Korea Food Trails is a personal food blog built on one rule: every review comes from a real visit, a real bill, and a real opinion. The focus sits on Seoul, Hanam, and the surrounding areas of Gyeonggi-do, with occasional trips further out to places like Sokcho, Wonju, and Jeju.
Who Is Behind This Blog?
My name is Jun. I live in Hanam, on the eastern edge of Seoul, with my wife and two kids. I have spent years eating my way through this corner of the capital region: Korean BBQ joints in Seongsu, conveyor belt sushi in Wirye, gukbap counters near office districts, market stalls in Garak and Sokcho, and the food halls of every Starfield mall within driving distance.
Most of what you read here started as an ordinary family meal where the food turned out to be worth writing about.
I started this blog because most food content online runs through a glossy PR filter. This site does not. Finding a genuinely good restaurant in an unfamiliar neighborhood is harder than it should be, and I wanted to build the resource I wish I had: specific, honest, and written by someone who actually pays for his own meals.
How I Review a Restaurant
Every restaurant on this site is a place I walked into as a normal customer. No press invitations, no announced visits, no comped meals. I order what a regular diner would order, and I photograph the actual food that lands on our table with my phone. If a dish looks unimpressive in the photo, that is because it looked unimpressive in person.
Prices come from the receipt or the menu board, and each post shows the date its information was checked. Opening hours are only included when I could confirm them from the restaurant’s sign or an official page, because they change often. When a wait is too long, a dish underdelivers, or a side dish outshines the main, it goes on the page.
Since launching the site in early 2026, I have documented more than fifty restaurants this way, and the archive keeps growing as we keep eating.
How the Posts Are Written
I take the photos, keep the receipts and notes, and decide what I thought of each meal. An AI writing assistant helps me turn those notes and photos into English drafts. I read every draft before it goes up, compare names, prices and dates against my receipts, menu photos and official pages, and take out anything I cannot confirm.
In September 2026 I started going back through older posts to remove details that could not be confirmed this way.
What You Will Find Here
Each post covers what I ordered, what I thought of it, what the meal cost in Korean won when I have the receipt or menu, and how to find the restaurant. The writing is in English, aimed at international visitors to Korea and English-speaking residents who want trustworthy local recommendations rather than translated ad copy.
The range runs wide: charcoal-grilled pork in Seongsu, snow crab on the Gangwon coast, night-market food in Jeju, neighborhood bakeries, kids-welcome family restaurants, and the occasional chain visit when a specific branch earns it.
Family trips, camping and places to go with kids are on our sister site, Kid-friendly Korea. This site stays focused on restaurants.
Honesty Policy
All reviews reflect my genuine personal experience. I do not accept payment for positive coverage, and I do not publish sponsored reviews disguised as editorial content. When I visit a restaurant on my own dime, that opinion goes on the page, good, bad, or mixed.
Some posts may contain affiliate links or display advertising through Google AdSense. Neither influences what I write about any restaurant.
Get in Touch
Have a restaurant recommendation or a question about one of my reviews? I would love to hear from you. Visit the Contact page or email me directly at z3986316@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading, and for caring about good food.