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. ...

There’s one hanwoo place I keep coming back to whenever I’m out in Gijang. It’s Cheolma Hanwoo Chowon (철마한우초원). The place has been known for good beef for years, but they recently gave it a full renovation. The food is just as good as I remembered, and the space is so much cleaner and more put-together now. Honestly, I was a little surprised when I walked in. So here’s how the visit went. ...

Ganjeolgot (간절곶) is the first spot on the Korean mainland where the sun comes up each morning. It got famous as the place to watch the very first sunrise of the new millennium, and these days people come all year round just to walk along the sea. Here’s the thing, though. Actually getting there trips a lot of people up. It sits at the southern tip of Ulju-gun, a fair distance from central Ulsan, and if you don’t plan the route it’s surprisingly easy to end up lost. ...

We’d just walked down from Bulguksa Temple and were trying to figure out where to grab lunch. The restaurants right at the foot of the temple all looked similar, but one name stood out to me — Ulsan Restaurant (울산식당). It’s in Gyeongju, so why Ulsan? That little question is what pulled me in, and it turned out to be one of the better-known Korean spots in the area. The basics Here’s the practical stuff before anything else. ...

When people think of Andong, they usually think of jjimdak (braised chicken) or salted mackerel. I did too. But on this trip I found out Andong is actually serious about beef. Right across from the old Andong Station there’s a whole alley of galbi restaurants — they call it the galbi golmok (갈비골목), the rib alley. The one I picked was Sigol Galbi Sikdang (시골갈비식당). It’s been on a Korean food show called Heo Young-man’s Baekban Travels, and I’d been curious about it for a while. ...

If you’ve spent any time reading about food in Busan, you’ve probably come across this place. Haeundae Amsogalbi-jip (해운대암소갈비집) sits a short walk from Haeundae Beach, so it’s easy to wander down by the water and then head over for dinner. It’s been on Korean TV shows for years and made the Michelin Guide Busan list, so I’ll admit I walked in with high expectations. Korean beef short rib is not a cheap meal here, so I went prepared. ...

Ask anyone about Pohang and they’ll say mulhoe, the cold spicy raw fish soup. I thought the same. But driving the coastal road toward Homigot, I stumbled onto a place that’s actually better known for its sashimi noodles than its mulhoe. This is Daegung Hoetown (대궁회타운), a local spot for wild-caught sashimi noodles in Daedongbae-ri, Homigot-myeon, Pohang. The basics Name: Daegung Hoetown (대궁회타운) Address: 1866-13 Homi-ro, Homigot-myeon, Nam-gu, Pohang Phone: 054-284-9462 Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 daily, no break time Closed: every Thursday Parking: plenty of space right in front Restroom inside the restaurant 📍 View Daegung Hoetown (대궁회타운) on Google Maps → ...

If you talk about mulhoe (물회), the cold raw-fish soup, in Ulsan, you end up talking about Jujeon. It’s a stretch of coast lined with seafood places, and the one with a constant crowd is Yukil Hoetjip (육일횟집). There’s a story behind the name. “Yukil” means six days, and the place is said to close on Sundays and open only six days a week because the owner goes to church. Take it or leave it. ...

There’s an old pufferfish spot tucked into Seongan-dong in Ulsan’s Jung-gu district, and it’s called Jinhwa Bokguk (진화복국). It sits in a small alley across from Hamwollu, near the Ulsan Police Agency. The kind of place everyone in the neighborhood already knows. I went on a day when my stomach felt heavy and I was craving a clear, warming bowl of soup, and I figured I’d write down the menu, prices, and parking details while it was all fresh in my mind. ...

Whenever I have something to do around Eonyang in Ulsan, there’s one place I almost always end up at. It’s Cheonghakdong Eonyang Bonjeom (청학동 언양본점). On paper it’s a kalguksu and handmade dumpling shop, but the real reason my family keeps coming back is the shabu-shabu. The basics Here’s the practical stuff first. ...