Banban curry plate at Curry Culture Club, Seosulla-gil, Seoul

Curry Culture Club in Seoul's Seosulla-gil: A Spice-Forward Curry Worth Hunting Down

Walk along the old stone wall of Jongmyo Shrine into Seosulla-gil, and just off the main lane there’s a small alley where Curry Culture Club sits. If you love spices, this place will probably win you over. If you came expecting the mild, gravy-style curry you might know from a Japanese diner, it could throw you off a little. Here’s where that line gets drawn, plus the practical stuff like parking and waits. ...

June 28, 2026 · Andy
Young-squash stew and 5-hap bossam spread at Aehorak Anguk

Aehorak in Anguk: The Young-Squash Stew and Bossam Worth the Trek to Bukchon

Walk into the Gyedong-gil lanes from Anguk Station and there’s a Korean spot tucked on a second floor that blends right into the old-neighborhood mood. This is Aehorak Anguk (애호락 안국본점), the place that made its name on a single dish: a stew built around young squash. A stew where squash is the main act sounds a little odd at first. One spoonful in, though, and it’s clear why this became the house signature. ...

June 28, 2026 · Andy
A platter of modeumhoe and spicy maeuntang at Dongbu Hoe Center in Jinhae

Dongbu Hoe Center, Jinhae: A Huge Sashimi Hall Where Modeumhoe Starts at 11,000 Won

If you ask anyone in Jinhae where to eat raw fish, this place comes up almost every time. A small platter of modeumhoe (모듬회) is 11,000 won, a medium is 20,000. The first time you read the menu you wonder if there’s a typo. But the portions are generous, and it doesn’t take long to see why locals keep coming back. ...

June 27, 2026 · Andy
Kalnakji spicy octopus noodles and potato pancake at Shilla Jemyeon Anguk

Shilla Jemyeon Anguk: Spicy Knife-Cut Noodles in an Old Tycoon's Mansion

When people in Anguk talk about where to get a bowl of noodles, this is the name that keeps coming up. Shilla Jemyeon started as a line-out-the-door spot in Gyeongju and opened here in Anguk in late 2024. Since then it has quietly become the go-to noodle place around Bukchon. It’s the kind of restaurant where the building does half the talking. But the food is genuinely divisive, so I’ll keep both the good and the not-so-good in here. ...

June 26, 2026 · Andy
A spread of duck bulgogi at Jinjujip

Jinjujip: 50 Years of Duck Bulgogi Below Beomeosa Temple, Busan

If you walk down from Beomeosa Temple and start thinking about duck for lunch, this is one of the names that keeps coming up. No flashy sign, no long line out front. Just the kind of place that makes you think “I’d come back here” once you’ve eaten. Jinjujip (진주집) sits tucked inside Hamamaeul village. It has held the same spot for more than fifty years, and it’s now run by the third generation of the same family. ...

June 26, 2026 · Andy
A bowl of warm acorn-jelly rice soup at Gyeryongsan Muksarang

Gyeryongsan Muksarang: 23 Years of Acorn Jelly in Gongju

If you ask anyone in Gongju where to eat acorn jelly, this is usually the first name that comes up. Gyeryongsan Muksarang (계룡산묵사랑) sits right off Route 23, tucked under the slopes of Gyeryongsan mountain. It has run on one thing for more than twenty years: jelly made in-house from acorns. Calling it “just a jelly place” undersells it a little. ...

June 26, 2026 · Andy
Yubu jjolmyeon and bibim jjolmyeon at Parkyongja Gyeongju Myeongdong Jjolmyeon

Parkyongja Gyeongju Myeongdong Jjolmyeon: Gyeongju's Old-School Chewy Noodle Spot

If you ask around in Gyeongju about jjolmyeon, this place comes up almost every time. The full name is Parkyongja Gyeongju Myeongdong Jjolmyeon (박용자경주명동쫄면), though a lot of people still call it by its old name, Myeongdong Jjolmyeon (명동쫄면). The main branch sits in a small alley in the Geumridangil area of downtown Gyeongju. There’s also a separate branch near Bulguksa Temple, but most travelers end up at the downtown one since it’s close to Daereungwon, Cheomseongdae, and Hwangnidangil. ...

June 25, 2026 · Andy
Suyuk baekban set at Halmae Gukbap in Beomil-dong, Busan

Halmae Gukbap, Beomil-dong: Busan's Clear-Broth Pork Soup and Rustic Suyuk

When people picture Busan pork soup, they usually imagine a thick, milky white broth. This place does the opposite. The broth at Halmae Gukbap (할매국밥) in Beomil-dong is almost clear, and the boiled pork comes in big, rough-cut chunks. If you arrive expecting something polished, you might pause for a second. But if you want a bowl that’s all about the basics done right, it tends to stick with you. ...

June 25, 2026 · Andy
Assorted grilled beef offal at Byeolmi Gopchang Munjeong branch

Byeolmi Gopchang Munjeong: Grilled Beef Offal at a Terra Tower Patio in Seoul

The Byeolmi Gopchang that people used to line up for in Bangi-dong now has a spot in Munjeong. If you know the Songpa area at all, the Bangi-dong original is already a familiar name for grilled beef offal. This one is its own directly-run branch, and it only opened in May 2026, so it’s still brand new. It took over the old Yichadol unit in Terra Tower, and the red sign is easy to spot from down the block. ...

June 25, 2026 · Andy
Sizzling anchovy ssambap on a hot stone plate with fresh lettuce at Bomnae Jangyu

Bomnae Jangyu, Gimhae: The Anchovy Ssambap Locals Line Up For

If you say “anchovy ssambap” anywhere around the Yulha cafe street in Jangyu, Gimhae, this is the place people mean: Bomnae Jangyu (봄내 장유본점). At lunchtime it draws a mix of locals and out-of-towners, and there is almost always a line. Come ready to wait a bit. Once a tray lands in front of you, though, the line starts to make sense. ...

June 25, 2026 · Andy