Siheung restaurant with extra-large hamburg steak: Jeongssi Hambak

A weekend date at Jeongssi Hambak in Baegot

Over the weekend, I went to Jeongssi Hambak, a popular Baegot restaurant, for a date with Mr. Jupiter. The large Jeongssi Hambak sign right at the entrance made it easy to find. We parked in the commercial building's underground lot!!

Warm lighting and tray-table vibes

Once inside, the restaurant was more spacious than I expected. The warm-toned lighting, muted chairs, and tables caught my eye, and it had the feel of an old-fashioned Western-style Korean restaurant too, haha.

There were several tables farther inside, plus window seats where you could eat while looking outside through the floor-to-ceiling windows. We visited during the day, and the sunlight streaming in made the space feel even brighter and more comfortable.

The tables had a design reminiscent of traditional Korean meal trays rather than typical restaurant tables, which somehow made the atmosphere feel cozy and familiar.

Ordering extra-large hamburg steak and pasta

After sitting down, we took our time looking over the menu. There was more variety than expected, from hamburg steak to pasta and sides, so we debated for a while before ordering the extra-large hamburg steak, shrimp tomato pasta, and chicken tenders! Then we waited for the food to arrive.

One thing that stood out at Jeongssi Hambak was the complimentary tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). Unlike the tteokbokki commonly served at restaurants these days, it had that familiar flavor of the old-school snack bars I used to visit. One bite immediately made me think of my school days, and I was so happy to have it. It comes free and can be refilled once, so it was perfect for picking at while we waited. More than anything, the water bottle caught my attention: it looked like the Del Monte juice bottles that used to be common at home. It was fun how even that little detail kept the retro mood going.

₩5,500 chicken tenders and grapefruit ade

We started with the chicken tenders! Haha. The golden-fried tenders arrived neatly arranged in a crisp coating, with a dipping sauce on the side.

Crisp outside and moist inside, these chicken tenders looked perfect as a side with the mains. I was especially happy with the portion for the price. They cost only ₩5,500, but the serving was much more generous than expected.

We also ordered a grapefruit ade to drink with the food. It came in a huge glass filled to the brim, with enough to share between two people throughout the meal. It was sweet and tart with a slight grapefruit bitterness, making it a great match for dishes that could otherwise feel rich.

Extra-large hamburg steak topped with a soft-cooked egg

Now for the main: the extra-large hamburg steak! A soft-cooked egg sat on top of the big hamburg steak, with plenty of sauce surrounding it, and it looked seriously appetizing from the start.

True to its name, it was a very large serving. Instead of one patty alone, thick hamburg steaks were stacked together, so it looked properly abundant even before eating.

When I cut into the hamburg steak with my fork, the inside was moist and tender. Its clean, savory meat flavor went well with the sweet, rich sauce and was lovely with rice.

Breaking the soft egg yolk and eating it with the hamburg steak and sauce made it even better, adding a smooth, nutty richness. There was plenty of sauce around the steak, so it was good not only for dipping but also for mixing into the rice!

Shrimp tomato pasta generous enough for two

Next was the shrimp tomato pasta. Plump shrimp were scattered throughout the tomato sauce-based pasta, and the noodles were evenly coated in sauce, making it look delicious right away.

Above all, the portion was huge. You normally think of one plate of pasta as one serving, but this felt like at least 1.5 servings, so there was more than enough for two people to share alongside the hamburg steak.

The noodles had absorbed plenty of tomato sauce, giving them a tangy yet rich flavor, while the springy shrimp added a nice texture here and there. Our weekend date at Jeongssi Hambak was satisfying overall because every dish came in such generous portions. From the hamburg steak and pasta to the chicken tenders, it was a great place for two people to order several dishes and leave full! The retro atmosphere made the meal even more enjoyable.

26, 2F, Seoul National University-ro 278beon-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (경기도 시흥시 서울대학로278번길 26 2층)