Gangnam Station Chinese restaurant for solo soju: Sinbok Myeongwan

I only go to good restaurants! Today I visited a Chinese restaurant near Gangnam Station that's comfortable for everything from solo meals to solo drinking to small gatherings. It's a great spot when you want proper Chinese food like dim sum or fried eggplant near Gangnam Station. This is Sinbok Myeongwan (신복면관), a restaurant and bar near Gangnam Station :) Here's my review after a delicious meal!

Where is Sinbok Myeongwan, and what are its hours and parking?

Sinbok Myeongwan is located at B126, B1F Central Prugio City, 6 Teheran-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 11:00 to 22:20 with no break time.

• Address: B126, B1F Central Prugio City, 6 Teheran-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00 – 22:20
• Break time: None
• Parking: Available in the building / 1 hour free
• Directions: About a 2-minute walk from Exit 1 of Gangnam Station
• Menu: Beef knife-cut noodles, lamb knife-cut noodles, dim sum, fried rice, fried eggplant, sweet and sour pork, yuxiang chicken, and more
• What I ordered: Xiaolongbao dumplings ₩9,800, fried eggplant ₩14,000, soju ₩5,000

It's close to Exit 1 of Gangnam Station so it wasn't hard to find. Once inside the building, it leads straight down to the basement level where Sinbok Myeongwan is located.

Inside Sinbok Myeongwan: solo seats, tables and private rooms

Walking into Sinbok Myeongwan, the space was bigger and cleaner than I expected. It has that distinct Chinese restaurant feel while still being neatly organized overall, so it didn't feel awkward to eat alone.

There are especially good solo seats and bar-style seating, which made me think it would work well as a lunch spot for office workers near Gangnam Station.

There are also tables for 2 to 4 people and private rooms, so it seemed like a good space for gatherings too — good for everything from solo meals to small get-togethers depending on the occasion.

What's on the menu at Sinbok Myeongwan?

Looking through the menu, the variety was pretty impressive — noodles, fried rice, rice bowls, dim sum, and various Chinese dishes. The signature items include beef knife-cut noodles and lamb knife-cut noodles, fried rice, and yuxiang eggplant rice bowl, and the dim sum lineup includes xiaolongbao, shumai, and crystal dumplings. There are also dishes like sweet and sour pork, yuxiang chicken, cream shrimp, and fried eggplant, so if you come with a group, it'd be great to order several dishes and share.

Even though it's a restaurant in Gangnam Station, the prices were reasonable, so even drinking solo, I ordered two menu items.

Zhacai pickles and roasted peanuts: starting solo soju at the window seat

As soon as I sat down, the complimentary side dishes came out first. At Sinbok Myeongwan, the complimentary sides were nicely roasted peanuts and pickled radish (jjajangmyeon-style pickle). At Chinese restaurants I always reach for the pickled radish first, and Sinbok Myeongwan's version wasn't too salty and had a subtle savory depth that kept me coming back for more. Paired with the fragrant roasted peanuts, my appetite was fully up before the main dishes even arrived.

For my solo meal, the window seat for one was open so I took it — I got a little excited thinking about drinking alone there! With the complimentary side dishes ready, I went ahead and ordered soju :)

Fried eggplant, 14,000 won: crisp outside, moist inside

The tastiest thing I had that day — the fried eggplant! Honestly, if you're not a big eggplant fan, it's not usually a dish you seek out. But Sinbok Myeongwan's fried eggplant was so good it surprised me.

The eggplant is fried in big chunks with a crispy batter coating — crunchy on the outside and still moist and tender on the inside.

What I especially liked was that instead of the usual mushy texture eggplant can have, you get the combination of crispy batter and softly melting eggplant. On top of that, the sauce coats it moistly, adding a sweet-savory umami flavor,

and it genuinely felt like the fried eggplant of a lifetime — my chopsticks kept going back for more, and honestly, of everything I ate that day, the fried eggplant left the strongest impression.

Beer or soju are both great with it, but I feel like a glass of Chinese liquor would pair really well as a drinking snack too.

Xiaolongbao, 9,800 won: one bite bursting with broth

I ordered dim sum too that day — and dim sum has to be eaten piping hot to be at its best, right!

The wrapper wasn't too thick and the filling inside was moist, so the texture on the first bite was great.

Xiaolongbao in particular has hot broth inside, so you have to eat it carefully, right? Popping the hot broth and taking it in — genuinely the soup dumpling of a lifetime! If you love dim sum, this is a must-order!!

Once the dumplings cooled down, I tried popping the whole thing into my mouth without breaking it first — the wrapper was chewy and the inside was moist, and eating one after another alongside the other dishes was seriously delicious!!

How to order at Sinbok Myeongwan alone, for drinks or with a group

Sinbok Myeongwan, a Chinese restaurant near Gangnam Station, has such a wide menu that it works well whether you visit alone or with a group. For a solo meal, a hearty single-bowl dish like beef knife-cut noodles or fried rice is a good choice, and for solo drinking, ordering one dish like dim sum or fried eggplant to go with a drink makes it a solid bar option near Gangnam Station too. If you're visiting with others, ordering one noodle dish plus several dishes like dim sum and fried eggplant to share sounds perfect.

With its close location to Gangnam Station and everything from solo seating to group tables, I'd recommend Sinbok Myeongwan whether you want a meal and a drink near Gangnam Station, are looking for a solo dining spot near Gangnam Station, or want to try a variety of Chinese dishes like dim sum and fried eggplant :)