Seodaemun Korean restaurant: mild spicy butadon at Sunhui Dining

How long was the Tuesday lunch wait?

When I visited with my mother at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, we waited about 15 minutes. After 1:30 p.m., students started to clear out and the dining room became much more relaxed. It is close to Sinchon Station and the Ewha Womans University campus, so there seemed to be lots of university students.

What were the menu and prices like?

There were only three menu options, so choosing was not complicated. Regular dishes were ₩9,500, while the spicy dish was ₩10,000.

Did the side dishes go well with the rice bowls?

The baekgimchi (mild white kimchi) served as a side was crisp and not too sour, so it was nice alongside the meat. The cabbage was crunchy with sesame dressing or yuzu dressing, adding tanginess and nuttiness. Sitting where the air-conditioning hit, the warm doenjang-guk (soybean paste soup) felt especially comforting too.

How spicy was the spicy butadon?

I had the spicy butadon (pork rice bowl) with the egg yolk in the middle. Rather than being intensely spicy from gochujang, it was just lightly spicy, and even my mother, who is not good with spicy food, ate it without any burden.

What were the galbi rice and 36-hour-aged butadon like?

The galbi rice was a good combination with the minced meat, kimchi, and onion. The round little pieces of meat did sometimes slip off my spoon, haha, but the meat felt lean and clean-tasting.

The 36-hour-aged butadon was the non-spicy version. I did not notice any unpleasant smell from the meat, and it had a chewy texture with seasoning absorbed evenly throughout. I could taste a hint of sweetness from the garlic chips too.