Sinnonhyeon pork BBQ restaurant with giwatsal and cold noodles: Sansol

Sansol Sinnonhyeon: how to book and where to park

Sansol Sinnonhyeon is a BBQ restaurant on the ground floor at 15 Gangnam-daero 112-gil near Sinnonhyeon Station. I had a dinner appointment today, so I visited Sansol in Sinnonhyeon. Being on the ground floor made it easy to find, and we booked ahead through Catch Table. There's a coupon given when you reserve, so it's worth checking before you go and bringing along any usable coupon.👍

We took public transit, but I checked the parking situation for anyone driving. You can use the mechanical parking at the Designers Hotel directly across from the restaurant — ₩3,000 for compact cars and ₩5,000 for large cars per 2 hours. If you're planning to drive, it'll help to check the parking info ahead of time.👍

The exterior felt a bit different from a typical BBQ place. The sign and framed artwork gave off the vibe of an upscale hanjeongsik (Korean set-meal course) restaurant, and there were wide seats set up out front for waiting after a reservation. Since we'd already booked, we walked straight in without waiting.

Inside Sansol Sinnonhyeon: seating and downdraft ventilation

The first thing that caught my eye right at the entrance of Sansol Sinnonhyeon was the meat storage area. A sign noted that only 1+ grade meat is served, which built up expectations for the meat quality from the moment we walked in. I'd been looking for a good BBQ restaurant near Sinnonhyeon, and this place felt like one that cares a lot about the meat itself from the very first impression.

The interior was quite spacious, more than I expected, and since it was nearly full when we visited, it felt even more like a proven local favorite. Notably, they use a downdraft ventilation system so the smell of grilled meat doesn't linger inside, and staff grill the meat for you, which made for a comfortable meal.

Even though the place was nearly full, the staff still found us a seat right away and guided us there, and I appreciated that thoughtful touch. The seating also had decent room, so it seemed good not just for dates but for gatherings with friends, wedding invitation meet-ups, or family meals.

Best of all was the tableside grilling service. We never had to interrupt the conversation to keep grilling while eating, which made the whole meal flow smoothly. There was also a good variety of cuts — you could get a combo platter to try several parts, or order specialty cuts individually to suit your taste.

What we ordered at Sansol Sinnonhyeon, plus the banchan

We used the kiosk at one side of the table to order one serving of aged flower pork neck (kkotmoksal), one serving of aged giwatsal, one mul-naengmyeon (cold noodle soup), two bowls of rice, and one cola.

The banchan (side dishes) included green onion sauce, mul-kimchi (watery kimchi), baek-kimchi (white kimchi), seasoned vegetables, yeolmu-kimchi (young radish kimchi), yuja-pickled radish, ssamjang (dipping sauce), herring roe, wasabi, salt, and more. They said everything is made in-house, and you could really taste the care in each one — the whole spread paired well with the meat.👍

Kkotmoksal and giwatsal grilled cut by cut by the staff

After a bit, the aged kkotmoksal (flower pork neck) and giwatsal came out along with zucchini and mushrooms. The staff member checked the temperature of the meat as they grilled it, explaining that each cut needs a different grilling method and time, so they grill each one accordingly. Even if it takes a bit longer, grilling to match the condition of the meat actually built more trust.🤭

They grilled the giwatsal first, then the pork neck, and watching it sizzle away was so mouthwatering it was hard to look away. Even while the meat was grilling, thanks to the downdraft ventilation, our clothes barely absorbed any meat smell, so we could eat cleanly. That made me think this place would work well even for a wedding invitation meet-up or an important meal.👍

While the meat was grilling, we tasted the banchan one by one — the seasoning was on point across the board and the ingredients felt fresh, so you could feel the effort behind the home-made dishes. Even though it's a BBQ restaurant, everything down to the side dishes felt clean and upscale, which I liked.👍

Mul-naengmyeon and the order the staff suggest eating in

The mul-naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) we ordered arrived right on time. It felt much more homemade than store-bought naengmyeon, generously loaded with yeolmu (young radish greens) and radish. The noodles had a nice chewiness and the broth was clean, making it a great palate cleanser after the meat. They brought a sauce on the side so we could season it to taste, and a staff member cut the noodles with scissors for us. They took care of things without us even having to ask, which felt like really thoughtful service.👍

The staff even walked us through the order to eat the meat in. They suggested trying the first piece over rice, then the next with the homemade green onion sauce. The green onion sauce wasn't too salty and paired well with the meat, and they also showed us how to eat it with grilled kimchi, so we got to enjoy the meat in several different combinations.

How did the kkotmoksal and giwatsal taste?

The aged kkotmoksal (flower pork neck) had no dryness — the lean meat came with a nice chewy texture that made it delicious. Giwatsal is apparently a specialty cut from the sirloin area; it was my first time trying it, and it was far more tender than I expected. It wasn't too fatty, so it wasn't greasy, and it had a nice nutty flavor.😋

It was impressive that pork could be enjoyed this tender and nutty — from the variety of cuts to the tableside grilling service and the clean banchan, the whole meal was satisfying. If you're looking for good samgyeopsal or BBQ near Sinnonhyeon, a place with this kind of atmosphere seems like a solid option, and I'd love to come back next time I have a dinner appointment in Sinnonhyeon.☺️