Gangnam Chinese restaurant for Shandong chicken salad: Bobo Sikdang

Refreshing Shandong-style chilled chicken salad, Shandong xiaoji

Tender dongpo pork, carefully made over a long time

An unusual Chinese-style jajangmyeon without chunjang black bean paste

Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong, the Chinese restaurant featured on Culinary Class Wars 2

Today I visited Bobo Sikdang, an Apgujeong restaurant with private rooms and a Chinese restaurant featured on Culinary Class Wars 2. It is clean and upscale, so it is a great pick for a gathering in Apgujeong.

Heave-ho~ I did an opening run!

Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong location and parking

It is a Blue Ribbon-listed restaurant in Apgujeong.

A neatly prepared private-room restaurant atmosphere

A Chinese cuisine master from Culinary Class Wars 2!

Since I came right at opening, they were getting ready to welcome guests.

Everything was so clean and organized that it immediately put me in a good mood.

This Chinese restaurant with private rooms in Apgujeong is neatly prepared and waiting for its guests.

Bobo Sikdang menu and what I ordered

• Shandong xiaoji ₩25,000
• Dongpo pork with 4 steamed buns ₩45,000
• Bobo-style jajangmyeon ₩15,000

Isn't the ceramic water pitcher so pretty too?

Crisp gungchae (stem lettuce) comes as a banchan side dish.

My first try at Shandong xiaoji

My first time trying Shandong xiaoji—it arrived beautifully presented in a clear glass bowl.

Shandong xiaoji is a chilled chicken salad from the Shandong region. The chicken is fried, steamed, then chilled, and comes with various cuts including legs and wings, served with a tangy garlic sauce~~

With cilantro, cucumber, and garlic, it tastes fresh and pleasantly pungent. The crunch of cucumber, the bite of garlic, fragrant cilantro, and tangy sauce work so well together.

There is jelly in it too, but it has no real flavor—I think it is there for its fun texture~ Unlike typical fried Chinese dishes, it is not greasy but clean-tasting, making it the perfect appetizer to wake up your palate before the main meal.

Meltingly tender dongpo pork and steamed buns

Dongpo pork is a signature pork dish from Hangzhou. It is braised with care for a long time until tender and glossy—this is a great place for dongpo pork in Apgujeong.

Warm steamed buns, perfect for eating with the dongpo pork, arrive alongside it.

Shredded cucumber and scallions are served to boost the flavor of the dongpo pork.

The dongpo pork was so soft, and a staff member cut it into bite-size pieces for us~~

The pork melts softly in your mouth, while the lean meat stays moist.

Stuff the warm steamed bun with shredded cucumber, scallions, and pork, and it becomes sweet-savory, tender, and deeply savory. It also pairs well with bok choy, which complements the pork and makes it easy to get some vegetables in naturally.

The dongpo pork is delicious on its own, but with the mild steamed bun it becomes a filling complete meal.

Bobo-style jajangmyeon without chunjang

Bobo Sikdang's unusual jajangmyeon does not contain chunjang black bean paste.

The meat sauce comes separately; pour in as much as you like, then mix it up and eat.

It has the faintest hint of doenjang soybean paste, which makes it light yet savory. It is the kind of jajangmyeon I always end up ordering, and I love that it is not greasy.

Bobo Sikdang, the private-room Chinese restaurant in Apgujeong featured on Culinary Class Wars 2, is neat and upscale, so I recommend it for gatherings. The staff are kind, too. It is a Chinese restaurant near Apgujeong Rodeo Station that leaves me satisfied every time I visit.