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

Nowon, SeoulRestaurants

Nowon pork bone stew with free sujebi and kimchi refills: Somunnan

Somunnan Gamjatang is a gamjatang (pork bone stew) and pork bone soup restaurant on Deokneung-ro in Nowon-gu, Seoul, open since 1995 and still running after more than 30 years. The writer and her husband ordered the small-size gamjatang for lunch and still received a free sujebi (hand-torn dough noodle) sari, along with fresh kimchi refilled several times to wrap around the meat. For a hot, filling lunch in Nowon or Junggye, Somunnan Gamjatang is worth a look.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Seongdong, SeoulCafés

Seongsu café Valrhona Guanaja 40 collab cake and free latte: Notldun

Notldun is a dessert café on Seoulsup 2-gil in Seongsu, Seoul, near Seoul Forest, selling a cake made in collaboration with Valrhona's Guanaja dark chocolate. On a weekday afternoon with no wait, this visit meant taking home the Guanaja 40 (18,000 won) and the Notldun Signature Noir (14,000 won), plus the free Guanaja dark chocolate latte given for writing a review after buying from the Valrhona line. The Guanaja 40 is for anyone who dislikes sweet cakes, while the Signature Noir suits those who find dark chocolate too heavy.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Iksan, JeonbukRestaurants

Iksan Chinese restaurant family lunch with egg fried rice: Hwangbihong

Hwangbihong is a Chinese restaurant in Busong-dong, Iksan, that has stayed in the same spot for 20 years, making its dishes with chive noodles and Korean beef bone broth simmered for 24 hours. Over an early family lunch of seafood siraegi jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup with dried radish greens), jjajangmyeon, egg fried rice and tangsuyuk, the jjamppong stood out most, its broth deeper and nuttier than the usual version thanks to the siraegi. For a different take on jjamppong in Iksan, Hwangbihong is a solid choice.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Gangseo, SeoulCafés

Choco banana cream waffle at a Songhwa Market café: The Sweetree

The Sweetree is a waffle-and-bingsu dessert café in Gangseo, Seoul, near the north gate of Songhwa Market and a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Ujangsan Station. On an after-lunch walk, the order to go was a 1-liter americano at 6,800 won, a café latte at 5,000 won, and a choco banana cream waffle at 6,800 won. The waffle at The Sweetree is crisp outside and soft inside with almond crunch, but the whipped cream and chocolate make it very sweet, so order coffee alongside it.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Nowon, SeoulThings to do

Things to do in Nowon, Seoul: a 5-hour weekend at Jump fun park

Jump is a huge new indoor theme park in Hagye-dong, Nowon, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Hagye Station Exit 3. Visiting Jump on a weekend at 11am with a 6th-grader and a 4th-grader, one all-day Adventure Pass covered Sky Trail, Clip 'n Climb and Battle World laser tag, plus lunch at the second-floor food lounge, for 5 hours of play. Jump is not just a place where kids play: parents run with them until their legs give out.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Changwon, GyeongnamRestaurants

Masan diet meal restaurant with smoked duck protein bowl: Why Starve

Why Starve Diet Changwon Metro Centum Branch is a salad, poke and protein rice bowl shop on Yongma-ro in Masanhoewon-gu, Changwon. Eaten in-store, the smoked duck protein bowl at 10,900 won and the salmon light protein box at 11,900 won were generous for diet food, with big pieces of salmon. Why Starve Diet is a good pick on a day you want to eat healthy without living on greens.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Suwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Butter garlic pasta with sausage at Rolling Pasta, Suwon Station

Rolling Pasta Suwon Station Branch is a pasta restaurant on the second floor right in front of Exit 12 of Suwon Station in Suwon, Gyeonggi. On a weekday solo lunch, the writer ordered butter garlic pasta with sausage and snow cheese added, bacon cheese fries (₩3,900) and an ice cube mango cheese dessert, and cleared every plate. With three or four other solo diners at the two-seat tables, Rolling Pasta is an easy place to eat alone without feeling self-conscious.

Written Sep 17, 2026Sponsored
Namdong, IncheonRestaurants

Guwol-dong à la carte pasta for two with perilla bulgogi: Withwich

Withwich is a brunch-style Western restaurant in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, serving sandwiches, pasta, pizza and salad in one place. Two diners ordered three plates à la carte — a spicy perilla leaf bulgogi sandwich, arugula arrabbiata pasta and gambas oil pasta — and the gambas oil pasta was light rather than greasy, so it kept disappearing. With an open kitchen, a separate table for parties of five or more and a high chair on hand, Withwich suits dates, friends and family meals alike.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Dong-gu, GwangjuRestaurants

Gwangju restaurant with yukhoe yubu-chobap, no drinks: Ju Myeongdang

Ju Myeongdang is a two-story Korean restaurant and bar on Jangdong-ro in Dongmyeong-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju. The writer came with her mother, who does not drink, and ordered the Samchon Suljang set (beef yukjeon, straw-fire galbi, fried peppers, doenjang sulbap and yukhoe yubu-chobap) plus a cheese potato pancake, with one hour of free parking at the National Asia Culture Center annex lot. Despite the name, Ju Myeongdang works just as well for a plain dinner with no alcohol at all.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Paju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Paju Garam-maeul BBQ at weekend opening: selected pork neck, Tannae

Tannae Paju Main Branch is a charcoal-grilled pork restaurant on the BBQ restaurant street in Garam-maeul, Paju, Gyeonggi. On this return visit, two servings of selected pork neck and one of selected pork belly were pre-grilled over charcoal briquettes by staff and eaten with honey-garlic sauce, myeolchi-jeot (fermented anchovy sauce) and shiitake wasabi, alongside a complimentary kimchi stew — good enough that another serving of pork belly was ordered. For a quieter meal at Tannae Paju Main Branch, come right at weekend opening time.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Seolleung sushi lunch for two with shrimp tempura: Sushi Ian N

Sushi Ian N Seolleung Station is a second-floor conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, a short walk from Seolleung Station, where every plate costs 1,990 won. A couple stopped in for Sunday lunch and worked through flounder, flounder fin, salmon and eel sushi, then beef tartare tataki, scallop, tako wasabi (octopus with wasabi), beef brisket and bossam sushi, finishing with shrimp tempura and half-chilled buckwheat noodles. Sushi Ian N is an easy pick on a day when you want to try many kinds without watching the bill.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored
Dongnae, BusanHair & beauty salons

Personal color diagnosis and ash brown at Chamer, Dongnae hair salon

Chamer is a total salon in Dongnae, Busan, near Minam Station, offering hair, makeup and head spa under one roof. At Chamer, director Siwoo ran a personal color diagnosis first, which came back as summer cool light, and then dyed the hair ash brown with a slight blue tone. Chamer suits anyone who keeps putting off a salon booking because they cannot decide on a color.

Written Sep 20, 2026Sponsored