Founded and opened by Monk Jeongsan, Sanchon is a vegan-friendly restaurant that mainly serves temple foods. The dishes found here are a results of Kim Yun-sik, who was inspired by the simple, clean and healthy diet that a Buddhist practitioner taught him years ago. Now, being a top authority on vegetarian food in Korea, Kim Yun-sik helped perfect the standard and quality of temple food.  The dishes are made with all natural ingredients such as vegetables and mountain herbs, and are cooked without chemical additives. The actual dishes served vary by season, and in order to meet the tastes of the general public, the restaurant includes "five spices" (garlic, shallots, mountain leeks, etc.), which monks are typically not allowed to eat. Those who would like their food without these ingredients are asked to make their request at least one day prior to visiting.

Serving a varied menu featuring grilled beef, haejangguk (a spicy soup), and shabu shabu, Saebyeokjip is open 24 hours and is often crowded with people. The ddarogukbap (a kind of soup made with meat, coagulated ox blood, and bean sprouts) tastes great and is the recommended remedy for curing a hangover. An order of yukhoe bibimbap (white rice topped with garnished raw beef) includes a bowl of seonjitguk (soup made with coagulated ox blood). The shabu shabu is quite satisfactory for the price, so it is popular. The restaurant is packed in the morning, with people sobering up, and in the evening, with people who come for the grilled meat.  

Yangchulbuk Restaurant is a casual eatery specializing in Korean-style beef intestine barbecue. Its branch located in Seongnae-dong is owned by the parents of Park Shin-hye, a talented K-star who has been the lead in several K-dramas, including The Heirs, Doctor Crush, and Pinocchio. Portraits of the K-star and figurines of her beloved puppies are displayed inside the restaurant. Ingredients are sourced daily from local meat suppliers and side dishes (banchan), including the mukbap (chilled acorn jelly rice soup) are made in-house every day. In her free time Park Shin-hye is known to enjoy dining at the restaurant with her colleagues.  

Also referred to as “Tto-tteok,” Ttobogetji Tteokbokki is a popular tteokbokki restaurant that has many branches in Hongdae. Upon order, tteok (rice cake), egg, eomuk (fish cake), and three different vegetables are served together with an order of tabletop tteokbokki. Additional menu such as noodles, fried potatoes, and fried rice are also available.

Anthracite Coffee Roasters is well-known cafe in Hapjeong-dong that brings new meaning to the term industrial chic. Anthracite's building was once a shoe factory and the cafe has maintained any of the factory's industrial elements and added modern decor.  Beer and coffee are among the menu selections offered at Anthracite and one of the most popular coffees is the Butter Fat Trio. The coffee roasts are named after famed authors, so visitors can order a "Natsume Sōseki" or a "Pablo Neruda." Anthracite's pastry chef bakes the cafe's desserts on the premises. Patrons can choose from cakes, financiers, madeleines, and cookies.  

Located behind the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, Maple Tree House (Danpungnamujip, 단풍나무집) is a meat restaurant where diners can enjoy grilled meat in an elegant, wine bar-like ambience. The restaurant's main dish is Cheongyeop, which is pork grilled over a charcoal fire and wrapped in fermented sesame leaves. There are many repeat customers (including international guests) who come back for the succulent grilled meat, unique sauce, and great service. Though the restaurant in Samcheong-dong is the main restaurant, there are also two branch restaurants in Dogok-dong and Itaewon.

* A 15-Year-Old Traditional French RestaurantLA-SCALA is a French restaurant that first opened in August of 1989, and now boasts 15 years of experience serving genuine French cuisine that has been constantly refined with new sauces and a diverse menu.* European Grace, A Luxurious Atmosphere, and Friendly ServiceLA-SCALA invites all guests for a variety of purposes such as family get-togethers, business meetings, or dining with that special someone; as LA-SCALA presents the exclusive melodies of its own private band.The live, classical music restaurant LA-SCALA, has seating arranged in the shape of a dome so that the stage can be viewed from all areas on the 1st and 2nd floors. Live musical performances include a classical music trio, soprano, an aria duet of tenors, and various pop-song performances which liven-up the ambience of the restaurant. The steak is also to die for.

Opened in 1981, this diminutive restaurant has been attracting customers with its mouthwatering ramyeon noodles for more than 20 years. The restaurant’s unique ramyeon recipe includes an ultra-spicy broth with lots of red pepper seasoning, chewy noodles, egg, and bean sprouts. Even Koreans, who are used to eating spicy kimchi, sometimes shed tears while eating this fare. Besides the food, the ambience is fun, with interesting messages written by customers attached to the ceiling and the walls. The restaurant has created its own jargon that is recognized only by regular customers: ramyeon is called ppal-gye-tteok (spicy red soup with egg and rice cake), and yellow pickled radish is called pineapple, to name a few of the coined terms. The menu board lists the price of ramyeon as W30,000 confusing first-time visitors. But don’t panic: an extra zero (0) was just added for fun! TIP: (1) Take some souvenir pictures using the walls and the ceiling as a background (2) Try putting some cold rice in your ramyeon for an interesting, less spicy taste.

Yongsusan (용수산) is famous for traditional Gaesung-style dishes such as meat soup with sliced rice cake, kimchi mixed with pears, chestnuts, Chinese dates, pine nuts and small octopus, boiled pork wrapped in vegetable leaves and kimchi, and abalone dishes. Savory cuisine coupled with a unique dining atmosphere make this restaurant a visitor favorite. *Best Korean Restaurant as designated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government        

Located in Daejeon, Rainbow Korean Restaurant (무지개한정식) offers a traditional fine dining experience of royal court cuisine. The restaurant is committed to producing authentic dishes made with locally produced fresh ingredients without any MSG.The restaurant serves over 20 different menu items and goes way beyond standard dishes by offering delicacies such as sliced flatfish, ear shell mixed with vinegar pepper sauce, stirred turban shell, smoked duck, and steamed beef ribs. Separate rooms are available for private parties and a wide dining hall may be booked for rehearsal dinners, 60-year birthday parties, and other special events.