Seokchongobun Station mazesoba: non-spicy galbi vs original, Matsumi

I went to Matsumi, my pick for the best maze-katsu in Jamsil and a great lunch spot near Seokchongobun Station. Matsumi's tonkatsu set menus are great value, and if you take part in the Naver receipt review event you even get a free croquette, so you leave properly full.

What does Matsumi's galbi mazesoba taste like?

Matsumi's galbi mazesoba is a soy-flavored mazesoba (brothless mixed noodles) with the spice taken out. A good mazesoba needs plenty of meat, a fresh egg yolk and a sauce that ties it all together, and the galbi maze here was really delicious. If you order it as a tonkatsu set, you get a protein boost and that crispy texture too.

Here's the galbi maze. Since it's soy-flavored with no spice, I think kids could enjoy it too.

Matsumi Seokchon Lake Main Branch: location, waiting and parking

Matsumi, a lunch favorite near Seokchongobun Station, is 118m from Exit 4. If you go at mealtime, there's occasionally a wait.

Still, Matsumi turns tables quickly, so just put your name on the waiting list and wait a little. Disposable aprons for anyone in white clothes are kept near the entrance. There's a private parking lot behind the building, but it's small, so if it's full I'd suggest the Samjeon Neighborhood Park public parking lot nearby.

Every menu item is available for takeout, and the kitchen, which you can partly see, looked clean and well kept.

Inside Matsumi: is it okay for eating alone?

We were shown to a table for two right in front of the kitchen.

Matsumi Seokchon Lake Main Branch alternates 2-person and 4-person tables, and on the opposite side there are solo seats facing the wall, so it's not awkward at all to eat here alone.

How to order at Matsumi and menu prices

All orders at Matsumi go through the QR code on each table: scan it with your camera and order via Toss. You can pay upfront, or settle everything at the counter after your meal.

I started by ordering a bottle of beer.

We'd just split that one bottle between the two of us when the food came out.

• Galbi mazesoba, single order: ₩12,000
• Galbi mazesoba, set: ₩19,000

Even if you don't get the tonkatsu set, Matsumi's mazesoba comes as a full meal with rice and soup included.

Galbi maze vs original mazesoba: what's the difference?

For the galbi mazesoba, you break the yolk and mix well before the rice cooks through from the heat. I've had plenty of mazesoba, but galbi maze was a first, and it felt new, like the spice had been taken out exactly!

If you like things spicy, I'd recommend the original mazesoba.

The beef seasoning is a different color in the two: galbi maze on the left, mazesoba on the right. Once you mix them, they look pretty similar.

It goes well with cold beer, so it's a great pairing. You know you have to mix in the rice after finishing a good part of the noodles, right?

How big is the maze-katsu set once you mix in the rice?

I ordered the maze-katsu set, which pairs mazesoba with tonkatsu, so it was already a lot of food, and mixing in the rice made me even fuller.

Rice mixed into the leftover galbi maze sauce tasted different from the original mazesoba's, which made it a nice change. Next time I want to try the cream mazesoba!

The staff are super friendly, the portions are big and the food is delicious, so I keep coming back to this Seokchongobun Station favorite. Matsumi Seokchon Lake Main Branch, a Seokchon-dong restaurant with a trusted TV personality as its ambassador, is at 262 Baekjegobun-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 1st floor.