Local places · 8970 stories
Restaurants in Korea, told firsthand by local bloggers — with photos and Google Maps.
Junggye Gogi Party Nowon Branch is a charcoal Korean BBQ restaurant on Junggye-ro 12-gil in Nowon, Seoul. A family dinner there covered the 500g premium beef set (₩56,000), 2 servings of steak-marinated pork collar, and beef doenjang sulbap, alongside 3 sauces, 3 seasoning salts, a self-bar and a dessert corner. The meat quality, charcoal aroma and spotless upkeep make it a spot worth returning to for family meals.
Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch is a Korean restaurant on Gyeongchung-daero in Icheon, Gyeonggi, serving a lunch special until 2:30pm. The writer visited with her mom for the soy crab and jeyuk (spicy pork stir-fry) ssambap set at 24,900 won per person, finding the soy crab neither fishy nor too salty and the jeyuk tender with a nice smoky flavor. With individual pot rice, a doenjang stew loaded with beef tendon, and unlimited self-serve lettuce wraps, it made for a satisfying lunch with parents.
Banwoldang Bujasikdang is a Korean restaurant centered on fire-grilled dishes on Gwandeokjeong-gil in Jung-gu, Daegu. A couple who live right in front of it visit around 2pm to skip the wait, order fire-grilled menu items with cheonggukjang stew (fermented soybean stew), and often pick up the restaurant's mealkits to eat at home. It's not flashy, but it's the kind of neighborhood spot you keep coming back to whenever you just want a solid meal.
Bongu Hwarro is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Gangnam Station Exit 11 in Seoul, run for nearly 20 years. On a weekday evening visit with no reservation, two servings of beef rib meat, one of woo-samgyeop (thinly sliced beef belly), and the sin hangari gawi naengmyeon — a bowl combining both mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon — were ordered, with the grilled green onion kimchi stealing the show. Bongu Hwarro is a solid pick for anyone who wants to try several cuts plus an unusual naengmyeon in one sitting.
Dongyang Baekban is a hanok-style Korean restaurant on Poseok-ro in Gyeongju's Hwangridan-gil. I split caviar-egg rice and pollock roe rice, mixed them into the spicy sauce from sumi dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken with potatoes), and added deulgireum yukjeon (perilla-oil beef pancake) on the side, with boneless chicken making it easy to just pile onto rice. If you're after a meal where you mix rice into a spicy sauce, Dongyang Baekban fits the bill.
Etrenne Jukjeon Branch is a steak and pasta restaurant in an apartment complex in Dalseo, Daegu, three minutes' walk from Exit 2 of Jukjeon Station. Ordering the Signature Set (₩77,000) with her mother brought pre-meal bread, salad, half-and-half lasagna, cream tenderloin steak, and sangria in sequence, and the spicy cream sauce wasn't heavy at all, which pleased both of them since neither usually handles cream well. For two people to try the lasagna, the Signature Set or above is the way to go.
Seongsan Jejutgan Jeonju Sin-sigaeji is a Korean BBQ restaurant on Hongsanbuk-ro near Jeonbuk Provincial Office and the Jeonju Sin-sigaeji commercial district. The writer ordered the Aewol Han-geun 2-3 person set (600g, ₩49,800), sharing seasoned neck meat (teokmoksal) skewer-style grilled pork, thousand-layer pork jowl, pork skirt meat and raw ribs between two people, with a choice of kimchi hot pot or pork belly skin on the side. If you want to compare four different pork cuts on a single plate, Seongsan Jejutgan Jeonju Sin-sigaeji is worth checking out.
Jjambbongwan Seoul Bangi Branch is a Chinese restaurant in Bangi-dong, Songpa, Seoul, near Bangi Station, focused on jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup). Rice, four side dishes, and soda are all unlimited refills, with americano available after the meal, and the dipping-style tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) comes topped with oil-fried vegetables instead of sauce for extra texture. With mandu-style shrimp toast (menbosha) featuring big chunks of shrimp too, it's a great spot to order both meals and dishes together.
Gongdan Gamjatang Samgyeopsal Siheung Main Branch is a 38-year-old pork BBQ and gamjatang (pork bone soup) restaurant in Jangok-dong, Siheung, Gyeonggi. The writer ordered the mixed pork half-plate (400g) with rice-topped jeyuk and Motijeo Bulnaengmyeon, and since ordering half a plate of meat or more comes with a free gamjatang, the meal was seriously filling. If you're after great value and old-school charm, this place delivers.
Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Sikdang Hanam Misa Branch is an aged-meat Korean BBQ restaurant on the 3rd floor of the Water Castle building near Hanam Sports Complex in Hanam, Gyeonggi. The dolpan soseokgalbi (stone plate short rib) at ₩42,000 and aged pork belly/jowl at ₩16,900 came with unlimited refills of doenjang stew and grilled mackerel as banchan, plus a kids' room visible from the table. A solid pick for family meals or group gatherings.
Gongjung Dodeok is a duck restaurant in Mapo, Seoul, with outdoor tables right in front of the Gyeongui Line Forest Park near Daeheung Station. The two-person half-and-half set (₩69,000) brought duck roast, spicy duck jeongol-style stir-fry with minari (water dropwort), duck potato soup, plus a barley shrimp minari pancake and finishing fried rice. It's a great spot for a cool evening al fresco meal with minari-loaded spicy duck and a drink.
Donghae Bada Hoetjip is a seasonal sashimi and seafood restaurant near Dujeong Station in Dujeong-dong, Cheonan. On a return visit, the writer ordered the sashimi platter + seafood stew set for two (₩55,000 per person) and found the thick-cut raw mideoh (croaker) sashimi, the chewy flounder, and the soft roe in the stew especially memorable. Choose the braised version for sauce and fried rice, or the stew for pure seafood flavor and broth.
