next to the clear hanwoo gomtang regular at 13,000 won to compare the two broths, with a shrimp minari pancake at 19,000 won on the side. If one of you wants a fiery broth and the other a clean one, Doonjeong is a good place to order one of each and share.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Ansan, GyeonggiBars

Gojan-dong pub in Ansan with no weekday wait for beef sashimi: Yuksul

Yuksul is a two-story yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) pub on Gwangdeok2-ro in Gojan-dong, Ansan. Weekends get crowded, so a weekday visit to Yuksul meant walking straight in, and the ₩39,000 Korean beef sashimi came with Suntory The Premium Malt's and the house Yuksul highball at ₩9,000 each. Same-day butchered beef, soft lighting and one free bottle of corkage make Yuksul a Gojan-dong date spot worth a second visit.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Gangneung, GangwonCafés

Gangneung roastery café with pine needle tea: Coffee Dripper

Coffee Dripper is a roastery café in Chodang-dong, Gangneung, set in a window-lined space right across from Toenmaru. Ordering the signature Dripper Blend once hot and once iced showed a nutty, balanced cup with no acidity and a clean finish, and the chilled pine needle tea served afterwards left the palate refreshed. Wide spacing between tables makes Coffee Dripper easy to visit even with a stroller, and it filled a Gangneung trip with one unhurried cup of coffee.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Gwangmyeong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gwangmyeong Market galbi with charcoal-grilled crab: Seoseo Galbi

Gwangmyeong Seoseo Galbi is a charcoal-grilled galbi (Korean BBQ short rib) restaurant 188m from Exit 10 of Gwangmyeong Sageori Station in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi. The order was two servings of seoseo galbi (beef short rib) with mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) and rice, plus two extra servings of pork galbi, and the yangnyeom gejang (seasoned raw crab) that comes as a free side dish can be grilled over the charcoal and refilled at the self-serve bar. For charcoal-smoky ribs paired with cold noodles, Gwangmyeong Seoseo Galbi is the answer.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Hwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gomtang restaurant in Woojeong-eup, Hwaseong: ₩9,500 Haga Naju Gomtang

Haga Naju Gomtang Hwaseong Woojeong branch is a gomtang (Korean beef soup) restaurant that has been open in Woojeong-eup, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi since 2017. On the way home from a day out with the kids, the writer ordered two bowls of Haga Gomtang (ox bone broth) and one Haga Naju Gomtang (meat broth) at 9,500 won each, and the thinly sliced Korean hanwoo beef was tender with no gamy smell. Domestic hanwoo beef under 10,000 won plus a 120-seat dining room make Haga Naju Gomtang an easy choice for a family dinner with children or a group meal.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Suwon, GyeonggiCafés

Suwon café with a sweet decaf vanilla latte and cookie: Jeong Jiyeong

Jeong Jiyeong Coffee Roasters Starfield Suwon Branch is a roastery café on the 2nd floor of Starfield Suwon in Suwon, Gyeonggi. The order was a decaf vanilla latte, a decaf iced americano and a peanut strawberry cookie: the vanilla latte tasted quite sweet, the americano came through strongly bitter, and the nutty, sugary cookie went well with both. Next visit, the plan is to go back to the signature coconut drink that tasted better here before.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored
Anyang, GyeonggiThings to do

Anyang Beomgye self-photo studio: 1st anniversary dress shoot, Burok

Burok Self-Studio Anyang Beomgye is a self-photo studio in the basement of Doosan Venturedigm, near Pyeongchon Station in Anyang, Gyeonggi. For a first wedding anniversary, the writer brought her own wedding dress and shot at Burok, which offers backdrop color changes, props such as number balloons and flower centerpieces, a fitting room and a select zone. Burok Self-Studio is a solid pick for couples who want anniversary photos without much fuss.

Written Sep 14, 2026Sponsored