Eating Where the Stars Are: Celebrity-Owned Restaurants and Cafés in Korea

Korea’s entertainment industry is enormous, and its stars often channel their success into food businesses. Some are vanity projects that quietly close within a year. Others become genuine neighbourhood institutions that outlast the initial buzz and earn loyal regulars who couldn’t care less about celebrity connections. The six places below fall firmly into the second category — all currently operating, all with something worth eating, and all with a story that makes the meal a little more memorable.

401 정육식당 (401 Jeong-yuk Sikdang) — Hongdae, Seoul

Ha Ha & Kim Jong-kook’s Late-Night BBQ Den

Comedian and rapper Ha Ha (하하), known internationally for Running Man and Infinite Challenge, and muscular singer Kim Jong-kook (김종국), his long-time on-screen partner, opened this Korean BBQ restaurant in Hongdae in 2014. More than a decade later, it is still packing in customers — and the two owners still drop by unannounced.

The concept is simple: premium charcoal-grilled pork, served late. The kitchen finishes each cut with a blowtorch for maximum char and smokiness, a technique the restaurant calls its signature. The cuts are well-aged, the portions are generous, and the atmosphere leans lively — expect music, laughter, and the smell of smoke lingering on your jacket long after you leave.

The restaurant occupies the ground floor of the H-4 Building, a short walk from Hongdae station. Ha Ha has posted videos of himself doing surprise guest appearances to a full house, and the occasional run-in with either owner is genuinely possible on weekends.

주나수산 (Juna Susan) — Gangnam, Seoul

Jeong Jun-ha’s Seafood Spot That Keeps Proving the Sceptics Wrong

Jeong Jun-ha (정준하) is a founding member of Infinite Challenge and has been running restaurants for nearly 30 years — far longer than most people realise. He has opened and closed multiple concepts over the decades, and food media has periodically written him off. Then he opened Juna Susan, a fresh seafood and raw fish (hoe) restaurant near Gangnam Station, and the sceptics went quiet.

The restaurant’s signature is its gwangeo-hoe (광어, live flounder sashimi) and a stunning seafood platter that photos have made famous on social media. Jeong Jun-ha himself is known to appear during dinner service, and visitors have reported him chatting with tables and personally checking on guests — the kind of hospitality you rarely get at a restaurant of this price point.

Juna Susan sits near the busy Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station corridor, a neighbourhood where competition is fierce. The fact that it has held its ground for years against that competition says more about the food than any celebrity association could.

ZM-ILLENNIAL (지밀레니얼) — Nam-gu, Busan

BTS Jimin’s Father’s Café — A Fan Pilgrimage That Is Also Just a Really Good Café

Park Jimin (박지민) of BTS grew up in Busan, and his father runs this spacious café in the Daeyeon-dong neighbourhood of Nam-gu. Originally called Magnate (메그네이트), it was rebranded to ZM-ILLENNIAL — a playful nod to the “Zimillennial” generation and, of course, to Jimin’s name.

What could easily have become a merchandise shop with coffee machines attached is, in practice, a genuinely well-run café. The space is large and airy, with a vintage-influenced interior, a full bakery counter, and drinks that hold up on their own. Yes, the walls feature Jimin-themed displays and the shop stocks BTS-related goods, making it a de facto pilgrimage site for ARMYs from around the world. But regulars from the surrounding area keep coming back between the fan tours — a telling sign.

The café sits next to the Daeyeon Lotte Castle apartment complex and is straightforward to find. A second café, ZM-ILLENNIAL STUDIO, has also opened nearby. If you are spending time in Busan and want a low-key afternoon stop that happens to come with a story, this is a very pleasant choice.

우주총동원 (Wooju Chongdongwon) — Hadong, South Gyeongsang

Jung Dong-won’s Childhood Home, Turned Café and Trot Shrine

Jung Dong-won (정동원) became one of Korea’s most beloved young trot singers after his breakout on the TV competition Mr. Trot in 2020, when he was still a teenager. His family home in the rural Jingyo area of Hadong county — tucked into the hills of South Gyeongsang Province — was subsequently opened to the public as a café, and it has been drawing fans and curious travellers from across the country ever since.

The ground-floor café and outdoor terrace serve coffee and light refreshments. The standout feature is the 음악실 (music practice room) that Jung Dong-won’s grandfather built for him as a child, now preserved and open for visitors. Inside you’ll find the drums and instruments he trained on, a display of childhood photographs, fan letters, performance memorabilia, and an ever-rotating collection of merchandise. The third floor remains the family’s private residence and is off-limits.

The surrounding area rewards a slower visit — the road leading up to the café is now unofficially known as 정동원길 (Jung Dong-won Road), and the hillside setting is genuinely scenic. Combine it with a stop at Hadong’s famed green tea fields (하동 차밭) or a drive through the Seomjingang river valley and you have a full day out of Seoul’s orbit.

카페 금은방 (Café Geum-eun-bang) — Seongsu, Seoul

Kwon Eun-bi’s Dog-Named Café in Seoul’s Trendiest Neighbourhood

Kwon Eun-bi (권은비) rose to fame as a member of IZ*ONE, the hugely popular project group formed through the Produce 48 competition, before building a solo career known for its bold, high-energy performances. In 2024, she quietly became a Seongsu-dong building owner — purchasing a property in one of Seoul’s most sought-after neighbourhoods — and opened a café in its lower level.

The café’s name, 금은방, is a layered pun. In Korean, geum-eun-bang (금은방) means “jewellery store,” a familiar sight on every Korean high street. But it also pulls apart her name: geum (금, gold), eun (은, silver — the first syllable of Eun-bi), and bang (방, room). The name also references her dog, whose name contains the same characters. The whole thing is satisfyingly self-referential.

The café sits in the Songjeong-dong pocket of Seongsu, slightly removed from the busiest stretch of the neighbourhood and the better for it. The interior is warm and pet-friendly — dogs are welcome — and Kwon Eun-bi has said in interviews that she shows up to work on her days off, handling tasks from serving drinks to cleaning toilets. Her appearances on the TV show Jeonjijeokin Chamgyeon Sijeom (All-Knowing Siblings) brought the café wider attention in mid-2025, and visitor numbers have been strong since.

A Few Notes Before You Go

Closures happen. Celebrity restaurants are not immune to market forces. Lee Jang-woo’s curry restaurant, for example, closed nine months after opening in 2025. Always confirm on Naver Map or by calling ahead before making a special trip — this is especially important for the Busan café if you are combining it with a wider trip.

Weekends get busy. All four places above attract both regular customers and visitors with a specific interest in the celebrity connection. Arriving early or reserving ahead (where possible via Naver Reservations) will save you a wait.

The food comes first. Each of the places on this list has survived long enough to build a reputation based on what’s on the plate. The celebrity connection is the reason to notice them; the food is the reason to go back.