Hanjeongsik for two near Sejong Government Complex: Bapkkot Hansang

Today I want to introduce a Sejong restaurant I'd honestly like to keep to myself — Bapkkot Hansang, which tastes better than home cooking. It's a great spot to hit before or after a walk around Sejong Lake Park, located on the 3rd floor of Sejong Machi Sangga near the Prime Minister's Office at Sejong Government Complex.

I went with my partner and we had the Bapkkot Special (₩25,000). It's a Korean set-course meal served in two rounds, packed with care — genuinely worth paying for. I'm happy to write this post, but honestly, this is a place I want to keep just for myself. Still, good info deserves to be shared, so here's the inside scoop for anyone looking for a good meal near Sejong Lake Park or Sejong Arboretum.

Where is Bapkkot Hansang, and where do you park?

Bapkkot Hansang is on the 3rd floor of Sejong Machi Sangga. The building sits right next to Sejong Lake Park, so it's convenient for a meal before or after a stroll there, and it's also a cozy spot for family gatherings or small get-togethers.

Park in the Machi Sangga underground parking lot and take the elevator up to the 3rd floor. Note that the boarding and exit sides of the elevator are different, so keep that in mind. (Don't forget to ask staff to register your parking after your meal — the underground lot is supported for up to 3 hours.)

Inside Bapkkot Hansang: interior and reservations

Walking inside Bapkkot Hansang, the space is filled with sunlight and good lighting, and the wooden tables make it feel bright, airy and comfortable.

This Sejong Lake Park restaurant gets a lot of reservation guests — if you book through Naver Reservations, they'll pre-set your table like the photo below. There's also a receipt review event running, so don't forget to join in.

Bapkkot Hansang menu and prices

• Bapkkot Special Set-menu ₩30,000
• Bapkkot Special ₩25,000
• Herbal Boiled Pork Rice Bowl ₩15,000
• Minari Tteokgalbi Rice Bowl (soy sauce) ₩14,000
• Minari Tteokgalbi Rice Bowl (gochujang) ₩14,000
• Octopus Shrimp Rice Bowl ₩15,000
• Seafood Japchae Rice Bowl ₩15,000
• Chadol Japchae Rice Bowl ₩13,000
• Jeyuk Rice Bowl ₩12,000
• Gangdoenjang Rice Bowl ₩11,000
• Herbal Boiled Pork Samhap ₩20,000
• Herbal Boiled Pork ₩15,000
• Stir-fried Octopus Shrimp ₩20,000
• Buchu Jeon ₩10,000
• Cheese Potato Jeon ₩12,000
• Stir-fried Jeyuk ₩12,000

We ordered two Bapkkot Specials at ₩25,000 each. First, they set the table with a paper tablecloth, wet wipes, water cups, small plates and utensils. Even the utensils were individually wrapped, which showed real attention to cleanliness — and even now, writing this post, I still remember the friendly smile of the staff member who served us.

Bapkkot Special first course: dubu kimchi, herbal boiled pork, buchu jeon

After a bit, the first course of the Bapkkot Special arrived. The Bapkkot Special is served in two rounds — the first round has dishes that could stand alone as a la carte items: dubu kimchi (tofu with kimchi), herbal boiled pork, buchu jeon (chive pancake), salad, and konjac japchae.

Buckwheat noodles with perilla-seed dressing

First, buckwheat noodles. Served in a perilla-seed dressing, they're a great appetizer for waking up your appetite.

Herbal boiled pork (hanbang suyuk)

The herbal boiled pork bossam came with a chicory salad — not the usual radish or kimchi you'd expect with bossam, but still a very clean, satisfying way to eat it. The pork had no gamey smell at all, with just the right lean-to-fat ratio, melting in your mouth.

Buchu jeon (chive pancake)

A crispy buchu jeon (chive pancake), served with a dipping sauce. The sauce, with finely chopped water dropwort, was slightly tangy-sweet and really brought out the savory flavor of the pancake.

