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Restaurants

Restaurants in Korea, told firsthand by local bloggers — with photos and Google Maps.

Nonsan, ChungnamRestaurants

Nonsan Korean course meal, welcome dish to dessert: Sonamu Hanjeongsik

Sonamu Hanjeongsik is a hanok-style hanjeongsik (Korean set-course) restaurant on Nonsandae-ro in Nonsan, Chungnam. Order the Sonamu-jeongsik course and the kitchen sends out one plate at a time: a pumpkin porridge welcome dish and small bites, the first courses, hot-pot rice with soybean paste soup, then the main course of 24-hour low-temperature braised beef short ribs, Geumsan ginseng fritters, soy-marinated shrimp and stir-fried octopus, closing with yuzu yanggaeng and Nonsan strawberry juice. Sonamu Hanjeongsik suits the meals where you need to treat someone — parents, or the whole family together.

Written Aug 28, 2026Sponsored
Buk-gu, GwangjuRestaurants

Gwangju pork gukbap restaurant with a head meat plate: Gujeon Gukbap

Gujeon Gukbap Yongbong Main Branch is a 24-hour gukbap (Korean pork soup with rice) restaurant near Jeoncheolu intersection in Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. On a second visit the order was mixed pork gukbap at 10,000 won, sirak jangteo gukbap (soup with dried radish greens) at 10,000 won and a plate of head meat at 15,000 won, eaten with fiery halmaep cabbage kimchi and green onion kimchi, plus sticky rice and a self-serve side dish bar. For a hearty bowl at an easy price, Gujeon Gukbap is worth going back to.

Written Aug 25, 2026Sponsored
Seo-gu, DaejeonRestaurants

Tanbang-dong Korean restaurant, 3-person octopus lunch: Chongil Nakji

Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch is a Korean restaurant specialising in spicy octopus stir-fry in Tanbang-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, near Daejeon Lotte Department Store. Three of us — me, my mom and my sister — shared 3 servings of pork and octopus stir-fry with added scallop, and the rice, seasoned greens, onion pickles and cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) that came with it made it plenty for three women. Chongil Nakji was fully booked with a wait until 1pm, but the kitchen was fast and the food arrived soon after we sat down.

Written Sep 1, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Half-chicken samgyetang until 3pm in Gangnam, Seoul: Masamgyetang

Masamgyetang Bangbaeng Sageori Branch is a samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) restaurant near Bangbaeng Sageori in Gangnam, Seoul, where the broth is made with grated fresh yam. Arriving around 2:30pm with both parents, the writer ordered the masamgyetang at 18,000 won and the half-chicken banggyetang at 11,000 won, which is only available until 3pm, and found five side dishes, a self-serve bar and 90 minutes of free basement parking. Since banggyetang cuts only the portion and not the broth, Masamgyetang works just as well for a late solo lunch as for a family meal.

Written Sep 2, 2026Sponsored
Dangjin, ChungnamRestaurants

Dangjin all-you-can-eat pork belly for two: Myeongnyun Jinsa Galbi

Myeongnyun Jinsa Galbi Dangjin Gijisi Branch is an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant on the second floor of a building on Seohae-ro in Dangjin, Chungnam. Two diners arrived close to 8pm on the first night of a trip and paid 21,900 won per person to grill whole pork belly, then seasoned pork galbi, then sweet bulgogi, using a self-bar stocked with gondre rice, japchae and tteokbokki. The self-bar at Myeongnyun Jinsa Galbi stayed neatly filled even late in the evening, making it a safe pick for all-you-can-eat meat in Dangjin.

Written Sep 2, 2026Sponsored
Yeoju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Yeoju IC dakgalbi takeout deal and bibim makguksu: Seorak Makguksu

Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch is a large Chuncheon-style dakgalbi (grilled chicken) restaurant in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, 5 to 8 minutes by car from Yeoju Premium Outlets. On a Thursday at 7:30pm the meal for two came to 51,000 won for one serving each of charcoal and soy sauce dakgalbi plus bibim makguksu (spicy buckwheat noodles) and jeonbyeong (crispy kimchi pancake), and an opening takeout discount added 2 more servings for 20,000 won. At Seorak Makguksu the noodles stole the show, eaten even more than the dakgalbi itself.

