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

Gapyeong, GyeonggiShopping

Gapyeong butcher shop, car camping pork gabrisal & jowl: Ari Chuksan

Ari Chuksan is a Korean pork and beef butcher shop on Gangbyeon-ro in Cheongpyeong, Gapyeong, sitting next to a Hanaro Mart and right on the way to car-camping spots and pensions. On this visit Ari Chuksan sold pork belly (ogyeopsal) at 3,150 won per 100g, pork gabrisal at 3,750 won and pork jowl (hangjeongsal) at 6,980 won, all grilled on a campsite grill, with free Korean beef tendon and enoki mushrooms added in. At these Korean pork prices, that level of freshness makes Ari Chuksan excellent value.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

American burger and Salt&Pepper shake in Mapo, Seoul: Bored & Hungry

Bored & Hungry Mapo is an American-style burger restaurant next to Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Mapo, Seoul, about 5 minutes on foot from Exit 4 of Daeheung Station. Over a Sunday lunch, two of us shared the O.G Champion burger, regular fries, butter garlic fries, a vanilla shake and the Salt&Pepper Virgin Shake; the same set with a soda instead runs 19,900 won. With a crisp-edged, juicy and genuinely salty patty alongside a sweet shake, Bored & Hungry Mapo is worth remembering if you like deep, beefy American burgers.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Cheonan, ChungnamRestaurants

Mackerel and pork sets at Cheonan fish grill Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo

Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo Cheonan Main Branch is a wood-fired grilled fish restaurant on Handeul 2-ro in Baekseok-dong, Cheonan. Over dinner with her daughter, the writer shared the mackerel set for 16,000 won and the spicy pork set for 17,000 won, then filled up at the self bar with tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), baby napa cabbage and bibimbap greens. With a choice of white or brown rice and a generous self bar, Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo is the place she returns to whenever she craves grilled fish.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Yeonsu, IncheonRestaurants

Songdo sushi restaurant where soju comes with plum tea: Sushi Doku

Sushi Doku The Songdo is a sushi set-meal restaurant on the 2nd floor of Onesta Mall in Songdo, Incheon. Arriving right at 5pm as break time ended, the writer ordered two premium sushi sets and a soju, which Sushi Doku upgraded to Maehwasu plum soju for free and which can be mixed with the plum tea by the entrance. At 25,900 won the premium set brings 10 pieces of sushi plus salad, steamed egg, udon and tempura, which made the price easy to justify.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Asan, ChungnamRestaurants

Asan Korean BBQ restaurant with group seating for 40: Ilpum Chamsut

Ilpum Chamsut Galbi is a charcoal-grilled pork galbi (pork ribs) restaurant on Junganggongwon-ro 17beon-gil in Dunpo-myeon, Asan, Chungnam. A large public parking lot sits right across the street from Ilpum Chamsut Galbi, and the standing-table group room takes 4 to 40 people, so it works for a company dinner; three servings of pork galbi plus two pots of rice came to about 50,000 won for three people. For a group meat dinner in Dunpo without parking stress, Ilpum Chamsut Galbi is worth keeping on the shortlist.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Cheongju, ChungbukRestaurants

Cheongju jjamppong with spice levels 1–3: Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch is a Chinese restaurant in Yongjeong-dong, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, where jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) can be ordered at spice level 1, 2 or 3. A couple ordered one level 3 and one level 1 jjamppong along with old-style tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), and the meat-based broth at Gyodong Jjamppong came out rich and fiery. For two people with different spice tolerances, Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch lets each person eat exactly to their own taste.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Paju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Paju jjamppong-bap restaurant: spicy char siu bowl at Mimi China

Mimi China is a Chinese restaurant in a standalone building on Cheonjeong-guro in Paju, Gyeonggi. The order was jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), mimi jjamppong-bap (spicy seafood noodle soup with rice) and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork): the jjamppong-bap broth landed somewhere between Japanese ramen and Korean jjamppong thanks to the char siu and seafood, while the tangsuyuk came with thick-cut pork and a clean sauce served on the side for dipping. If you want jjamppong-bap and tangsuyuk in one meal in Paju, Mimi China is worth the trip.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Gwanak, SeoulRestaurants

Bongcheon Korean restaurant siraegi kodari for two: Sangdo Neulbori

Sangdo Neulbori Bongcheon Station Branch is a Korean restaurant in Gwanak, Seoul, just in front of the big crosswalk by Bongcheon Station. The writer ordered siraegi kodari for two (half-dried pollock braised with dried radish greens), finding the greens tender and the potatoes underneath soft and floury, then spooned both plus flakes of fish into the self-serve bibimbap. At Sangdo Neulbori the sides stole the show from the main dish, and the plate went back empty.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Hwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Baby-friendly Dongtan kalguksu restaurant with single servings: Yubok

Yubok Haemul Kalguksu Dongtan Direct Branch is a Korean restaurant near Dongtan Central Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, serving pufferfish-broth seafood kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and flame-grilled webfoot octopus stir-fry. One serving of the pufferfish seafood kalguksu is 11,000 won, the octopus stir-fry is 17,000 won and the king meat mandu (dumplings) is 7,000 won, and because both the kalguksu and the octopus can be ordered as a single portion, a family of three with a baby ate comfortably. With baby chairs and parking, Yubok Haemul Kalguksu is worth saving for a family meal in Dongtan.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Goyang, GyeonggiRestaurants

Samsong Korean BBQ with a curry salad self-serve bar: Neopttakjip

Neopttakjip Samsong Branch is a pork BBQ restaurant near Samsong Station and Starfield Goyang in Gyeonggi. After finishing a shopping trip at Starfield Goyang, two diners grilled the signature mixed grill 600g (54,000 won) on a thick cast-iron plate and helped themselves to curry salad from the self-serve bar in the middle of the restaurant. The chewy texture of kkodeulsal, tried for the first time, was the highlight of the meal at Neopttakjip Samsong Branch.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Suwon, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gwanggyo Jungang Station Japanese late lunch for three: Gyuen-dang

Gyuen-dang Avenue France Gwanggyo Branch is a Japanese gyukatsu restaurant in the basement of the Avenue France mall at Gwanggyo Jungang Station in Suwon, Gyeonggi. A family of three — the writer, her husband and their second daughter — booked a table well after the lunch rush and shared sirloin gyukatsu at 19,000 won, hamburg steak omurice at 17,000 won and atsuatsu udon at 11,000 won in one spread. Grilling each slice on the mini tabletop stove and the wide spacing between tables made Gyuen-dang a satisfying weekend meal out with a child.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored
Changwon, GyeongnamRestaurants

Sunday lunch at a Haeun-dong Korean set-meal spot: Masan Ssamjangjip

Masan Ssamjangjip is a Korean set-meal and ssambap (lettuce-wrap rice) restaurant on Haean-daero in the Daetgeori area of Haeun-dong, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon. Two diners were seated at 11:40am on a Sunday and ordered the spicy pork set at 14,900 won per person, which came with 30 side dishes, a free unlimited Hangang ramyeon bar and a dessert corner, and the signature snail barley doenjang was the dish that stood out most. By 12:20pm two parties were already waiting, so a Naver reservation is the safer plan for weekend lunch at Masan Ssamjangjip.

Written Sep 13, 2026Sponsored