Sangju pork belly restaurant on a Modong-myeon drive: Soine Sikdang

'Sangju samgyeopsal restaurant recommendation, local favorite in Sangju, places to visit in Sangju, Sangju date course recommendation'

• 📍Address: 386 Ungsan-ro, Modong-myeon, Sangju-si, Gyeongbuk, Soine Sikdang
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• Parking, reservations, and group use available

I went to Mungyeong today to see a close friend and ended up taking a side trip to nearby Sangju! While searching for things to do in Sangju, I found a samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) restaurant close to Modong Ranch too, so I hurried over!! Driving out, breathing some fresh air, taking a walk, and then eating good meat — that's a proper Sangju trip. Highly, highly recommend Soine Sikdang, the Sangju samgyeopsal spot ❣️

How to reach Soine Sikdang in Modong-myeon, and where to park

Soine Sikdang is on Ungsan-ro in Modong-myeon, Sangju, so you do need a car to get there, but that made it a nice drive. It's out in Modong-myeon, so you have to drive, but honestly the drive itself was part of the fun.

Finally arrived at the destination! I won't say you can get here without a car (??). But that's exactly why it worked as a drive — good air and plenty of parking made it easy!!

The parking area is spacious, so there's no need to worry about that!

Soine Sikdang menu and what's on the self-serve bar

Soine Sikdang's signature menu items are pork belly, pork neck, and pork jowl, and there's also a combo platter so you can try them all at once.

Once you finish the basic banchan (side dishes), you can grab more from the self-serve bar — the vegetables were fresh, the spread was well put together, and above all it was clean, which I loved!!

How good is the thick-cut pork belly at Soine Sikdang?

Soine Sikdang's pork belly is thick and good quality, so even after grilling it stayed juicy instead of drying out! For samgyeopsal, I'd rather go to a place that nails the basic meat than one that piles on extras, and this place was exactly that vibe haha.

The banchan served alongside went well with the meat, and wrapping up piece after piece, I finished it faster than I expected. It wasn't overly strong or flashy in flavor, just an easy, comfortable meal.

Grilling it myself, the outside got nicely browned while the inside stayed moist — it was way better than I expected. It wasn't just greasy pork belly; the savory flavor really came through, so I kept reaching for more!!

The meat was especially thick, so it had a satisfying chew, and it was good both wrapped in lettuce and dipped lightly in salt on its own. Personally, for a samgyeopsal place to make me come back, the basic meat has to be good rather than a bunch of flashy menu items — and Soine Sikdang felt like a place that really nailed that basic.

Grilled kimchi, bracken, hangjeongsal and steamed egg

At Soine Sikdang, grilling kimchi and gosari (bracken fern) alongside the meat was a real treat. The meat quality was already good, but grilling it together with the kimchi and gosari made it something special.

The crunchy hangjeongsal (pork jowl) was delicious too!

Fresh wrap vegetables! The vegetables being fresh really added to the meal, I think.

And the soft steamed egg we ordered on top of it all! It looked so good 🥹

Atmosphere at Soine Sikdang and the verdict

Soine Sikdang had a comfortable atmosphere for family meals or casual gatherings with friends. The place itself wasn't hectic or over the top, and the staff were friendly, so I had a comfortable meal without any hiccups!!

Above all, the meat quality was good and tasty, and the side dishes were tidy and clean too! There are so many samgyeopsal places these days that it's hard to decide where to go, but this feels like the place I'll think of when I want a clean, solid samgyeopsal meal in Sangju!!

Rather than feeling like an overly decorated hotspot, it had that comfortable, neighborhood-restaurant feel where you go in, eat good meat, and head out. If you're looking for a samgyeopsal restaurant in Sangju, I think Soine Sikdang is worth a try. I'm planning to stop by again next time I'm in the area :)