Sinchon Station Korean pub for group dinners: Cheongdam Pojangmacha

Thinking of a group dinner at Cheongdam Pojangmacha Sinchon Main Branch?

Cheongdam Pojangmacha Sinchon Main Branch (청담동포장마차 신촌본점) is a Korean pub near Sinchon Station that gets lots of group dinner customers, and group reservations are possible too. I found it while looking for somewhere filling to eat around Sinchon, and everything on the menu looked so hearty and delicious,, I was craving Korean food anyway, so off I went.

I went on a weekday and there were still quite a few people eating, and with the roomy, comfortable seating I saw plenty of groups out for company dinners. The atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were super friendly, which I loved.

On one side of the shop they sell snacks, hangover remedies and even ice cream, which is a smart touch. 🍦💊 There's also a nice review event going on.

What are the menu and prices at Cheongdam Pojangmacha Sinchon Main Branch?

The menu is packed with anju (drinking food) like stir-fries, soups, grilled dishes and jeon (pan-fried pancakes). This time ohsam bulgogi, seafood pajeon and grilled mackerel plus a bowl of rice came to ₩49,000 in total. There are also proper meal dishes that work as a first round, from stews that look great for curing a hangover to hearty jeyuk-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork).

The drinks list is varied too, from cream draft beer to non-alcoholic options, so it's a good place to come with friends who don't drink. Prices are reasonable overall, so ordering a bit of everything isn't a burden.

• Ohsam bulgogi: ₩20,000
• Seafood pajeon: ₩16,000
• Grilled mackerel: ₩12,000
• Bowl of rice: ₩1,000
• 💸 Total paid: ₩49,000

What are the free snack and side dishes with the rice?

Once you sit down, you get gunbbang (small crunchy biscuits) as the free snack, mildly sweet and nutty. These are secretly addictive and you just keep eating them, right...

The basic side dishes were great too. When I ordered a bowl of rice, it came with seaweed snack, richly simmered seaweed soup, pickled onion and stir-fried kimchi.

The tangy, spicy-sour pickled onion and the sweet stir-fried kimchi were especially delicious... I think I could finish a bowl of rice with just these.

The seaweed soup was rich and tasty too, and overall it felt like cozy home cooking at a grandma's house where she's really good in the kitchen. 👵❤️

The food came out pretty fast.

Seafood pajeon (₩16,000): how much filling is in it?

The seafood pajeon here has way more filling than batter: seafood, green onion, onion and carrot. I hadn't had jeon in ages so I ordered it, and since I usually prefer the packed-with-filling style, it was exactly my taste.

It's so loaded that it's hard to pick up with chopsticks. It was nicely grilled, nutty and clean-tasting, so good! Dip it in the sauce or top it with stir-fried kimchi and the savory flavor goes up a notch, and I just kept eating.

Ohsam bulgogi (₩20,000): is it too spicy or salty?

The ohsam bulgogi is full of pork belly and squid, and the sauce is mildly spicy-sweet, not overly strong or salty. I was going to get jeyuk-bokkeum, but then saw a version with squid in it and picked that.

So it's not overwhelming either as a side for rice or on its own. The pork belly was nutty with no gamey smell, and the squid was tender, not chewy. So good.

Grilled mackerel (₩12,000): any fishy smell?

For ₩12,000 you get a big whole mackerel, grilled, and even though I'm sensitive to fishy smells, there was zero fishiness. It was unexpectedly sooo good! The value is just crazy.

Best of all, the oil was dripping so it was super nutty, and the flesh was chunky so picking out the bones was pretty easy. I put rice on crispy seaweed and wrapped it up with moist mackerel and stir-fried kimchi, and it was really delicious. I'd missed this kind of home-style taste so much... if you like fish, I highly recommend the grilled mackerel!

Embarrassing, but it was an overeating ending again,,

Cheongdam Pojangmacha Sinchon Main Branch in a nutshell

• Ohsam bulgogi: a mildly spicy-sweet, savory sauce that isn't harsh, packed with tender squid and pork belly
• Seafood pajeon: a nutty pancake with far more seafood and vegetables than batter
• Grilled mackerel: big, oily and so nutty, with a generous portion, a seriously tasty grilled fish

Every dish was really good. With great service and great value, if you're looking for a group dinner or a hearty Korean meal near Sinchon Station, I highly recommend Cheongdam Pojangmacha Sinchon Main Branch!