Dried eggplant muchim (seasoned dried eggplant)

This one I'm not even sure what to call — eggplant muchim, maybe — but it was the first time I'd ever eaten something like this: dried eggplant and dried squash, seasoned and mixed. The seasoning wasn't the usual namul-style sauce, so I got curious about how it was made. It might be a bit of an acquired taste, but since we love eggplant dishes, we really enjoyed it. It's not the kind of dried eggplant muchim most households make at home, and it'd be a great healthy side dish to bring your parents to try.

Dubu kimchi (tofu with stir-fried kimchi)

Here's the dubu kimchi (tofu with kimchi). It wasn't stir-fried kimchi but closer to fresh, unfermented kimchi, which paired with the tofu felt like it would make a fantastic drinking snack too.

We savored each dish of the first course one by one, and before we knew it, the table was cleared. Then the second course arrived.

Bapkkot Special second course: tteokgalbi, gangdoenjang, doenjang soup and six namul

The second course is basically Bapkkot Hansang's signature meal — tteokgalbi (grilled minced beef patties), gangdoenjang (thick soybean paste stew), doenjang soup, and six kinds of namul, all served with rice, for a really filling meal.

Tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty)

The tteokgalbi came on a hot iron plate, sitting on a bed of enoki mushrooms — letting it cook a bit longer on the heat makes it even more delicious. The green garnish on the tteokgalbi is minari (water dropwort), and its fragrant aroma paired beautifully with the soft, mild tteokgalbi.

Gangdoenjang (thick soybean paste stew)

The gangdoenjang was full of tofu and mushrooms, and you could taste the savory depth of anchovy broth underneath. What's unusual is that unlike typical gangdoenjang, it wasn't salty at all — good enough to eat by the spoonful on its own. Every single side dish on the Bapkkot Hansang table deserves praise, but the gangdoenjang is my personal favorite.

Doenjang soup

Alongside the gangdoenjang, a separate doenjang soup is served too. It's a bit thinner than doenjang jjigae (stew), so I'd call it a soup rather than a stew — with a clean, refreshing broth flavor that's totally different from the rich depth of the gangdoenjang. It's loaded with siraegi (dried radish greens) and tofu, made with house-fermented doenjang, so you can even bite into whole soybeans — really hearty and savory.

Six namul side dishes, including bangpungnamul

Bangpungnamul (glehnia root greens), cucumber muchim, chwinamul (aster greens), and kkaennipsun (perilla shoots), among others. My partner kept saying he'd never had namul this delicious before, genuinely amazed. This isn't just a good spot near Sejong Arboretum or Sejong Lake Park — it's a Korean restaurant that holds its own anywhere in Sejong. Personally, I usually don't touch bangpungnamul when it's served elsewhere, but whatever secret method they use to season it here made it next-level. Toss all the namul into the provided bowl, give it a good shake and mix, and you'll be speechless, completely absorbed in your own bibimbap.

Who is Bapkkot Hansang best for?

• Anyone in Sejong looking for a clean, well-put-together rice meal
• Anyone looking for a good Sejong restaurant to bring their parents to
• Anyone looking for a place to eat before or after a walk at Sejong Lake Park
• Anyone looking for a Korean restaurant near Sejong Arboretum or Sejong Government Complex
• Anyone in Sejong looking for a healthy meal

Head over to Bapkkot Hansang near Sejong Lake Park and you'll get a delicious, healthy meal that's absolutely worth the money. It's a Sejong spot I'd love to keep to myself, but I'm sharing it with everyone anyway.

Bapkkot Hansang: address, hours and parking

• Address: 91 Doum8-ro, 3F #303, Sejong (if taking the bus, get off at the Prime Minister's Office and head to the 3rd floor of Sejong Machi Sangga)
• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–21:00 (break 15:00–17:00), Sun 11:00–15:00 (no break)
• Takeout, reservations, groups, delivery available / underground parking supported up to 3 hours