A brunch café with a seasonal menu, known for pretty plating. We started with a cool fruit ade. The dishes had vegetables at the center, but the flavors had real depth, with sweet pea purée and sharp whole grain sauce. The delicate stonecrop was almost too pretty to disturb. The pork and beef meat pie was quite hearty with crisp puff pastry.

A place I visit when I want simple Korean food over brunch. It offers a healthy home style meal and feels easy for dining alone. I had hot sticky rice with sweet pumpkin and chestnuts, a hearty set meal that made one bowl feel complete.

A new antique art shop in Yeonnam, a place for objects across eras and regions. After hearing the owner’s stories, each piece held me longer. It features Korean antiques, Japanese vintage furniture, and modern craft, all resting quietly in an ink dark space. It felt like craft slipping into everyday life, and I think I understood why antiques and craft are drawing people in again.

A new rice omakase spot in Yeonnam where rice gets the spotlight. They serve a course built around three rice varieties. First, a cool sip of gorosoe sap. Soft, nutty Suhyangmi rice straight from the pot was trouble wrapped with cabbage and salted seafood. For the main side, you choose between tteokgalbi and freshwater eel; I chose handmade tteokgalbi, the obvious rice companion. Yeoju Jinsangmi rice had a lovely shine and chew, and I tried it with neat, simple side dishes. I started with seaweed soup full of beef. The tteokgalbi was 200 grams, quite generous, and the kimchi was good. We finished with pot rice with water parsley and abalone.

I came for a doenjang jjigae spot near Yeongdeungpo Tax Office. At lunch, people line up just for this one dish. It's a Korean barbecue place better known for its doenjang jjigae. From 11 to 1, doenjang jjigae is the only lunch menu, costing seven thousand won. It comes bubbling in a ttukbaegi over charcoal with simple side dishes and a warm bowl of rice. The heat is strong, so it boils up fast, with plenty of shepherd’s purse and chives making it fragrant. It has big pieces of tofu and beef inside, and the umami gets deeper as it keeps simmering. It's a doenjang jjigae I will remember for a while, and it goes beautifully with salted seafood and radish salad.

A terrace café overlooking Yeonhui-dong. The breeze felt fresher than air conditioning, and open spaces feel even better now that it's warmer. They have everything from espresso to filter coffee, but I went with an iced latte because I love nutty flavors. Their signature latte, even down to the milk blend, was a latte I really liked.

We found a café deep in the alley, blooming with roses. Even the shadows on the white wall looked beautiful. Right in Yeonnam, but it felt like a little Seoul escape. The vintage interior felt calm and easy too. We ordered the signature matcha latte and tiramisu and sat in the corner with the best rose view. With the breeze coming through, the afternoon felt almost unfair.

A café with spring in full view. You enter through Gate 6 of the National Assembly and pass Sarangjae to reach a wide open deck. It's a book café inside the National Assembly. At this time of year, window seats are always full, with cherry trees in full bloom below and Mapo stretching out ahead. The rooftop offers a view all the way to N Seoul Tower, from Yanghwa Bridge on the left to Seogang Bridge. This side felt new as I usually look toward Yeouido.

An Italian dessert shop with no sign, still a rare find in Korea. Their signature is kouign amann, but I picked baked sweets I rarely get to try. I may have overdone it a little, but it was a delicious little sugar rush. The desserts had cherry topping, rich chocolate, and raspberry jam.