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Restaurants

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

Gangseo, SeoulRestaurants

Balsan Station Korean BBQ with a galbi patent and soju: Ihwajeong

Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch is a galbi (marinated ribs) specialist in a hanok-style building on Gangseo-ro 54-gil, near Balsan Station in Gangseo, Seoul. Past the counter where the restaurant's patent for pear-fermentation cross-aging hangs, staff grill the marinated pork at the table, followed by a glass of soju, water naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) and pear sherbet for dessert. With private rooms, group seating and a parking tower beside the building, Ihwajeong is worth noting for family gatherings and company dinners.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Mapo, SeoulRestaurants

Hongdae restaurant with sous vide steak and basil pesto pasta: Pastiar

Pastiar is a Western-style restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, a short walk from Hongik University Station Exit 3 and Yeontral Park on the Gyeongui Line Forest Park. The writer visited with her mother and ordered the steak set for two, which came with sous vide steak, basil pesto pasta, a grapefruit ade and a green tangerine ade; the tomato sauce under the meat and the fresh basil aroma stood out most. Pastiar is quiet and warm inside, making it an easy choice for a date or a first meeting over dinner in Yeonnam-dong.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Suseong, DaeguRestaurants

Beomeo-dong Daegu Korean restaurant with tablet ordering: Banwoldang

Banwoldang Buja Sikdang Suseong Branch is a fire-grilled Korean restaurant in the food alley on Beomeocheon-ro in Suseong-gu, Daegu. Ordering on the T-order tablet at the table lets you pick both spice level and rice type, and the 14,000 won fire-grilled squid and pork stir-fry arrived with four side dishes plus a free countryside cheonggukjang soybean stew, finished by mixing black rice into the leftover sauce. Banwoldang Buja Sikdang suits anyone who wants spicy pork and squid together on one plate.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Gwangmyeong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Gwangmyeong BBQ joint with scallion sauce: teukmoksal at Sammokjip

Sammokjip Gwangmyeong Sageori Station Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in the Gwangmyeong Sageori food alley in Gyeonggi, where teukmoksal (premium pork neck) and whole scallion galmaegisal (pork skirt meat) are the signature orders. Three diners ordered 3 servings of teukmoksal (180g, 16,900 won) and 2 servings of whole scallion galmaegisal (180g, 18,900 won), then added one more serving of teukmoksal because it was so good. What sets Sammokjip apart is the staff grilling every piece from start to finish and a scallion sauce served instead of the usual pickled onions.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Hwaseong, GyeonggiRestaurants

Dongtan Yeoul Park Western restaurant, ₩44,000 Set A for two: Paol

Paol Dongtan Yeoul Park Branch is a Western restaurant standing right in front of Yeoul Park in Dongtan, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. A couple ordered Set A, the ₩44,000 pasta course of citrus fruit salad, spicy blue crab rose pasta and steak risotto, and added ₩2,000 bread and a ₩3,000 zero-sugar cola, then took 10% off for writing a review and turning on notifications. With well-divided rooms, baby chairs and 4 hours of parking, Paol works just as well for a date as for a group dinner.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Jung-gu, SeoulRestaurants

Euljiro Thai restaurant dinner date: pad kra pao moo sap, Kkai 9

Kkai 9 is a Thai restaurant on the second floor of an alley off Chungmuro 5-gil, near Euljiro 3-ga Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. Over a dinner date, a married couple ordered the signature leng saep (spicy-sour pork spine soup), pad kra pao moo sap, Chang beer and zero-sugar Pepsi Lime, and cleared the whole mountain of bones. For spicy-sour leng saep in a Thai night-market setting, Kkai 9 is a good pick.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Yongsan, SeoulRestaurants

Samgakji bar for spicy squid stir-fry and cockle rice: Joseonmakhae

Joseonmakhae is a makhoe (roughly sliced raw fish) bar on the B1 floor of a building on Yongridan-gil, near Samgakji Station in Yongsan, Seoul. A party of four was seated in the compact space beside the entrance and ordered Joseon makhoe at 23,900 won, special seafood mala xiang guo at 26,000 won, giant spicy squid stir-fry at 32,900 won, seasoned cockles with butter rice at 16,900 won and smashed cucumber at 5,000 won. Joseonmakhae is an easy choice when one group is split between raw fish and spicy stir-fried food.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
SejongRestaurants

Fountain-view dinner date at Le Garden Bleu, a Sejong restaurant

Le Garden Bleu is a Western restaurant on the 1st floor of KT&G Sejong Tower A in Eojin-dong, Sejong. An evening visit booked in advance brought classic pomodoro pasta, the signature salmon steak garden and an aloe berry ade, with the fountain out front seen through floor-to-ceiling windows and generous space between tables. With basement parking in the same building, Le Garden Bleu is an easy date-night choice in Eojin-dong.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Gangnam, SeoulRestaurants

Gangnam Station hand-shaved noodles and Saturday lunch wait: Namsogwan

Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon is a hand-shaved noodle (dosakmyeon) and handmade dim sum Chinese restaurant in the alley right after Exit 11 of Gangnam Station, Seoul. Over a Saturday lunch after an escape room, the group ordered yubal hand-shaved noodles at 11,000 won and beef hand-shaved noodles at 11,000 won, and found the noodles thick with only a light spice aroma, so nothing divisive. Seats were still open at 11:30, but by noon the line at Namsogwan ran up the stairs to the second floor, so arrive before 12.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Changwon, GyeongnamRestaurants

Pet-friendly Changwon BBQ with private rooms: Gogit-ri 88beonji

Gogit-ri 88beonji Changwon Sangnam Branch is a pre-seared pork BBQ restaurant on Madimi-ro in Seongsan-gu, Changwon. The order was the Assorted A platter (galbisal, pork neck, pork belly) with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), brought out already seared and finished on the tabletop grill, in a wide room with a large TV, a pet-friendly seating area and two private rooms. Gogit-ri 88beonji is a roomy, clean pick for family meals, friend meetups and group dinners alike.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Seongnam, GyeonggiRestaurants

Tikka masala work-trip lunch at Pangyo Indian restaurant Bombay Broy

Bombay Broy Pangyo is an Indian restaurant near Pangyo Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, run by an Indian owner. On a work trip to Pangyo, the writer ordered the weekday lunch A set and B set and picked butter chicken and tikka masala, with naan and tandoori chicken included, for about 30,000 won for two. The wide, wood-toned dining room makes Bombay Broy Pangyo an easy choice for team lunches and office get-togethers.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored
Yangju, GyeonggiRestaurants

Manpo Galbi vs Manpo Garden: Yangju rib house at 11 a.m. opening

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch is a charcoal-grill galbi restaurant at 65 Songnang-ro in Yangju, Gyeonggi, open daily from 11:00 to 22:00. Arriving right at the Friday 11 a.m. opening, the writer worked through six side dishes, complimentary yukhoe (raw beef), two servings of handmade LA galbi, doenjang sulbap, and complimentary naengmyeon to finish. Staff confirmed that Manpo Galbi and Manpo Garden are run by the same owner, and the generous extras made Manpo Galbi a meal worth returning for.

Written Sep 19, 2026Sponsored