Grandma's Recipe (할머니의 레시피) is a Korean restaurant that aims to recreate the taste of a mother's cooking in a modern and comfortable cafe-like atmosphere space. According to the website, the home-style restaurant is run by a couple who after returning from their expatriate life, wanted to share the familiar and comfortable taste of their grandmother and mother’s cooking. The menu offered is generally comfort food that Korean people will associate with the meals that they have at home such as beef bone soup, ssambap, bulgogi, spicy pork and grilled fish. Grandma’s Recipe is also included in the 2018 Michelin Guide Seoul.

I visited this restaurant when I was exploring Seongsu (성수동) by myself. Seeing that there’s a waiting list form hanged at the entrance, I assumed that this place must usually be crowded during lunch or dinner time. Luckily, I got there after the lunch rush was over and got seated not long after I arrived. The restaurant feels like a combination of a house and a cafeteria for some reason. Most of the patrons there came with someone and I was the only one who was eating alone. It’s not really a problem, I think, since they have tables for two people available. On top of the regular menu that they have, they also serve daily specials depending on what day of the week it is. On the day that I visited, the daily special was the Spicy Pork Set Menu (제육볶 정식) which I ordered. It came with rice, soup, banchan and fried egg. The meal was good. It’s simple and well seasoned and definitely reminded me of a home-cooked meal.

Greysuitcase Seoul Restaurant Series: Grandma's Recipe (할머니의 레시피), Seongsu-dong (성수동), Seoul, South Korea.

Note: These pictures were taken before the pandemic.

Update:

In early 2020, Grandma’s Recipe has moved to a new location two blocks away from this location the restaurant was previously located. (See new address below)

Grandma's Recipe • 할머니의 레시피

Address: 서울 성동구 서울숲2길 44-12
Telephone: 02-467-5101
Hours: Wednesday - Monday 11:30 - 21:00 | Closed on Tuesdays