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Hurricane Park, Sindang-dong: The Tteokbokki Alley Old-Timer's Chicken Feet Stew
Hurricane Park, an old-timer of Sindang-dong's tteokbokki alley: dakbal (chicken feet) stew and fried rice. Add steamed egg; cheese rice cakes are a must.
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Restaurant notes from Seoul and nearby — Yongsan office lunches, old market spots, and places worth going back to, each with a map link.
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Pancone, Sinyongsan: Italian Done Right for a Team Lunch, and the Lamb Steak Wins
A Monday team lunch at Pancone near Sinyongsan Station: a pasta spot, but the lamb steak is the best thing here. Focaccia to French rack, then gelato, in order.
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Lau Pa Sat, Yongsan: Singapore Shrimp Noodles and Satay That Taste Like the Real Thing
Lau Pa Sat in Yongsan, Seoul, serves Singaporean food and nothing else. The satay and shrimp noodles taste genuinely local. Plus desserts from COMMCOMM.
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A Whole Octopus in Hand-Torn Noodle Soup, Sangdo-dong, Seoul: Lunch That Starts With Barley Rice
A sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup) shop on the ground floor of the Brownstone arcade on Sangdo-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul: a whole small octopus in every bowl for ₩12,000, barley rice first, and easy parking.
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Chamchinara, Guui-dong: A Hidden Tuna Omakase That Grills Gopchang Too
A hidden tuna omakase near Gangbyeon Station: fair prices, tuna until you're stuffed, and gopchang grilled on the side. A Saturday-night course in order.
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Crystal Jade, Yongsan I'Park Mall: Jjamppong With a Coworker on a Late Night, Plus a Coupon Pancake
Working late, so dinner with a coworker at Crystal Jade, Yongsan I'Park Mall: seafood jjamppong, jajangmyeon, six xiaolongbao and a coupon sojwabing.
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Auckland Pie Garage, Apgujeong Rodeo: Seriously Good Fish & Chips, British Food with a Kiwi Accent
A New Zealand-themed spot in Apgujeong Rodeo: a Wednesday lunch of fish and chips, Kiwi Brekkie, minute steak and fisherman's pasta. Get the fish and chips.
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Hanwoomul, Itaewon: A Birthday Dinner for Seven, a Hanwoo Course in a Private Room
A family birthday dinner for seven in an Itaewon alley: a hanwoo (Korean beef) course in a private room, beef seared at the table, pot rice, purple ice cream.
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Not Bad Coffee & Sandwich, Sinsa-dong: A Jambon Focaccia and a Seoul Bike Ride Along the Han
After a morning health check-up the weather was gorgeous. A jambon sandwich and coffee to go from NOT BAD COFFEE & SANDWICH, then by bike to the Han River.
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Kyoomo Ramen, Yaksu-dong: Two Bowls Marked 'きょうも' and a Chashu Rice Bowl
A small ramen counter near Yaksu Station where customers keep coming in: two bowls printed 'きょうも', chashu rice, karaage and a Sapporo. Deep flavour.
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Bâton, Yongsan: An Egg-Topped Burger and Shrimp Avocado Toast on a Weekday Lunch
Bâton, a meal cafe in a slate-roofed one-story building behind Yongsan Station. A Wednesday lunch: fried-egg burger, shrimp avocado toast, iced tea and juice.
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Qingdao Malatang Yangkkochi, Ansan: Thick Lamb Skewers After Hoamsan
From a night hike on Hoamsan straight to Qingdao Malatang Yangkkochi in Wongok-dong, Ansan. Thick, fresh lamb skewers, numbing mapo tofu rice, hearty onmyeon.
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Dakjinmi Gangwonjip, Namdaemun Market: Chicken Soup Since 1962, and My Go-To Since 2015
Deep in Namdaemun Market's hairtail alley, a dakgomtang shop with a SINCE 1962 sign. Clear broth, hand-pulled chicken, 10,000 won a bowl. At lunch, you queue.
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Wang Gopchang, Nakseongdae: The ₩13,000 Offal Soup That Keeps Giving
Two minutes from Nakseongdae Station, a gopchang house makes a beef offal soup where every spoonful comes up loaded. Add a spoon of perilla powder and it gets even better.
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Guryonggak, Yangjae: I Came for Jjamppong. The Cucumber Salad Stole the Show.
Jjamppong, ganjjajang, and an ambush nobody warned me about: cucumber salad. 7,900+ reviews, a 4.83 rating and genuinely kind staff at this Korean-Chinese spot in Yangjae. The cucumbers are not optional.
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Ureong Ssambap Igane, Anyang: What 'Loaded with Snails' Really Means
A clay pot of gang-doenjang that's half snails, half doenjang. A basket of leafy greens, with spicy pork and bulgogi on the table too. At this ssambap house in Seoksu-dong, Anyang, the snails are the real deal. Just go.
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The Back Food Truck, Haebangchon: A Fried-Egg Burger After Namsan, View Included
Walking under N Seoul Tower, I found a burger joint at the top of the Haebangchon hill. A tall burger crowned with a fried egg, and a terrace that takes in the whole city. Seriously good.
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Dallat, Sinsa-dong: A Tower of Pork Bones and the Thai Spot to Hit Near Garosu-gil
Dallat means 'market' in Thai. Under purple neon: pork backbones stacked into a tower (leng saap), shrimp pad thai, and basil stir-fry topped with a fried egg. A 4.89-rated Thai restaurant in Sinsa-dong.
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Ppulnan Hwangso Gopchang, Hongdae: One Pan of Mixed Gopchang, One Word: Best
Four minutes from Hongik Univ. Station, 5,000 reviews and a 4.84 rating. Gopchang, daechang and more on one pan, fried rice under a mountain of seaweed, and ramyeon to finish. The mixed gopchang is the best.
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Sakaya, Jegi-dong: The Pollock Roe Steamed Egg Is No Joke
An izakaya under a ceiling of cherry blossoms, open until 2 a.m. The skewers are good, but the real kicker is a fluffy steamed egg topped with a whole chunk of pollock roe. Two visits in one month, and here's why.
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Dongmakgol Sikdang, Hongcheon: The Post-Ocean World Meal You Actually Need
After a day at Vivaldi Park's Ocean World, your stomach is basically touching your spine. This is where you go: spicy stir-fried baby octopus, wrapped in lettuce with a spoonful of snail doenjang, at Dongmakgol Sikdang in Hongcheon.
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Oneuldo Bossam Kalguksu, Yangjae: Self-Serve Barley Rice and Kimchi Stew After Dark
A bossam-and-noodle house that still serves kimchi jjigae at dinner. Barley rice is self-serve and unlimited, every side dish is made in-house, and it's rated 4.85 on Naver. The Yangjae branch is the best!
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Cheolsanjang, Mullae: In Seoul's Steel District, the Broth Never Lets You Down
In Mullae-dong, Seoul's old metalworking neighborhood, a restaurant with 'iron' in its name gets everything right: Pyongyang naengmyeon, bibim naengmyeon, suyuk, dumplings. Over 2,500 reviews and still rated 4.9.
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PETRA, Itaewon: My No. 1 Middle Eastern Spot, Settled by One Plate of Hummus
Tear off warm bread, drag it through hummus pooled with olive oil, and the Itaewon Middle Eastern rankings sort themselves out. PETRA: 5 minutes from Noksapyeong Station, with spices gentle enough for first-timers.