Written Sep 2, 2026Sponsored
Geumcheon, SeoulRestaurants

Gasan-dong Korean restaurant, spicy ribs with soju: Gim Myeongtae

Gim Myeongtae Spicy Braised Short Ribs Gasan Branch is a braised short rib restaurant at 132-1 Gasan-ro in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, across from the Gasan-dong Community Center. On an early evening visit, the small spicy braised short ribs cost 33,000 won, paired with a bottle of Saero soju at 5,000 won, simmered with wide glass noodles and finished with self-made flying fish roe fried rice for 3,000 won. Gim Myeongtae suits a night when you want a spicy dish, a glass of soju and fried rice to close it out.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Gimhae, GyeongnamRestaurants

Gimhae pasta and pizza restaurant with terrace seating: Anin Jeongmiso

Anin Jeongmiso & Gaenari Jutaek is a Western restaurant on Bongridan-gil in Gimhae, set inside a converted old rice mill near Buwon Station. The meal was snow crab guts cream pasta and spicy lasagna pizza, served with pre-meal bread, pickles and barley tea, and the visit ended with a look around the terrace and the larger annex building. Anin Jeongmiso & Gaenari Jutaek suits everything from a date to a big group dinner.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Sokcho, GangwonRestaurants

Steamed skate restaurant by Sokcho Jungang Market: Jungang Sanghoe

Sokcho Jungang Sanghoe is a steamed skate (gaori-jjim) restaurant on the first floor of the Centum Mark building next to Sokcho Jungang Market in Sokcho, Gangwon. The pro gaori-jjim (small) costs 45,000 won, and with two bowls of rice and corn noodles the total came to 50,000 won, with flesh that was tender and carried no fermented smell at all. Centum Mark parking is covered for 2 hours, and an early weekday visit meant walking straight in with no wait.

Written Aug 31, 2026Sponsored
Seocho, SeoulRestaurants

Chinese restaurant near Seoul Arts Center for pre-concert lunch

Seongung is a Chinese restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, on the basement level of Seocho Peace Building beside Nambu Bus Terminal Station Exit 5, a short hop from Seoul Arts Center. For a lunch before a concert at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, this visit ordered Shandong shoji (cold sliced chicken), eoyanggaji shrimp (eggplant and shrimp in spicy garlic sauce), paljin tangmyeon at 12,000 won and chadol jjamppong, and both the cooked dishes and the noodle mains delivered. With free parking plus private rooms and group seating, Seongung suits family gatherings as easily as a quick meal before a show.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Seoul Korean BBQ near Hapjeong Station: four-cut hanwoo set at No.9

Eutteum Aged Hanwoo No.9 Hapjeong Branch is an aged hanwoo (Korean beef) grill restaurant on the first floor of the Mapo Han River Prugio 2nd Complex shopping arcade near Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. Two diners shared the Hanwoo Special Set 600g (deckle, sirloin, sae-usal, skirt) for 165,000 won, plus a 1++ hanwoo doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) at 7,000 won and bokbunja wine at 15,000 won, with staff grilling each cut to the table's pace and a house-made fish sauce and basil sauce for different cuts. With ankimo (monkfish liver) and yukhoe (beef tartare) among the complimentary side dishes, Eutteum Aged Hanwoo No.9 is a solid choice near Hapjeong Station when you are treating guests.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored
Seocho, SeoulRestaurants

Gyodae lamb BBQ with rare loin skewers: Hanseong Yang Kkochi

Hanseong Yang Kkochi Gyodae Branch 2 is a lamb skewer and Chinese restaurant in Seocho, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Exit 14 of Gyodae Station. On this visit the writer, a regular, ordered the lamb loin skewers (₩23,000) — a rare cut said to yield only a small portion per lamb — along with fried eggplant in sauce (₩18,000) for the first time and the usual fried rice (₩7,000). The lamb has no gamey smell and the cooked dishes are strong, but parking at Hanseong Yang Kkochi is tight, so the subway is the easier way to come.

Written Sep 15, 2026Sponsored