Balsan Station Korean restaurant, soy crab side swap at 2pm: Mikodam

I recently visited a neat and impressive hanjeongsik (Korean set menu) restaurant in Magok. I'd been looking for something clean and easy on the stomach, and that's how I found it — Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch.

Where is Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch? Parking and the quiet 2pm dining room

Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch is at 42 Gangseo-ro 54-gil, 1st floor, unit 2, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. The parking space is wide and well laid out, which made it really easy to visit.

• Address: 42 Gangseo-ro 54-gil, 1st floor, unit 2, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily, 11:00–12:00
• Parking: Available

The exterior looked so clean that I headed straight in without hesitation. I visited around 2pm, and the inside was quiet, which made for a relaxed meal.

The group seating was private and thoughtfully arranged, so it felt like a great spot for gatherings too. The regular seats also had large, sturdy chairs and tables, letting me focus comfortably on the meal.

The ₩46,000 set for two: soy marinated crab instead of beef jeon

What I ordered that day was the 'Korean set menu for two' (₩46,000). I upgraded the seaweed soup to abalone (+₩4,000), chose soy sauce for the cockle bibim, and picked soy marinated crab as my side dish.

For the side dish, I could choose between beef jeon (pan-fried beef), crab, or LA galbi (+₩20,000) — and since I'm a crab fanatic, I went with the crab. I heard the beef jeon here is famous, but lucky for me I'm not that into beef jeon... if I had liked it, I probably would've been stuck agonizing over the choice.

What banchan comes with the set, and which ones are refillable?

The basic side dishes they laid out were neat and really generous.

Stir-fried pork (I'm not usually super into stir-fried pork, but this one wasn't too sweet and was really tasty!)

Japchae (stir-fried glass noodles)

Chicory salad

Three-colored namul (seasoned vegetables)

Seasoned laver (gopchang-gim) — amazing wrapped around the stir-fried pork, and amazing wrapped around the cockle bibim too...

Jellyfish salad

Pickled vegetables (jangajji)

Grilled mackerel

Fresh kimchi (geotjeori)

The amazing part is that except for the grilled mackerel (which is an extra ₩5,000), every other side dish is refillable...! Isn't that such great value?

How did the abalone seaweed soup, cockle bibim and soy crab taste?

The main dishes that came out next looked completely delicious too.

The abalone seaweed soup came with two whole plump abalones inside, so at ₩50,000 total, it felt like really good value. They say they use top-grade seaweed carefully selected from three regions in Wando — Geumil-eup, Geumdang-myeon, and Saengil-myeon. The moment I took a sip of the deep green soup, I actually said 'wow' out loud — the broth was deep and savory.

The cockle bibim, which I chose in the soy sauce style, used top-grade cockles from Beolgyo and Yeosu, and the flavor was plump and savory — truly excellent. The fragrant chives mixed in matched perfectly with the cockles in both aroma and texture. (I never knew chives could taste this good... they were so fresh.)

The soy marinated crab wasn't harsh or salty — it had a clean, healthy seasoning that was really appealing. The crab was packed full of meat, and the freshness really came through.

With such neat side dishes and mains, I couldn't help ordering an extra bowl of rice. It was a hearty, satisfying meal all around. If you're near Magok or Balsan Station looking for clean, comforting Korean food, I'd recommend Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch.