Changwon Korean restaurant with ssamjang bibimbap: Masan Ssamjangjip

Today’s spot is a real gem where the table practically buckles under the number of side dishes—and there are even several main dishes! Everything was so delicious that I absolutely had to share it ✨ I can’t even remember how many extra bowls of rice we ordered~ haha

Masan Ssamjangjip location and atmosphere

It is on the second floor at 65 Haean-daero, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon, Gyeongnam.

It is on the second floor along Haean-daero, and the big sign saying “Ssamjangjip” really catches your eye from afar!

When we stepped inside, it had such a warm, old-school atmosphere! There were lots of tables and plenty of space, which was great. And the tables were actually much bigger than at most places—but you’ll see why later~ ✌🏻

Ordering the spicy pork set and braised beef short ribs

The menu is at the table. We got the two-person spicy pork set and added braised beef short ribs! How could we resist when the ribs were ₩9,900? 💦

After ordering properly, we headed to the self-serve corner.

Self-serve ramen, rice cakes, and dessert

First up, the ramen corner. There were several kinds of ramen, and the machine cooks it nicely for you. Bubble, bubble~ Perfect for taking the edge off your hunger!!! 💗 You know how incredible that ramen smell is.

Next was another self-serve section. I’m such a rice-cake lover, so I seriously love tteok (Korean rice cakes).. 💗 This was my first time seeing a place with rice cakes ready to go. All kinds of dessert were available—fruit, rice cakes, and even simple snacks!! The owner is the best ✨ For a rice-cake lover, rice cakes first~ I’m eating them right after my meal 🤤🤤

A Korean set meal with table-buckling side dishes

Wow… these side dishes were laid out as if they were going to make the table legs snap. There were so many that I couldn’t even count them all 🤤 Ah, so that’s why the table was huge, haha. The reason immediately made sense 👍🏻

The number of side dishes had my jaw dropping 😍 There were seasoned garlic scapes, bracken fern, braised lotus root, soy-braised quail eggs, stir-fried fish cake, stir-fried zucchini, and more—dishes that everyone can enjoy!!

The star at Masan Ssamjangjip is the ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) ❤️ Seriously, mix it with rice here and it’s a total rice thief,, I could finish a whole bowl of rice with just this. This kind of Korean set meal makes me so happy. I hope nobody misses out on this place. I loved that it felt like a home-cooked meal 💛💛 Korean-food lovers, gather round!!

Several main dishes and doenjang-jjigae

Another amazing thing: there wasn’t just one main side dish! Spicy stir-fried pork, braised kimchi, chive pancake, and tofu kimchi.. 💗 Every time another dish was placed on the table, we kept gasping.

There was also pan-fried acorn jelly and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), which no Korean meal can go without~ It was basically telling us to eat three bowls of rice here ✨

The doenjang-jjigae even had crab in it, and the broth was spicy, deep, savory, and so delicious ㅠㅠ It was loaded with ingredients and tasted wonderfully refreshing!

Tender meat in ₩9,900 braised beef short ribs

The braised beef short ribs came out last. Just look at them 🤤🤤 The meat was so tender that it slipped right off the bone without any effort at all! You can see it in the video too, right?

Once we had removed all the bones, we generously cut the meat into bite-size pieces~ Then picked up a big piece of meat~

Eating it with steamed rice is,, pure love ❤️ The sauce was so good. Happiness for ₩9,900,, 💗 The meat was incredibly tender and soft. The sweet-salty seasoning had soaked deeply into the ribs, so every bite was full of rich flavor. Its gentle sweetness and savory saltiness were so well balanced that I kept reaching for more. I just couldn’t stop using my chopsticks ✨

The kimchi with the tofu kimchi dish came stir-fried, which made it even tastier. The deep flavor of the stir-fried kimchi went so well with the nutty, mild tofu~

We tore the chive pancake right up~~ and dipped it deeply into the braised-rib sauce, haha. It came nicely browned, crispy on the outside and moist inside, so it was delicious.

I couldn’t describe the taste of every single dish, but truly, every side dish was delicious! In particular, nothing was overly seasoned, while each ingredient’s flavor still came through beautifully, so everything was great with rice~ Even though they were all Korean side dishes, the flavors and textures were so varied that as we tried a little of each, we suddenly found ourselves finishing a bowl of rice. Extra rice is a must here! I highly recommend it. It is also perfect for a family gathering 💗😍