Category: Seoul
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Sotbap in Ikseon-dong: Eggplant Pot Rice at Damsot
Korean sotbap — rice cooked and served in a hot stone or metal pot, piled with toppings — is one of the most comforting meals you can have, and Damsot does one of the best versions in Ikseon-dong. Its signature is eggplant pot rice, heaped so high the eggplant almost spills over. If you want…
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Signature R: An Ikseon-dong Roastery Cafe in a Modern Hanok
Ikseon-dong’s cafes are mostly small and about the vibe; Signature R is a bit different. It’s a hanok roastery cafe — coffee is the main event here — and it’s unusually roomy for the neighborhood, with sleek modern interiors wrapped around a traditional courtyard. If you want a serious coffee in a hanok that doesn’t…
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The Prettiest Ikseon-dong Hanok Cafe: Mongblanc Som and Its Misty Courtyard
Some cafes you go to for the coffee; others you go to for the setting. Mongblanc Som is firmly the second kind — a small, photogenic Ikseon-dong hanok cafe built around a courtyard where cooling fog drifts up between the tiled roofs. If you want the prettiest spot for a photo and a slice of…
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The Best Ikseon-dong Dessert: Angbutter and Korean Ice Cream at Seoul Coffee
Ikseon-dong is wall-to-wall cafes, so it helps to know which ones are worth it. Seoul Coffee is a hanok cafe that’s earned its reputation on two things: angbutter toast and rich, distinctly Korean ice cream. If you’re after a memorable Ikseon-dong dessert, this is a reliable pick — and it’s right at the entrance to…
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An Ikseon-dong Cafe for Coffee by Day and Cocktails by Night: Sikmul
Ikseon-dong is full of hanok cafes, and they come and go constantly — but Sikmul has stayed. It’s one of the neighborhood’s largest and longest-standing cafes, and one of the few that shifts from a relaxed daytime coffee spot into a cocktail bar at night. For an Ikseon-dong cafe with room to breathe and a…
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Salt Bread in Seoul: Ikseon-dong’s Famous Jayeondo Sogeumppang
If you’ve seen a long line in the hanok alleys of Ikseon-dong, there’s a good chance it’s for salt bread. Jayeondo Sogeumppang is the most famous place for salt bread in Seoul — they bake 7,000 a day and still sell out — and it’s become one of Ikseon-dong’s signature stops. Here’s what makes it…
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Seongsu Pop-up Stores: A Local’s Guide to Finding Them and Getting In
If there’s one thing you “have to” do in Seongsu, it’s a pop-up. Seoul’s old factory district has become the city’s pop-up mecca — brands take over red-brick warehouses for a few days to a month, turning them into immersive, photo-ready experiences before vanishing again. The catch for visitors is that the lineup changes almost…
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A Trendy Seongsu Cafe for Dessert (and Cocktails): A to B Cafe & Bar
Seongsu is where Seoul goes to be trendy — former factories turned into design shops, pop-ups and cafes — and a good Seongsu cafe is half the reason to visit. A to B Cafe & Bar is a nice one to know: a stylish spot for creative desserts and coffee by day that turns into…
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Naengmyeon Near the Express Bus Terminal: Michelin-Listed Cold Noodles at Ojangdong
On a hot Seoul day, nothing hits like a bowl of ice-cold naengmyeon — and if you’re near the Express Bus Terminal, there’s a Michelin-listed spot for it right inside the station. For fast, excellent naengmyeon near the Express Bus Terminal, Ojangdong Hamheung Naengmyeon is my pick: cold noodles done properly, and on your table…
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COEX Restaurants: Where a Local Actually Eats in Seoul’s Biggest Mall
Almost everyone comes to COEX for the same two things: the Starfield Library and the aquarium. Then it’s mid-afternoon, you’re hungry, and you’re standing in an underground complex so vast that people genuinely get lost in it. The good news is that the COEX restaurants worth your time are excellent — the catch is finding…
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Pho at COEX: A Break from Korean Food at Le Saigon (B1)
Somewhere around day four of stews, barbecue and kimchi, most visitors want something lighter — and a clean bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup is exactly the reset. For pho at COEX, Le Saigon on B1 of the mall is the easy answer: clear beefy broth, generous toppings, and a menu wide enough to cover whatever…
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Bulgogi at COEX: Sweet-Savory Korean Beef at Sariwon (B1)
If there’s one Korean dish that wins over almost everyone, it’s bulgogi — thin beef in a sweet-savory soy marinade, and about as approachable as Korean food gets. For bulgogi at COEX, Sariwon on B1 of Starfield COEX Mall is a dependable, comfortable choice, and it’s a nationwide chain that knows exactly what it’s doing.…
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Myeongdong Kalguksu: Myeongdong Gyoja, Serving Since 1966
Myeongdong is where most visitors start their Seoul trip, and it’s changed almost beyond recognition over the years — but one thing hasn’t. Myeongdong Gyoja has been serving the same bowl of Myeongdong kalguksu since 1966, and it’s still exactly as good as people remember. It’s been on Korean food TV and in the Michelin…
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Korean Food at COEX: Hearty Sotbap at Sotnaeum (B1)
Everyone comes to COEX for the Starfield Library and the aquarium — but when you want an actual, sit-down Korean meal in the middle of all that, the options aren’t obvious. For proper Korean food at COEX, Sotnaeum is my pick: individual pots of freshly cooked sotbap (Korean pot rice), hearty enough to reset you…
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Pyongyang Naengmyeon in Seoul: Woolaeok, Running Since 1946
Ask Koreans about pyongyang naengmyeon and you’ll get strong opinions. It’s the cold noodle dish people either revere or find baffling — famously seum-seum, meaning so subtle it can taste like nothing at first. Woolaeok, in Euljiro, has been making it since 1946, holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year from 2022 to 2026, and…
