Potato jajangmyeon and truffle sujeonggyo for father-daughter lunch

It had been a while since my dad and I ate a meal together, just the two of us. Usually even when we eat together it's something simple near home, but this time we decided to head out to Apgujeong for a meal somewhere with a bit more atmosphere. While looking around for a place, I found Samsin Garosu-gil.

There are quite a few Chinese restaurants around Apgujeong and Sinsa, but Samsin felt a little different from a typical Chinese restaurant. It serves dishes inspired by Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine together, so just reading the menu was fun, and there were quite a few dishes you don't often see!!

Best of all, the rooms were well set up, so it seemed like a good place for family meals or bringing your parents. The dishes my dad and I ordered that day were Taean Hwangto potato jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), Tevanaka meat jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), and truffle sujeonggyo (dumplings). That's what we ordered. It was a relaxed meal with my dad after a long time.

Samsin Garosu-gil near Apgujeong and Sinsa Station: what's the vibe?

Samsin Garosu-gil is in a spot that's easy to reach from the Garosu-gil side.

From the outside, it feels more upscale and atmospheric than a typical neighborhood Chinese restaurant. The building itself stands out, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit.

Chinese-style decor catches your eye from the entrance, giving a sense that this is different from an ordinary Chinese restaurant even before you step inside.

Once inside, the overall feel is clean yet upscale. Some Chinese restaurants go heavy on red and gold for a flashy look, but Samsin manages to feel refined and well put-together without being overwhelming.

The tables weren't cramped either, and it seemed like a good place for a family meal. What I especially liked was the variety of private rooms available. Even though it was just my dad and me, looking around I could see spaces that seemed great for family gatherings or small group meals.

The menu lineup

Sitting down and looking through the menu slowly, there were really more options than I expected. There were standard dishes like jajangmyeon, jjamppong, and sweet and sour pork, but also plenty of distinctive items beyond those. From dim sum to soups, appetizers, various cooked dishes, and noodle and rice dishes, the range made choosing genuinely fun. The dim sum section especially caught my eye.

The three dishes we ordered together

We ordered three dishes total that day: Taean Hwangto potato jajangmyeon, Tevanaka meat jjamppong, and truffle sujeonggyo. It felt like maybe a lot for two people, but since it had been a while since I ate out with my dad, we just ordered everything we wanted haha

The complimentary gonggalbbang (hollow fried bread) came out first!

Tevanaka meat jjamppong

The name is a bit unusual to start with. It's not a typical seafood jjamppong but one made with meat and other ingredients, so it seemed like it would pair well with jajangmyeon on the same order.

I tried the broth first — it was spicy but rich and deep. With jjamppong, if the broth is too intense you can get tired of it after a few spoonfuls, but this one had enough depth that it went well with the noodles the whole way through.

Being a meat jjamppong, it also had meat toppings mixed in, which added some chew. The noodles blended well with the broth too, and once I started spoonfuls of the soup, I couldn't stop!!!!

My dad likes jjamppong more than jajangmyeon, so he especially enjoyed this dish. Ordering one jajangmyeon and one jjamppong between us meant we could swap and try each other's food too.

Taean Hwangto potato jajangmyeon

This is the Taean Hwangto potato jajangmyeon. The name already tells you it's a bit different from regular jajangmyeon. Since it has potato mixed in, I was curious what it would taste like. I mixed the black bean sauce well with the noodles and tried it — the sauce coated the noodles really nicely.

It had the salty, savory flavor typical of jajangmyeon, but with bits of potato giving a soft, occasional bite that made it fun to eat.

My dad also said it was a bit different from regular jajangmyeon and ate it happily. Best of all, the portion was generous, so it worked well to share alongside other dishes!! Rather than just eating one bowl of jajangmyeon, ordering several dishes and sharing small portions of each let us taste a wider variety.

That chicken(?) on top — even soaked in the broth it was so good, ㅠ

Truffle sujeonggyo

This is the truffle sujeonggyo (crystal dumplings). This dish looked a bit different from typical dim sum, even visually.

With the added truffle aroma, it's definitely different from dim sum you'd usually eat! The wrapper wasn't too thick, and it went well with the filling — you could catch a subtle hint of truffle throughout.

I think dishes with truffle laid on too heavily can be polarizing, but here the aroma wasn't overpowering — just a gentle presence alongside the dumpling flavor!! A little understated, in a good way.

Samsin seems like it could be a solid spot for dim sum too. A place where you can try a variety of dim sum and distinctive Chinese dishes. Looking at the menu, there's a good range of dim sum, and lots of dishes that add new ingredients to familiar staples — there were so many things I wanted to try on a future visit.

Who is this for?

This seems like a good option for anyone looking for a place to eat with parents in Apgujeong, anyone searching for an atmospheric Chinese restaurant near Sinsa Station, or anyone in Garosu-gil wanting dim sum or unusual Chinese dishes.

For me, it was extra nice to get to eat good food and chat leisurely with my dad after a long time. Next time I want to come back and try the dim sum dishes and other distinctive dishes I didn't get to this time. A successful Apgujeong meal with dad after a long while!

And something that stayed with me just as much as the food was how kind the staff were. On a first visit, with so many menu items and unusual names, it's easy to feel unsure what to order, but the staff explained the menu kindly. Since I was there with my dad, I could tell they were being considerate to make sure we could eat comfortably as each dish came out, and the service overall felt easygoing.