Gyeongju Korean restaurant with tomb views: Handa Sot

The weather has been so lovely lately that I went near Hwangridan-gil in Gyeongju for a delicious meal and a little post-meal walk nearby. The place I visited was Handa Sot Gyeongju (한다솥 경주점), located on Cheomseong-ro.

Hwangridan-gil has so many pretty cafés and good restaurants, but sometimes you just crave a neat, comforting Korean meal, right? This was a nice Hwangridan-gil Korean set-meal restaurant for exactly those moments.

It is open daily from 10:30 to 21:00, with last orders at 20:00.

Handa Sot with beautiful views of the nearby tombs

The first thing I loved when I arrived was the view of Gyeongju's royal tombs all around the restaurant.

Gyeongju is charming for its tranquil scenery, and being able to take in the landscape while eating put me in a good mood even before the meal. On a fine day like this, the blue sky and fresh green scenery made Gyeongju's uniquely relaxed atmosphere feel even more special.

• Charcoal-grilled eel stone-pot rice
• Cockle bibimbap stone-pot rice

Charcoal-grilled eel stone-pot rice

The first dish I tried was the charcoal-grilled eel stone-pot rice. The eel piled on top looked so appetizing that it felt substantial to look at and made a great full meal too.

Perhaps because it was grilled directly over the fire, the eel had a nutty flavor and a gentle smoky aroma. It was delicious with the fluffy, separate grains of stone-pot rice.

A piece of eel with rice was mild yet filling, so I kept going back for spoonful after spoonful.

The cockle bibimbap stone-pot rice is delicious too

The cockle bibimbap stone-pot rice we ordered alongside it had a charm quite different from the eel rice.

The chewy texture of the cockles and the seasoning went beautifully with the rice, and the more I mixed it, the more savory depth came through.

Ordering both dishes was nice because we could enjoy two distinct flavors, and I think sharing a couple of menu items would be a great idea too.

Finish stone-pot rice with nurungji

After eating the rice, I poured warm water into the remaining crust in the pot to make nurungji (scorched-rice tea), and it was really delicious too.

It was toasty and warm, a lovely clean finish to the meal.

A neatly prepared, delicious spread of side dishes

Another part I personally loved was how neat and delicious every single side dish was. At a Korean restaurant, I tend to pay attention not only to the main dish but quietly to the banchan (side dishes) too, and everything was presented so tidily. I especially enjoyed the braised lotus root and stir-fried mushrooms.

Adding the side dishes one by one to the stone-pot rice made the whole spread feel even more abundant, while the meal as a whole was not heavy. I thought the menu would also make for an easy, comfortable meal with parents or when visiting Gyeongju with children.

A walk to Cheomseongdae after the meal

It felt a shame to head straight home after such a good meal, so with the weather being so nice, I walked to nearby Cheomseongdae.

Handa Sot Gyeongju is close to both Cheomseongdae and Daereungwon, making it well located for enjoying a meal and sightseeing together.

The weather has been so lovely lately that strolling slowly past Gyeongju's tombs and surrounding scenery made the perfect after-meal walk.

Rather than getting straight into the car after eating, I recommend walking to a famous attraction nearby like this. You could also plan a route taking in Cheomseongdae and Daereungwon, as well as Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond and Woljeonggyo Bridge.

Both the charcoal-grilled eel stone-pot rice and cockle bibimbap stone-pot rice I had this time were delicious, and I was satisfied because every side dish was so neatly prepared. Even the nurungji at the end was tasty, so I really got to appreciate the appeal of stone-pot rice.

With the pretty views of the nearby tombs as well, and Cheomseongdae within walking distance after a meal on a nice day, it felt like a great place to add to a Gyeongju itinerary.

A day of enjoying a delicious stone-pot rice meal in Gyeongju, looking out at beautiful royal tombs, and walking all the way to Cheomseongdae. The good weather made it an even happier meal.