Private room dinner in Apgujeong: ginseng eel hot pot rice, THE GIWA
In short
THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch is a Korean restaurant and private-room dining bar a five-minute walk from Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 5 in Gangnam, Seoul. Visiting as a couple, the writer ordered the wild ginseng eel hot pot rice at 26,000 won and the boiled pork with knife-cut bibim noodles at 24,000 won; the hot pot rice ended with a proper scorched-rice tea, and stirring mayonnaise into the noodles tamed the heat. With a hall, a terrace and private rooms, THE GIWA is a Korean restaurant comfortable enough to bring parents to.
Good to know
- Location
- 1F, 15 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (272 m from Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 5, about a 5-minute walk)
- Hours
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun 11:30–23:00 / Fri, Sat 11:30–02:00 the next day
- Wild ginseng eel hot pot rice
- 26,000 won
- Eel hot pot rice
- 22,000 won
- Boiled pork with knife-cut bibim noodles
- 24,000 won
- Parking
- Paid flat rate 5,000 won; valet 5,000 won
- Good to know
- Pets allowed, corkage available for a fee, hall, terrace and private rooms
- Price reference
- ₩24,000 ≈ $17.5 · ₩26,000 ≈ $19 · ₩22,000 ≈ $16 (2026-09-25)
as written by the visitor on Aug 18, 2026
THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch: a Korean restaurant and private-room bar by Apgujeong Rodeo
I'm writing up this Apgujeong Rodeo Korean restaurant review from a visit with my husband — and honestly, I felt like there were plenty of menu items here you could order even if you brought your parents. They also have a wide variety of makgeolli (Korean rice wine), which caught my curiosity — next time I think it'd be perfect to come for dinner and pair a meal with makgeolli.
THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch 1F, 15 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Apgujeong Rodeo Korean restaurant and room dining bar
Opening hours at THE GIWA Apgujeong
- Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Sun 11:30 – 23:00
- Fri & Sat 11:30 – 02:00 the next day
- Open until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays
What we ordered Boiled pork with knife-cut bibim noodles Wild ginseng eel hot pot rice
How to get there from Apgujeong Rodeo Station
Address: 1F, 15 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch. It's about 272m, roughly a 5-minute walk from Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 5. Come out of Exit 5, walk straight, and at the entrance to Rodeo Street turn into the alley on your right — the restaurant sits quietly inside that alley.
Parking and valet
- Paid parking available — flat rate ₩5,000
- Valet also available for a fee (₩5,000)
- Pets welcome
- Corkage available (fee applies)
Inside THE GIWA: roof tiles, hall, terrace and private rooms
The traditional Korean giwa (roof tile) look right at the front, along with the calm, quiet mood inside, comes together at a glance — the space really does complete THE GIWA's own quiet, comfortable atmosphere.
It's also easy to get to from the station, so if I ever have plans in Apgujeong Rodeo, THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch will probably be the first place that comes to mind. The space has an open hall, a spacious terrace, and even private rooms.
You can clearly tell they put real thought into the interior. Thanks to that, it seems to draw a lot of older guests and foreign visitors who want to enjoy Korean food — I'd genuinely recommend it to anyone who loves Korean cuisine.
Menu and prices
What we ordered Boiled pork with knife-cut bibim noodles: ₩24,000 Wild ginseng eel hot pot rice: ₩26,000
Wild ginseng eel hot pot rice, 26,000 won
My husband's wild ginseng eel hot pot rice came out looking this generous — it's a dish where you can enjoy wild ginseng and eel, both good for your body, together in one hot pot of rice. The side dishes were plentiful too.
Eel piled generously with wild ginseng, sitting over delicious white rice underneath — that's this hot pot dish. There's also a regular eel hot pot rice, but if you want to take extra care of your health, I'd recommend the wild ginseng eel version. Eel hot pot rice is ₩22,000, wild ginseng eel hot pot rice is ₩26,000.
How to eat the hot pot rice, step by step
When the hot pot arrives, it's best to first scoop everything out into the bowl next to it, then pour hot water into the pot. That's just the order you're supposed to eat it in!
Eating like this while you wait, time flies, and at the end you get to properly enjoy the scorched-rice tea we all love. They say the wild ginseng eel hot pot rice has a much healthier taste than the regular eel version, and that the wild ginseng and eel pair really well together.
Boiled pork with knife-cut bibim noodles, 24,000 won
This is spicy bibim noodles (mixed cold noodles) wrapped in perilla leaves with soft boiled pork — and if you look in the middle, there's mayonnaise added. If it's too spicy, mixing in a bit of the mayonnaise makes it turn out really delicious. The knife-cut noodles have a chewy texture and are amazing eaten together with the bossam (boiled pork).
You can even do the noodle slurp thing — eating the boiled pork, bibim noodles, and perilla leaves together, it tasted so good!
Coupons and discounts
The ice cream we got from the review event was so good.
Also make sure to grab the coupons offered through Naver Maps.
- No judgment, birthday candles welcome coupon
- Free ice cream & hangover remedy coupon
- 100% guaranteed ice cream coupon (given to customers who sign up for notifications)
THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch 1F, 15 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Apgujeong Rodeo Korean restaurant and room dining bar
Where it is
1F, 15 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 강남구 선릉로155길 15 1층 THE GIWA
