Yeonsan Rotary Korean restaurant: squid bibimbap and pork cutlet

Sinseon Myeonga 26 Jungang-daero 1150beon-gil, Yeonje-gu, Busan, South Korea 09:30–22:30

Hi, this is Malgeum 🙂 Today I finally made it back to one of Busan's central spots, near Yeonsan Rotary. I'd always just driven past this place, but I'd been eyeing it for a while — I heard you could have a really solid, satisfying meal here, so I finally went to check it out.

Sinseon Myeonga: walking distance from Yeonsan Rotary, with parking

Sinseon Myeonga sits not far from Yeonsan Rotary, so it's really easy to find. Best of all, it has actual parking, which is hard to come by in the middle of the city — such a relief if you're driving. You know how it is: if parking is a hassle, it quietly discourages you from going somewhere even if the food is great.

Here, there was zero parking stress right from the start, so I could head in with a good mood already. When I got inside, even though it was a little past regular dinner time, the place was pretty packed with customers.

Plenty of people were gathered in small groups enjoying hearty meals together, and quite a few were also having a casual drink with tasty side dishes, unwinding after a long day.

The whole interior had this comfortable yet lively vibe — the kind of warm, welcoming place that people of any age would feel at ease in. Once I sat down and looked over the menu calmly, I found it packed with all kinds of dishes that immediately grabbed my appetite.

What's on the Sinseon Myeonga menu: noodles, rice, pork and Western-style plates

From noodle dishes to hearty rice-and-meat combos to Western-style dishes that people of all ages love, the range was wide enough that I had a happy time struggling to decide what to order.

After a good bit of deliberation, we ended up ordering the restaurant's signature kalguksu with a bossam tasting set, the spicy-sweet octopus bibimbap with another bossam tasting set, and the pork cutlet, known for its crispiness.

Before long, the dishes started arriving one by one and filling up the table — it really was a spread so full the table practically groaned under the weight of it.

With all that colorful food and its delicious smell hitting me at once, I had the happy problem of not knowing which dish to pick up my chopsticks for first, haha.

Squid bibimbap with a fried egg and sweet-spicy sauce

First up, the octopus bibimbap I'd been most looking forward to came loaded with plenty of fresh vegetables, topped with a savory fried egg. Mixed together with the just-right sweet-and-spicy house sauce, the aroma alone was enough to stir up my appetite.

The old-school Western-style pork cutlet

The pork cutlet came out thick and generously fried, capturing all the charm of old-school Korean Western-style cutlets. Underneath the crispy coating, the meat was tender and moist — truly excellent.

It came with a generous side of fresh tomato and salad, which was perfect for refreshing my palate between bites. What surprised me most, though, was the 'tasting' bossam — despite being called a taste, once I lifted the round lid, the portion was honestly quite generous.

Only the name is 'tasting': how much suyuk you get

The bossam (boiled pork) was tender and well-cooked, with no gamey smell at all, and came alongside mild tofu, making it fun to mix and match bites.

I wrapped a piece of the well-cooked bossam in vegetables for a hearty bite, then took a big spoonful of the well-mixed spicy bibimbap.

Then I slurped up a bite of the kalguksu, its hot, rich broth so appealing, and added the crispy savoriness of the pork cutlet — all the flavors came together beautifully in my mouth, and my spoon just kept moving nonstop.

Free sikhye and yakgwa for dessert

After working through all the dishes and clearing everything happily, just as I was about to pat my full belly and head out — I found one last delightful touch. Over at the counter, they were handing out sweet, cool sikhye (rice punch) and traditional yakgwa (honey cookies) for free.

Finishing off with a cool glass of sikhye and a sweet yakgwa really made me feel taken care of, and it rounded off the meal perfectly.

If you're looking for a hearty meal near Yeonsan-dong with easy parking, I hope you'll stop by and experience the generous portions and great flavors for yourself!