Foods

There’s a little alley in Ilgwang, out in Gijang, that I keep coming back to. A handful of steamed bun and dumpling shops sit shoulder to shoulder, and two of them always have the longest lines: Ilgwangdang (일광당) and Hojjinppang (호찐빵). I’ve been dropping by this neighborhood for about 15 years now. Some days one shop, some days the other, and more times than I can count I’ve bought from both on the same day to line them up. After that long you start to notice the little changes — prices, the shops moving, even the lines shifting from one place to the other. So instead of writing two separate reviews, I’ll put their buns and dumplings side by side and talk about how they actually differ. ...

If someone in Ulsan asks me where to go for a proper Japanese omakase, Haebaragi (해바라기) in Dal-dong is the first name out of my mouth. It sits in a quiet alley behind the Samsan food street, not far from the Ulsan intercity bus terminal. I’ve been a handful of times and always walked out happy, so this round I went all in on the 90,000-won omakase course. The short version: it isn’t cheap, but between the spread, the portions, and the service, the price made sense to me. Below I’ll walk through how to book, what the private rooms actually look like, and exactly what came out, course by course. ...

If someone asks me where to get proper lasagna in Ulsan, I don’t even hesitate. It’s Lasagna 5F (라자냐5F), right across from Taehwagang National Garden. I’ve been coming here since the early days, and these days you pretty much have to expect a wait. Quick heads-up about the name. The “5F” made me think it was on the fifth floor the first time too. It’s not. 5F is just the name, and the place sits on the ground floor. Apparently everyone glances upward at least once before finding the door. ...

Whenever I really want good beef in Pangyo, I somehow end up back at Changgo43 (창고43) again. I’ve been going to this brand for years, honestly. I still remember eating at the original Yeouido location, where they grilled beef on a heavy iron pan and tore it apart instead of cutting it. At some point a branch opened here in Pangyo Techone, and now the whole place feels completely different from how it started. So this time I want to talk about the food, but also about how the place has changed over the years. ...

Whenever someone asks me where to eat in Dongtan for something a little nicer, my first answer is almost always the same: have you been to Got (곧)? Got is the restaurant I’ve gone back to the most in this area. I started coming in the autumn of 2023, when there was just a soft-opening banner hanging on the corner of Wangbaesan 3-gil. Back then I didn’t even know the name of the place when I walked in. These days it’s one of the go-to spots in town for anniversaries and dates. ...

There’s one sotbap (솥밥, Korean rice cooked and served in a stone pot) place I keep coming back to whenever I’m near Gwangalli Beach. That’s Handasot (한다솥), the main branch. My first visit was years ago. My husband had seen their charcoal-grilled fish on a Korean TV show and wanted to try it. Back then it wasn’t the kind of place with a line out front. Now there’s almost always a wait at meal times. ...

If you grew up in Ulsan, the kalguksu (칼국수, hand-cut noodle soup) alley at Sinjeong Market is a bit of a sacred place. I’ve been eating here since I was a kid trailing behind my mom on market runs, and even now my feet just drift toward this corner whenever I’m in the area. The funny thing about this alley is how the noodle shops are crammed right next to each other. The signs all look alike, the prices are almost identical, and first-timers usually freeze up trying to figure out which door to walk through. I’ve wandered in and out of pretty much all of them over the years, so today I’ll just lay out the three I come back to the most: Gyeongju Sonkalguksu (경주손칼국수), Yetnal Sonkalguksu (옛날손칼국수), and Joseon Kalguksu (조선칼국수). All three sit within a one-minute walk of each other, which honestly means you often end up at whichever one has the shorter line that day. ...

Whenever someone in Ulsan asks me where to get samgyetang, this is the first place that comes to mind. Gogung Samgyetang (고궁삼계탕), in Dal-dong, Nam-gu, right across from the old KEPCO building. I’ve been coming here for a long time, honestly. The first time, I was dragged along by the adults in my family when I was still a student. Back then a bowl cost less than 10,000 won, and now the same place has been running for 37 years and is recognized as a “Hundred-Year Store.” ...

Whenever I’m headed out toward the Yeongnam Alps or the Deungeok hot springs, there’s one place I almost always stop at for a meal. It’s a small Korean set-meal restaurant called New Sinbok Garden (뉴신복가든). The first time was kind of an accident — we were driving back from Jajeongdonggul Cave and just wandered in. After that it somehow became our spot. Family hot-spring baths in Deungeok, a hike down from Ganwoljae… we’d always end with “let’s just eat there.” ...

There’s a place in Boryeong I keep coming back to. It sits at the foot of Seongjusan mountain, roughly halfway between the city hall and the tax office, and it’s called Pungjeong Bulgogi (풍정불고기). The first time was almost an accident — I’d been to the Seongjusan natural recreation forest and just needed lunch nearby. Since then I’ve brought my parents, stopped in on the way back from Daecheon beach, and somehow ended up a regular. ...