Gimcheon grill house for eel with no fishy taste: Sonamu Sikdang

Sonamu Sikdang Gimcheon Main Branch: location and hours

Sonamu Sikdang Gimcheon Main Branch is at 8-21 Hanji 1-gil, Apo-eup, Gimcheon-si, Gyeongbuk. It's open 11:00-20:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00, last order at 19:55, and closed every Tuesday. Parking is available.

What kind of place is Sonamu Sikdang in Apo, Gimcheon?

Sonamu Sikdang is one of the hidden gems of Apo, Gimcheon, a place only the locals really know!!! There are quite a few hidden good restaurants in Apo, and I visited Sonamu Sikdang Gimcheon Main Branch among them. The reviews looked great too.

For parking, use the public lot right in front of the restaurant. There are lots of spaces, so it's easy. I always use this lot whenever I'm around here.

I came a little after lunch hour and it was still full of customers, and even while we were eating, so many more kept coming in! The place is big with lots of seats, so it seemed like groups come for lunch or dinner too!! Lunchtime is especially busy.

Sonamu Sikdang tips: review drink, side dish refills, Suhyangmi rice

Sonamu Sikdang gives a free drink if you leave a Naver review, so do take part. Side dishes are set out by default, and if you want more, just ask the staff. It's not a self-serve bar, so please don't help yourself~

And the reason the steamed rice here is so good is that they use Suhyangmi rice. I loved the first bite so much that I searched the rice name on the shop's bag, Suhyangmi, and it really is supposed to be great rice!!??? I finally understand the saying that good rice alone is enough >_<

They also sell Shine Muscat grapes near the entrance at a really good price, so I recommend picking some up. They say the owners farm them themselves!!!!

What we ordered: grilled freshwater eel

The main dish we ordered at Sonamu Sikdang that day was grilled freshwater eel (seokgwi-gui, grilled over a wire grill).

How are the side dishes at Sonamu Sikdang?

They told us all the side dishes are handmade, and they taste like it, haha. I could definitely tell my parents liked them. There's a reason so many older customers come here. My favorite was the doraji muchim (seasoned bellflower root).

This is the Suhyangmi rice. The aroma alone is so good that just smelling it makes you want a bite. My mom tried the rice first and said it was so delicious. When I finish the rice at home, I think I might buy some Suhyangmi^_^ hahahahahaha

The chive pancake (buchu-jeon) we got as a side is grilled right when you order, so it was piping hot and delicious, haha. Order it too~~

Does the grilled freshwater eel at Sonamu Sikdang smell fishy?

The grilled freshwater eel at Sonamu Sikdang has almost none of eel's typical smell or fishiness, so I ate it very comfortably. I'm not a huge eel fan, but after trying it my opinion completely changed~

The meat is really plump, you can feel the thickness with every piece, and I cut it with scissors, hahaha. The texture is chewy yet tender, so I think it's easy for older folks to eat too. Even I, who doesn't usually eat eel, enjoyed it, so people put off by eel's smell could probably eat it too.

At first the portion didn't look very big, but each piece of eel was large and full of meat, so it was much more filling than expected. I got fuller and fuller as I ate, hahaha.

A piece of eel on plain white rice is delicious, and on a lettuce wrap it's even better. Especially with ginger on top, it's heavenly.

Order rice and get doenjang-jjigae free

At Sonamu Sikdang, if you order steamed rice, doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) comes free!! Having a stew with your rice makes the meal so much more filling, right? You get grilled eel, rice and stew all together, which makes for a great meal~~~

Finish with the icy plum drink by the entrance

I finished the meal with the plum drink (maeshil, Korean green plum) by the entrance. It had floating bits of ice and was really good. Not too sweet, and I wanted to stock up on a whole bottle, hahaha.

Is Sonamu Sikdang in Apo, Gimcheon worth going back to?

If you want a hearty meal around Apo, Gimcheon, or you're craving grilled eel, give Sonamu Sikdang a try! If you don't usually eat eel especially, you might discover a new taste like I did. It was so good that I'd like to come back next time I'm nearby.

• Value for money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Staff friendliness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Service speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Would revisit: Yes