Gyeongju pot rice restaurant for flame-grilled eel to share: Handa Sot

I went to Gyeongju wanting a proper meal, so I found Handa Sot Gyeongju ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა If you've been looking for a place to eat near Hwangnidan-gil, you've probably heard of this one — they have all kinds of solbap (hot stone pot rice), so it's great for going with someone whose taste doesn't quite match yours!

What we ordered at Handa Sot Gyeongju

That day we ordered the grilled eel solbap and the premium short rib solbap ദ്ദി◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ Both looked so delicious from the start haha. There was also a review event, but I was too full to bother that day~!

Eight side dishes with one pot rice order

One thing I loved about Handa Sot was that ordering just one solbap got us about eight side dishes!! With that many kinds of side dishes, it was great to pair different things with the rice.

I especially liked the stir-fried oyster mushrooms, the pickled garlic scapes, and the stir-fried anchovies ദ്ദി◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ If you're someone who likes these kinds of banchan (side dishes), you'll probably be pretty satisfied. The seaweed soup was solid but unremarkable. With so many side dishes it was fun to pick at one after another while eating, and at the end you get to finish with sungnyung (roasted rice water), the highlight of any solbap meal, which was nice haha.

Flame-grilled eel pot rice: any fishy smell?

Once the rice is layered in the pot and the toppings are piled on generously, you can't help but take a bunch of photos the moment it arrives ૮꒰ྀི∩˃ ᵕ ˂∩꒱ྀིა Between the two, the grilled eel solbap was totally my style. The eel pieces were bigger than I expected, so it looked really hearty, and I think anyone who loves eel would be genuinely satisfied!!

Most importantly, I really hate any fishy smell when eating eel, and here the eel had almost no fishy taste at all, which I loved ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅜㅜㅜ!!! The seasoning wasn't overly intense either — more of a flavor that let the eel and rice shine together, so I kept going back for more.

Since the eel pieces were so big, just eating one piece alone felt pretty filling haha. Eat it together with the rice and you'll definitely feel satisfied ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

Why the short rib pot rice is easy for two to share

The premium short rib solbap also had generously piled meat, so it looked really good too~ If you're into meat, this one's worth ordering, and I thought if two people go together, ordering one eel and one short rib to share would be a good move haha.

Sticking to just one menu item might leave you wanting more, but ordering two to share like this let us enjoy two different flavors, which I really liked ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა♡

The sauces, and one thing that fell short

Wasabi only comes with the short rib — it'd be nice if they gave it with the eel too~~

They give separate sauces for the eel and the rib, and these sauces are seriously well made!!! It's a flavor you'll recognize, sweet and addictive 🫰

Finishing the solbap and then drinking the sungnyung really made me feel like I'd had a proper meal ૮꒰˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა If you're touring Gyeongju and eating your way through Hwangnidan-gil but want one meal that's hearty and clean, this place would suit you well.

Good for a date, good with parents too

Personally, I felt this place works well as a date spot but is also great when visiting Gyeongju as a family!! The menu overall isn't the kind of style that splits opinion much, so I think older folks would like it too. Especially with all the side dishes plus the solbap, it seemed like a good option for a meal with your parents in Gyeongju ദ്ദി(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

If you want a warm, hearty meal instead of something too spicy or intense on Hwangnidan-gil, Handa Sot Gyeongju is worth a stop 🤍 If I go again, I'd pick the grilled eel solbap without a second thought haha. Even if you're usually a bit worried about eel's fishy smell, it's worth trying here, and the eel being so big made it fun to eat too.

If you're looking for a date-night restaurant in Gyeongju, a family-friendly spot on Hwangnidan-gil, or you just love solbap, keep this one in mind ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა♡ I left that day pretty satisfied ദ്ദി◍•ᴗ•◍)♡