Bongdam, Hwaseong Japanese restaurant: cream udon nabe at Sindong Lab

I was looking for a lunch spot around Hwaseong Bongdam and ended up at Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch.

Lately I'm drawn to places with a bit more unique, trendy menus rather than the usual stuff, and Sindong Lab had everything from gyukatsu to sukiyaki to cream udon nabe, so it was fun just picking what to order.

This time I ordered a few different dishes to share, and I was satisfied — they all looked pretty and each had its own character.

I especially want to recommend this place to anyone looking for a Hwaseong Japanese restaurant, or a spot in Bongdam that also nails the atmosphere.

Jumbo gyukatsu 190g with ricotta cheese salad at Sindong Lab

The first thing we ordered at Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch was the jumbo gyukatsu 190g + ricotta cheese salad! The gyukatsu looked appetizing just from the visual.

The outside was cooked crispy, and the inside could be grilled further to your liking, so you could adjust it to your own taste.

Placing the meat on the heated stone and cooking it bit by bit gave a crispy outside and tender inside — really nice. At jumbo 190g, the portion was generous too, so this is a good order if you want to properly enjoy gyukatsu.

We paired this with the ricotta cheese salad too.

Eating salad between bites of meat cleaned the palate, and the softness of the ricotta cheese added a nice touch — the combination worked well.

What does the sukiyaki set 130g taste like?

Next we ordered the sukiyaki set 130g. It's a dish where you enjoy meat and various ingredients with a warm broth, so it worked well as lunch too.

Cooking the thin meat in the warm broth made it tender, and having rice with the broth felt like a satisfying meal!

Ordering a crispy dish like gyukatsu alongside a warm dish like sukiyaki was great, since we got to enjoy two very different styles of Japanese food at once.

On a chilly day, or when you're craving a warm soup dish, sukiyaki especially seems like the way to go.

Traffic-light cream udon nabe set 200g: what's in it?

And the dish that caught the most attention that day was the traffic-light cream udon nabe set 200g.

The name itself was so unusual that I was curious what it would be like, and it was definitely different from a regular udon.

You get to enjoy udon noodles together with a soft, savory cream base — if you like unusual dishes, this one would be fun to try.

Being nabe-style, it stayed warm to eat, which was nice, and the dish itself had such a unique look that it made for a pretty photo. We paired this one with the ricotta cheese salad as well.

It was a different combination from the salad we had with the gyukatsu, but it went well together too.

What is the atmosphere like inside Sindong Lab?

Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch has a clean, atmospheric interior, not just good food.

It felt a bit different from a typical Japanese restaurant, making it nice for taking photos while you eat, and comfortable for chatting with friends or a partner. So it seems like a good fit for anyone looking for a nice date spot too.

There are familiar dishes like gyukatsu and sukiyaki, but also uniquely named dishes like the traffic-light cream udon nabe, so it should be fun for anyone looking for a place with trendy menu items.

Is Sindong Lab a good lunch spot in Bongdam?

Ordering several dishes at once to share, I felt the variety of menu options was a real strength.

It would be good to visit with friends and each order something different, or come with family and share several dishes. Especially since the atmosphere is relaxed, it could also work as a family dining spot for those with kids. And if you're driving, the large parking lot is a convenient plus.

A relaxed meal near the Yungneung and Geolleung royal tombs

If you're looking for somewhere to eat around Bongdam, this location is also great to combine with a visit to Yungneung and Geolleung, making for a good course to explore the surroundings before or after your meal.

So if you're looking for a good restaurant near Yungneung, it's worth checking out the atmosphere along with the food. You could go on a date, enjoy a nice Japanese meal, and take a walk around the area afterward, or have a family meal and then explore nearby.

This time at Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch, we tried a good variety — jumbo gyukatsu 190g with ricotta cheese salad, sukiyaki set 130g, and the traffic-light cream udon nabe set 200g with ricotta cheese salad.

Crispy and savory gyukatsu, warm and hearty sukiyaki, and the soft, unusual cream udon nabe — each had its own charm, making it great for a group to visit and share different dishes.

It wasn't just the usual Japanese menu items — with fun dishes like the traffic-light cream udon nabe, even choosing what to order felt like a different experience.

Being able to eat in a clean, atmospheric space, this place seems like a great fit for anyone looking for a Hwaseong Japanese restaurant or a lunch spot in Bongdam. If you're looking for a nice-atmosphere restaurant near Yungneung, or planning a date, family meal, or gathering with friends, try out the variety of Japanese dishes at Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch. 🍱