“Okay but what if we don't have a Korean local friend?”

Fair point. Most visitors don't have one, and that gap is exactly why this list exists. Every spot here links to a full page, all but one in English, so you can check what to order and how to get there before you go. We're a small Korean team, and we picked each place the way we'd answer a friend asking where to eat and drink: only spots we'd send them to. If this saves you one wasted meal, it's done its job.