Nowon Korean restaurant where the spring set arrives fast: Sutgarak

I went to Sutgarak Bansang Masil (숟가락반상 마실), a great Nowon spot for family gatherings, and had their neat, tidy Masil set course. It's also perfect for an in-law meeting (sanggyeonrye)! Here's my review.

Where is Sutgarak Bansang Masil? Hours and parking

Sutgarak Bansang Masil is at 412 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul. According to Naver, hours are Mon–Fri 11:30–21:30 (break time 15:00–17:00, last order 20:30) and Sat–Sun 11:30–21:30 (last order 20:30).

• Reservations available
• High chairs available
• Separate men's/women's restrooms
• Parking available
• High fuel price relief fund accepted

Sutgarak Bansang Masil exterior and how to get there

This Nowon family-gathering favorite has a parking lot in front and is within a 10-minute walk of Nowon Station, so it's easy to reach. The Masil entrance is off to one side, so just head in!! Let's go!

The hours I wrote above are from Naver, and they're slightly different from the hours posted inside the restaurant, so I'd double-check before you go! Prices and the menu are displayed at the entrance, so it's easy to decide ahead of time. Sutgarak Bansang Masil changes its table setting by season, and this one was full of spring fragrance. That made me even more excited ><

Is Sutgarak Bansang Masil good for an in-law meeting?

The inside has the wood-tone interior I love: calm, clean, and quite spacious, so it never felt stuffy. The tables are spaced widely too, so it looked fine for family gatherings and in-law meetings alike.

Sutgarak Bansang Masil menu and set prices

The menu is built around a variety of set meals (jeongsik). Prices run from ₩22,000 to ₩42,000 per person.

• Special set (스페셜정식) ₩42,000 per person
• Gwihan set (귀한정식) ₩37,000 per person
• Chamjoeun set (참조은정식) ₩32,000 per person
• Masil set (마실정식) ₩27,000 per person
• Basic set (기본정식) ₩22,000 per person

There's also a lunch box menu and a lunch menu, so there's a lot to choose from, which I liked. We ordered the Masil set for two. The back of the menu lists the country of origin for ingredients, so you can eat with more confidence.

How is the spring Masil set served?

Barley and cherry blossom porridge

The Masil set starts light with barley cherry blossom porridge!! Maybe because it's made with barley, it was nutty and mild, a gentle start for the stomach.

The full Masil set table, served right after ordering

After the porridge, the rest of the Masil set dishes arrive all at once on the table. The thing bloggers love most!! Food that comes out all at once is the best, right? Hehe. It makes for great photos and lets you taste lots of things together, and since it came out soon after we ordered, I loved it. Some places make you wait forever even for a course, so I really liked the quick service.

Wild chive japchae (glass noodles) with butterfly garnish

The dallae butterfly japchae (glass noodle stir-fry with wild chives) was seasoned just right and had a surprising amount of meat in it. It wasn't salty even on its own, and it was delicious.

Orange butterfly salad and cold vinegared conch salad

The orange butterfly salad and the conch chohoe naengchae (chilled vinegared conch salad) are the fresh, zesty part of the Masil set!! The salad has orange in it, so it was really refreshing and sweet, great for whetting the appetite, and the conch wasn't fishy at all, fresh and went so well with the chives.

Herbal bossam (boiled pork)

The yaksun bossam (boiled pork wraps) looks so gorgeeeous. I had high hopes from the look of it, and it was as good as I'd hoped. The pork was tender and soft, so it was easy to eat.

Forsythia-style fritters, crown daisy lotus pancake and perilla seaweed soup

The forsythia tempura was crispy with a sweet chili sauce, and the crown daisy lotus jeon (savory pancake) has lotus root in it, so the texture really comes through. The perilla seed seaweed soup was nutty and delicious thanks to the perilla.

Braised short ribs with mushrooms and Masil tteokgalbi (beef patties)

The mushroom galbijjim (braised short ribs) had quite a lot of meat, and it was cooked so well that it was super tender, easy to pull apart and tasty. The Masil tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) had just the right sweetness too, so chewy and good!!!

Cherry blossom rice

True to its name, the cherry blossom rice comes out pink, so it's pretty to look at, and the grains were fluffy and separate. Eaten with the tteokgalbi, it matched perfectly and tasted great.

Spring wild chive hot pot, seasonal namul and napa cabbage kimchi

The menu name was spring dallae jeongol (hot pot), but on the day I visited it came out doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) style! It was actually mild and savory, and I enjoyed it. Eaten with the seasonal namul (seasoned vegetables), the flavor doubled!!

Seasonal dessert: green tangerine tea

The seasonal dessert was green tangerine tea, and finishing with a sweet and tangy tea felt so clean and nice. They say Sutgarak Bansang Masil uses no artificial seasoning and makes each day's food the same day!

Celebrity autographs on the wall

Lots of famous people have apparently visited Sutgarak Bansang Masil too. A good restaurant is a good restaurant, after all!!

Sutgarak Bansang Masil: final verdict

• A neat, tidy Korean set course at a reasonable price
• A table full of varied dishes made for high satisfaction
• No artificial seasoning, so it's easy to eat without worry
• The calm atmosphere works for family gatherings or in-law meetings
• Recommended if you're looking for a Nowon family-gathering restaurant or a Nowon Korean set-meal restaurant!

I was happy to enjoy so many Korean set dishes at once at Sutgarak Bansang Masil. You could feel the care in every dish, and the calm atmosphere made it a good place for a family meal or for taking your parents.