Sangju pork stew restaurant for a family of five: Soine Sikdang

A Sangju pork belly spot that nails both value and atmosphere: Soine Sikdang.

We're a couple who's always chasing good restaurants. For the last meal of this Chuseok holiday, we took my parents out for some good meat. My parents, who live in Sangju, already knew this place as a great pork stew spot and a comfortable place to eat. The restaurant we visited is called Soine Sikdang, located in Sangju, Gyeongbuk!

Where is Soine Sikdang, and is there parking?

Soine Sikdang is located at 386 Ungsan-ro, Modong-myeon, Sangju-si, Gyeongbuk, and is open 11:00–21:00. Sangju local currency is accepted here too. On the way to the restaurant, Sangpan Reservoir spreads out right alongside the road, so it felt like a proper drive!

Driving in along the reservoir view made it feel like a weekend trip, and my parents really loved it.

There's a spacious lot in front of the restaurant that fits around 15-20 cars. It was really satisfying to know parking wouldn't be an issue even during holidays or weekends when multiple family cars show up at once.

By the way, the owner recommended this during our meal — there's also a sheep ranch called Modong Ranch nearby, which seemed like a great course to pair with the meal if you're visiting with kids!

Inside Soine Sikdang: mostly four-seat tables under a high ceiling

Soine Sikdang had several 4-seat tables spaced out generously. With wide gaps between tables and plenty of seating, the place never felt cramped even with quite a lot of customers around.

It felt like grilling barbecue at a pension getaway! The high ceilings kept it feeling open and comfortable.

The banchan bar: self-serve refills and popcorn after the meal

One nice thing about this Sangju pork belly spot: all the basic side dishes could be refilled easily at a self-serve bar. There was even popcorn to enjoy after the meal.

Once we sat down and ordered, a neat, hearty spread of banchan (side dishes) was set on the table! You could tell every single dish had been carefully prepared, exactly what you'd expect from a spot Sangju locals love.

There was a generous serving of seasoned bracken fern to grill with the pork belly on the pan, plus soybean sprouts good for grilling until golden, along with fresh kimchi and green onion kimchi — the setup was complete! The lettuce and perilla leaves for wraps were fresh and cleanly plated too, ready to bring out the flavor of the meat even more.

There was also pickled onion, great to pair with the meat, and minced chili pickle that was an absolute rice thief mixed into rice — sharp and clean, my mom especially loved it.

Scored pork belly, 130g for 9,900 won: how much five people ordered

Finally, the pork belly we'd been waiting for showed up! At 130g for ₩9,900, this scored pork belly was reasonably priced. There were five of us, so we split the order into 3 servings and 2 servings. Even the mushrooms had 'Soine Sikdang' cutely stamped on them, catching the eye right away.

The thick, deep-red pork belly had even scoring cuts throughout, which let it cook golden and tender on the grill.

They grilled the thick pork belly together with mushrooms, bracken fern, kimchi, and bean sprouts on the pan. The combination of bracken fern and kimchi turning golden in the rendered pork fat was pure art! Thanks to the scoring, the outside got crispy while the inside stayed juicy, bursting with savoriness with every bite.

The soy-based dipping sauce and pickled chilies

And personally, what I loved the most was the umami-packed soy-based dipping sauce, perfect for the pork belly!

Dipping the meat in the soy sauce elevated its flavor so much I kept going back for more without ever getting tired of it. Add in the salted shrimp sauce on the grill or my mom's favorite chili pickle, and the combination was amazing.

Placing a well-cooked piece of pork belly on fresh lettuce and fragrant perilla leaf, then piling on golden-grilled bracken fern, my mom's favorite spicy chili pickle, garlic, and ssamjang (dipping paste) for one big wrap — it was the perfect combo bursting with savoriness and freshness in every bite!

The pork stew and jjageuri our parents recommended

Honestly, it would be a shame to introduce this place only as a Sangju pork belly restaurant — it's genuinely a great Sangju pork stew spot too!

This was the dish my parents strongly recommended as a great meal, so we made sure to order it. It came out simmered in a galvanized pot, packed with tofu, generous chunks of pork, and vegetables in a rich, not-too-watery broth.

The spicy, tangy, deep broth and the generously chunked pork were exceptional! haha

It made sense why my parents knew this as a stew spot. It was the kind of rice thief that makes you polish off a whole bowl of rice!

Final verdict: is Soine Sikdang worth it for a Sangju family meal?

From the gorgeous reservoir-view drive to the pork stew even the local parents approved of, plus thick pork belly — Soine Sikdang nailed it all! The neat banchan, the special soy sauce and chili pickle combo were fantastic, and with Modong Ranch nearby recommended by the owner, it's a great spot for a Sangju family outing course!

If you're looking for a good meal with parents or kids in Sangju, I highly recommend Soine Sikdang!