Free kids' meal at Bongdam Japanese restaurant, Hwaseong: Sindong Lab

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Overall verdict: if you're planning to visit, book ahead! People kept streaming in — even at noon on a rainy weekend the place was completely packed!! If it's an anniversary, reservations are a must~~~~~~~~!!!

Sindong Lab Bongdam hours, parking, and why it works with a baby

Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with last order at 21:00, and a break time from 15:00 to 17:00 (last order 14:30). Parking is in the lot in front of the restaurant, and when that's full there's another lot further inside.

• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30 (last order 21:00)
• Break time: 15:00–17:00 (last order 14:30)
• Parking: Lot in front of the restaurant / inner lot available when the front lot is full!
• Local living support vouchers accepted / baby chairs available / indoor restroom

The moment I walked in, I was surprised at how nice the atmosphere at Sindong Lab Bongdam was. Who knew there was such a great-vibe restaurant near Yungneung and Geolleung! Absolutely perfect for an anniversary date course. (Already thinking about coming back for gyukatsu next anniversary.)

Sindong Lab Bongdam menu: the three dishes we ordered for two

On top of the atmosphere, what really got me was that there's a separate baby meal — and it's free. The baby ate so well that we could eat comfortably too.

So this time we ordered a sukiyaki set + gyukatsu double set + cream udon nabe (single). The portions were more than enough for two of us. If you eat light, one set per person would probably already be plenty. Ordering is done at the individual kiosk at each table, payment included.

After ordering, a pre-meal soup and tea came out — a perfect appetizer. There was barley tea and various sauces set on one side of the table. It really is full of atmosphere.

The first thing to arrive was the baby meal! The portion size was just right for a baby, more than enough. They cut up small pieces of gyukatsu and tore up seaweed for it, and the baby wolfed it all down without a care.

Not long after, the dishes we ordered came out one by one.

Gyukatsu double set: how to grill it with butter

Gyukatsu (beef cutlet) comes in gyukatsu / gyukatsu jumbo / gyukatsu double depending on the meat weight, and we ordered the double. I should have taken a photo of the menu board with the gram counts and prices... If you run short, you can also order more à la carte.

Every time a dish came out, the staff explained how to eat it for the best flavor. They clearly told us to put the butter on first and then grill the meat, but I forgot in my rush and put the meat on first! Still, it was really good.

Mid-meal I spotted the butter and quickly put it on. Once the butter flavor soaked in, it got even better.

And when it started to feel a little rich, the ricotta cheese salad was perfect — great as a palate cleanser.

Sukiyaki set and signal cream udon nabe

Sindong Lab Bongdam's plating is so nice it's a feast for the eyes too. On the left is the sukiyaki set, and on the right is the signal cream udon nabe (single).

The sukiyaki set is put together perfectly for enjoying solo. In fact, the table next to us each ordered their own — looked convenient.

The signal cream udon nabe comes with pollock roe, egg yolk, and gamtae (seaweed flakes), and you mix it all together before eating. The cream udon also has chicken inside, and it was really tender. It tasted like the familiar, classic cream udon flavor, so it was easy to enjoy.

By the time we were almost done, we put all the remaining ingredients in together and cooked them. The broth was seasoned perfectly, so dipping it in raw egg was ideal.

Is dessert really free at Sindong Lab Bongdam?

Basically there are 4 kinds of ice cream prepared for dessert. Since it's free, anyone can have some after their meal. On top of that, if you write a Naver review, they give you wafer snacks too. What was unusual was that this applies per person — if three people visit and each leaves a review, you get three wafers!

Eating the wafers together with the ice cream took care of dessert entirely ☆

Next to the ice cream corner there's a sink too, so it's easy to wash your hands quickly. A total win, Sindong Lab Bongdam! Fully recommend it as a date course.