Sinsa Station Korean BBQ with cold noodles and omija deodeok: Sansol

Where is Sansol Sinsa Main Branch and how do you get there?

Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is a pork restaurant near Sinsa Station, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 4. I was looking for a good place near Sinsa Station to have dinner with an acquaintance I hadn't seen in a while, and there's a Sansol in my own neighborhood too, so the name caught my eye.

There's valet parking right in front of Sansol Sinsa Main Branch, so driving is easy, and the subway works just as well.

Sansol Sinsa Main Branch atmosphere: a retro countryside grandma's house

Even on a weekday evening, a surprising number of people were there enjoying their meals. I checked, and it's apparently already well known as a pork belly spot around Sinsa Station.

The interior felt like the countryside grandmother's house I visited as a kid. It's a look you don't often see in the city, and that's what stuck with me most. I hear quite a few celebrities visit too, so it seems safe to trust it.

What to order at Sansol Sinsa Main Branch

You order on the tablet at each table. People usually go for a set menu that lets you try several cuts of pork at once, so I ordered the San Assortment (san modeum), which feeds 2–3 people.

Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is known for its banchan (side dishes)

Once you order, the banchan are laid out. Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is known for its pork, but also for its side dishes!! With the banchan holding things up so solidly from below, the main dishes taste even better.

What's in the 56,000 won San Assortment set and how does it taste?

The San Assortment at Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is ₩56,000 and includes aged pork belly, flower neck cut (kkotmoksal) and kkodeulsal (a chewy cut) all in one set. You get several cuts at a reasonable price, and with mushrooms and corn alongside, it's a generous spread. The meat also comes partly pre-grilled.

Staff grill everything for you from start to finish. It was a very busy time with lots of customers, yet they kept moving around and grilling the meat well. Meat cooked by experts tasted even better, I think.

The grilled meat is piled up neatly on the grill so you can eat comfortably, and the portion was bigger than I expected and tasted great. It felt like clean, fresh pork belly, the kind I hadn't had in a while. The lineup of banchan and dipping sauces is good too, so you can enjoy the meat in lots of different ways.

To go with the pork, I went with somaek (soju mixed with beer) that day.

Is the 10,000 won mul naengmyeon at Sansol a must-order?

The mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) at Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is ₩10,000, and personally it's the best side naengmyeon I've had at a BBQ restaurant lately!! Cold noodles and pork belly are such a great pairing that it's hard to go wrong, but other places tend to serve ready-made noodles, while this one was clean and just really good.

It even felt like something ordered from a naengmyeon specialty restaurant, so I'd personally recommend ordering it at least once.

What does the 12,000 won deodeok with omija sauce taste like?

The mountain deodeok (grilled bellflower root) at Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is ₩12,000 and flavored with a special omija (five-flavor berry) sauce. I ordered it as an extra side because the naengmyeon was so good. I usually like deodeok anyway, but seeing that it was made with omija sauce made me even more curious.

The portion was generous enough for two to share, and it had a spicier kick than I expected, which made it a nice accompaniment.

Is Sansol Sinsa Main Branch worth a return visit?

It was a day I found a proper good restaurant on a rare visit to Sinsa Station. I'd say eat at Sansol Sinsa Main Branch if you can, since I enjoyed it so much, but Sansol runs branches in other areas too, so you could also visit a different location. If you're looking for a proper good restaurant near Sinsa Station, I recommend Sansol Sinsa Main Branch!!

★★★★★