Dongdaemun Market Korean restaurant for groups: Sunhuine Bindaetteok

After a two-night, three-day interfaith temple stay trip to Gyeongju, we got off in front of the Korea Christian Building, our meeting-up spot.

It happened to be near Dak Hanmari Alley, lined with Dongdaemun Market's best restaurants, so to shake off the trip fatigue we headed to Sunhuine Bindaetteok Dak Hanmari Dongdaemun.

This is a hygiene-certified 'safe restaurant' popular with celebrities too — here's my honest review of enjoying some proper healing food there.

How do you get to Sunhuine Bindaetteok in Dongdaemun?

The restaurant sits in a spot that's easy to reach by public transport. We happened to get off the bus right in front of the Korea Christian Building nearby, so we just walked over. But if you're taking the subway, come out of Exit 8 at Jongno 5-ga Station (Line 1) and head straight toward Gwangjang Market/Dongdaemun, or take Exit 9 at Dongdaemun Station (Line 1/4) into Dak Hanmari Alley — either way, you'll find it quickly.

Inside the restaurant: atmosphere and 200 seats

The moment we stepped in, what struck us was how clean and spacious the place was. This alley is usually full of small, old-school spots like grilled fish or charcoal-grill joints, so walking into somewhere this open and tidy felt really refreshing.

The tables along the wall already had basic settings laid out — turns out they were reserved for a group of Japanese tourists. As it happens, this place boasts a whopping 200 seats across two floors. If you're looking for a spot for a group gathering or company dinner in Dongdaemun Market, this is your place.

Menu and set options

The menu is posted big on the wall but there's also one on each table, so it's easy to browse. Alongside the signature dak hanmari, there are value-for-money set menus combining yukhoe tangtangi (minced raw beef), yukhoe (raw beef), and bindaetteok — the kind of place loved for its fresh ingredients and heartfelt cooking.

As soon as we sat down, we didn't hesitate — we ordered the signature dak hanmari for two and the haemul nokdu bindaetteok. It came out generously in a big aluminum pot, with milky broth, plump chicken, rice cake, and a heap of green onion.

How to mix the dak hanmari dipping sauce

On the back of the menu was the secret to the sauce: mix soy sauce, mustard, chili paste, and minced garlic to your own taste — that's the key point.

While we mixed the sauce, the clean, mild broth was bubbling away deliciously. You can add extras like vegetables, mushrooms, rice cake, green onion, potato, and noodles.

It's loaded generously with carrot, jujube, green onion, potato, and cabbage from the start, and the longer it boils, the deeper and cleaner the umami from the rich chicken and vegetable stock gets — it really felt like it opened something up inside me.

Taking a well-cooked piece of chicken, dipping it in the special sauce, and taking a bite — all the fatigue and travel weariness that had built up over the trip just melted away.

The combo of chewy rice cake, mild chicken, and broth that deepens the longer it simmers made it obvious right away why this place is loved by everyone, young and old.

Given the nature of Dongdaemun, there were plenty of foreign tourist groups along with domestic visitors, and I thought this dish would be more than satisfying for them too — honestly, it's one I'd proudly introduce as a representative Korean dish.

Seafood mung bean pancake with makgeolli

In the meantime, the haemul nokdu bindaetteok we'd also ordered arrived. It came out golden brown, fried to a crisp, and the nutty smell hit us right away.

The outside was crackly like a cracker, the inside moist, and it was thick enough that the portion felt generous too.

A bite of the rich, oily bindaetteok paired with a cool sip of makgeolli — ah, that's it, that's the taste!

The bindaetteok was packed with squid and other seafood inside, and the texture with every bite was fantastic too.

All the fatigue that had been piling up since the trip disappeared in one go — the perfect way to end the day. Good food really does make you this happy.

Group after group around us added an extra bindaetteok to their table too — I'd definitely recommend trying the warming, comforting combo of dak hanmari, bindaetteok, and makgeolli.

What do you get from the review event?

If you're visiting this Dongdaemun Market favorite, don't miss the review event either. Usually you'd get a soft drink at best, but here you can choose from soju, beer, makgeolli, or a soft drink.