Nowon hanjeongsik 2-person set with mushroom hot pot: Sutgarak Bansang

Today I want to introduce a hanjeongsik (Korean set-table meal) restaurant in Nowon that's great for eating with family!

Celebrity signatures lining the entrance

Even before stepping inside, the thing that struck me most was the row of signatures displayed at the entrance. Former President Moon Jae-in, director Park Chan-wook, and many other well-known figures have apparently visited.

After eating, I felt like I understood a bit why so many celebrities have come here. Hanjeongsik can sometimes be heavily seasoned or overly strong-flavored, but Sutgarak Bansang Masil was overall light and clean on seasoning. What I loved most was how strongly each dish kept the natural flavor of its ingredients!

We had made a reservation, so they had everything set up for us like this in advance.

What's in the Masil 2-person set

We ordered the Masil 2-person set.

• Yulmu cherry blossom porridge
• Salad
• Conch namul salad
• Mugwort-lotus pancake
• Spring forsythia fritter
• Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry)
• Bossam (boiled pork wraps)
• Mushroom hot pot
• Tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties)
• Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew)
• Cherry blossom stone-pot rice
• Assorted namul (seasoned vegetables) ....

🔼Bossam

Conch namul salad — the dish that woke up my appetite

🔼 Conch namul salad This was personally one of my favorite dishes! It was tangy and appetite-sharpening, and eating the lotus root, cucumber and conch together in one bite made each texture and flavor feel much richer. The crunch of the lotus root, the freshness of the cucumber, and the chewy conch went really well with the sauce. It did a great job of cleansing the palate.

🔼Salad

Mugwort-lotus pancake

🔼Mugwort-lotus pancake A pancake fried crisp with fragrant crown daisy (ssukgat) and ocean-flavored clams, topped with lotus root.

Spring forsythia fritter — the episode where I thought it was cornel dogwood flower

🔼Spring forsythia fritter A spring fritter of shrimp, shepherd's purse, and asparagus with sweet-and-tangy red chili sauce, topped with forsythia flowers. There's a funny story with this dish. When we first saw it, we said to each other, "This looks like it's meant to represent cornel dogwood flowers!" But when I looked it up to write this post, it turned out they weren't cornel dogwood flowers at all — they were forsythia haha. The pretty yellow flower shape was fun to look at, and it was fried crisp so the texture was great too. Pretty, delicious, and it even came with its own little episode attached.

Mushroom hot pot — the flavor I remember most

🔼Mushroom hot pot with braised ribs The mushroom hot pot was another dish I really loved 👍🏻 The seasoning wasn't strong, so with each spoonful of broth what came through first wasn't saltiness or sauce but the mushrooms' subtle aroma and depth. The mushroom fragrance was naturally infused into the broth, so the warmer you ate it, the more comforting it felt. Even after eating so many dishes already, it went down easily, leaving me feeling both settled and warmly full — personally, I think it's the dish I remember most.

Tteokgalbi

🔼Tteokgalbi Tteokgalbi is the kind of Korean dish practically anyone could enjoy. The plate it came on kept it warm, which was nice for eating alongside the other side dishes. The seasoning wasn't overpowering, so I could comfortably enjoy the clean flavor of the meat itself!

Cherry blossom rice (cherry blossom stone-pot rice)

🔼Cherry blossom rice Apparently this cauldron rice uses hongguk-mi, red yeast rice fermented with monascus mold, which is good for your health and also looks beautiful. Piling on a little of each side dish and namul made it fun to compare flavors, and it was the perfect hearty way to finish the meal.

Waiting room and reservation tips

🔽 Waiting room

I went on a weekday late lunch and it wasn't crowded, but it seems like weekends and holidays get busy. Since there's such a large waiting room here, if you're planning a visit, I'd recommend booking ahead!

Who this place suits

I have pretty old-fashioned tastes, so I ate really, really well and left completely full. If you're in Nowon looking for a place to eat with your parents, or searching for a spot for a meeting-the-in-laws dinner or family gathering in Nowon, I'd recommend Sutgarak Bansang Masil! It's a place for something a bit more special and formal than an everyday meal — where you can enjoy a variety of good-quality dishes comfortably, without feeling overwhelmed.