Gangneung hanjeongsik, 15 side dishes and kodari gangjeong: Saimdang

Saimdang Bueok

How to find Saimdang Bueok: 10 minutes on foot from Ojukheon, with parking

When you travel to Gangneung, Ojukheon is one of the must-see spots on your list, so this is my review of Saimdang Bueok, a Korean restaurant near Ojukheon that's great for a meal on the way there.

It's a 10-minute walk from Ojukheon, or 2 minutes by car — since Ojukheon is basically always on the itinerary for a Gangneung trip, this is a perfect spot to stop by while visiting!

There's also a big parking lot right in front of the restaurant, so parking was easy too!

Inside Saimdang Bueok: dining room and group seating

Saimdang Bueok, this Korean restaurant near Ojukheon in Gangneung, is set up almost entirely with 4-person tables, and the main hall you see as soon as you walk in has full windows on two sides, making it bright and airy.

There were more tables in the inner space too, separated off almost like a room, so it looked good for group gatherings or company dinners. When I visited, a group had already come in for lunch before me.

Saimdang Bueok menu and prices

Ojukheon set 14,000 won, Saimdang set 19,000 won, Yulgok set 35,000 won, pork cutlet 15,000 won. Saimdang Bueok, this Korean restaurant near Ojukheon in Gangneung, even has a separate pork cutlet (donkatsu) option for kids.

Each set also has options you can choose add-on dishes for — the Saimdang set lets you choose between Chodang sundubu (soft tofu) or miyeok-guk (seaweed soup), while the Yulgok set lets you choose steamed skate or steamed pork jowl in addition to the sundubu and miyeok-guk.

I went with the Saimdang set, and since I wanted to try both soups, I ordered one miyeok-guk and one Chodang sundubu.

What comes with the 19,000-won Saimdang set: 15 side dishes

Along with the main dishes — grilled fish and pork bulgogi — 15 side dishes came out together. And when you order the Chodang sundubu, it comes with a soy sauce seasoning to eat it with.

The grilled scallops seemed to be 2 per person, and they had a garlic butter flavor, so I thought it was a dish both kids and adults would enjoy.

On top of that, there were all kinds of side dishes — seasoned greens, cockle salad, cabbage wraps, gang-doenjang (thick soybean paste), fruit, japchae, kodari gangjeong, kimchi, braised tofu, anchovies, and more — the kind of spread where just a bite of each empties your bowl of rice in no time.

The kodari gangjeong was especially good — I'm not usually a huge fan of dried pollack, but this was chewy and delicious, so I liked it! The japchae and the other side dishes were all tasty too!

Grilled flounder and griddle-fried spicy pork at Saimdang Bueok

The main dishes — grilled fish and pork bulgogi! The grilled fish was plump flounder, which happens to be a fish I personally like, so I ate it enjoying its savory, tender flavor.

The pork bulgogi came out on a hot plate, still sizzling, so the bits that slightly crisped up on the bottom had that extra good flavor — I enjoyed it even more because of that! It was even better wrapped up with the cabbage that came alongside it.

Miyeok-guk or Chodang sundubu: which soup to choose

And now for the soup each of us got to choose! The miyeok-guk looked deeply simmered and delicious even just from the photo. The seaweed was softened just right and the broth had a rich, deep flavor — it was the kind of solidly good miyeok-guk that couldn't possibly taste bad!

The Chodang sundubu at Saimdang Bueok, this Korean restaurant near Ojukheon in Gangneung, had a nice, rich soybean flavor, and the portion was bigger than I expected, which I liked. The portion was so generous that finishing both the rice and the sundubu left me as full as if I'd eaten two bowls of rice! And the sundubu itself was savory and well-seasoned on its own, so I didn't even need the soy sauce!

Who should eat at Saimdang Bueok

You get to try Gangneung's Chodang sundubu alongside a wide variety of side dishes, the place is clean and works well for group visits, there's a pork cutlet option for kids, and since the main menu is hanjeongsik-style set meals for adults, it's also a great spot to visit as a family.