Cheongju omakase restaurant for two with abalone sashimi: Sinbakkase

I was looking for a Japanese restaurant with a nice atmosphere in Bokdae-dong, Cheongju, and ended up at Sinbakkase (신박카세). The space is roomy and comfortable, and we really enjoyed the vibe. It's a place where you get seasonal seafood and a variety of dishes as a course, so I was looking forward to it for a day when I wanted something a little different from the usual.

Sinbakkase location and parking

It's at 100 Jinjae-ro, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 2nd floor, Unit 202. Hours are 17:00–23:00, and until 24:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Closed on Sundays. You can park freely along the main road of the Gwell City food alley, and the parking lot behind the building is available too.

It's a good place for anyone in Bokdae-dong looking for Japanese food or omakase.

Outside Sinbakkase, on the 2nd floor

Arrived at Sinbakkase, the Japanese spot in Bokdae-dong. It's on the 2nd floor.

Sinbakkase is a fusion omakase, and they say every dish is cooked the moment you order and served warm.

Delicious grilled tiger prawns (daeha-gui) are on offer too.

I liked that the various menu items are written up on the 1st floor as well.

Head up the stairs and there it is.

Inside: a bar counter and partitions

The inside of Sinbakkase was really clean and comfortable, maybe because it's newly opened. It's a space with a calm, tidy feel to it.

In particular there's a bar counter, so it's nice for watching the chef prepare the dishes up close, and it's a relaxed atmosphere for eating with company too.

It felt like a good fit for a date on a special day or a small group get-together.

A long partition runs down the middle of the restaurant, so the layout works for a comfortable meal or drinks.

Omakase course at ₩29,900 per person

Sinbakkase serves an omakase course built on seasonal seafood and ingredients. The signature listed is the omakase at ₩29,900 per person, and the appeal is getting to enjoy a variety of dishes as a course. There are also plenty of add-on menu items. We ordered the Sinbakkase for 2. Instead of eating just one dish, you get to taste several one after another, so there was a sense of anticipation all through the meal.

Seafood dishes, one after another

This is the katsuo goma salad (bonito and sesame salad). Really striking to look at, isn't it.

This is the abalone-innards (geu) soup. It was warm and really tasty.

This is the monkfish jiri soup (agu jiri-tang, a clear monkfish soup). Such a generous portion, which I loved.

Wow, abalone sashimi came out too. As you can see it comes perfectly cleaned, so it's easy to eat, and that crunchy chew was superb.

Steamed clams and shrimp. They even bring you plastic gloves, and that thoughtfulness won me over. The shrimp were really big, which made them great to eat. And not a grain of sand in the clams, so they were honestly heavenly.

This is the grilled chicken neck with green onion (dak-moksal daepa-gui). Eaten together with the green onion it was really delicious.

While we were eating the other dishes, the monkfish jiri finished cooking. Clean and refreshing, so my spoon kept going back for more.

Flounder and salmon sashimi. The presentation is truly amazing, right. It was really fresh fish. We almost ordered more.

Sushi comes with it too. It's tasty wrapped in the flounder sashimi, and tasty on its own as well.

To finish, a hongcho ade (fruit-vinegar soda). Clean right down to the digestion.

A meal of many dishes, enjoyed slowly

Since the course runs from start to finish, there was the fun of wondering what dish would come next every time something arrived. The dishes made with seasonal ingredients were nice to eat while noticing each one's flavor and texture, and it was also great for a slow meal chatting about the food with the people I came with.

What impressed me most about Sinbakkase was being able to experience a variety of dishes in an atmosphere different from the usual Japanese meal. I thought it was a good place to visit on a day when you want to take your time over a meal in a clean space.

If you're looking for a Japanese restaurant, an omakase spot, or somewhere for a special meal in Bokdae-dong, Cheongju, Sinbakkase gets a thumbs-up.