Sadang, Seoul Korean pub with Del Monte bottle water: Jindallae Silbi

Hi, this is Ttingtting! I kept hearing about Jindallae Silbi whenever I searched for good restaurants in Sadang. It's known for its course meals that pile a whole spread of dishes onto one table, so I went to try the 15-dish course myself.

Location and hours of Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch

• Address: 70 Dongjakdae-ro 7-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Sat 18:00–24:00 / closed Sundays
• Parking: Sadang Public Parking Lot No. 2 recommended
• Directions: about a 3-minute walk from Exit 10 of Sadang Station

Menu ordered

• 15-dish course
• 6-dish course (orderable after 20:00)
• Free: rice, ramyeon noodles

Who this is for

• Anyone in Sadang looking for a good-value course meal
• Anyone looking for a spot for a group dinner or gathering
• Anyone who wants to enjoy lots of different dishes in one sitting
• Anyone who cares more about the food than the drinks
• Anyone looking for a retro-style bar to bring their parents to

Visit tips

• Even arriving right at opening, seats fill up fast
• After 20:00 you can also order the 6-dish course
• Plenty of participatory events like dalgona candy, prize draws and birthday events
• Rice and ramyeon noodles are free, but the course is so big it's hard to even get to them

An exterior that fills up fast even with an opening-time run

Even though I arrived right at opening time, a few groups were already waiting. I thought I'd have plenty of room being a bit early, but not long after we started eating the place was nearly full! I was curious why it's so popular, and one look at the atmosphere and I got it.

An interior packed with retro props

The retro vibe hits you right from the entrance. Signs and props that recall old-school teahouses and cheap bars from the past fill the space — cute and unexpectedly nostalgic.

All over the inside, there were displays of nostalgic objects. Looking around, some things brought back memories, and even ones I was too young to actually remember somehow felt familiar. The tables were also spaced generously, so it didn't feel cramped even with a bigger group.

Free rice and ramyeon

Generously, rice and ramyeon noodles are free. But a lot of tables never even get to them — because there's simply too much food already.

The 15-dish course and the 6-dish course

We ordered the signature 15-dish course. The menu noted that after 20:00, you can also order a lighter 6-dish course, but since it was our first visit, we wanted to try the signature lineup, so we went with the 15-dish course!

Dalgona to prize draws: table events

There were quite a lot of fun events going on. From dalgona candy to a prize-draw event and even birthday events, everything was set up — they handed out dalgona candy kits to each table to try.

A needle came with the dalgona for us to try! I gave it a shot, but the dalgona was chewier than expected, so it wasn't easy to pop the shape out cleanly. In the end I settled for just enjoying eating it rather than succeeding at the game — it was so sweet and melted in my mouth.

Water served in a Delmonte bottle, which I hadn't seen in ages. At first I thought it was just a nostalgic prop, but after one sip, it had a noticeably nutty flavor compared to regular bottled water. It was fun how even a small detail like this added to the atmosphere.

First spread: porridge, soy sauce crab, japchae, spicy pork stir-fry

Soon the first spread arrived, and it was far more generous than I expected. Starting with porridge, dishes like soy sauce crab, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and spicy pork stir-fry all landed on the table at once — the table was already full just from this. I was a little surprised to hear the main dishes hadn't even started yet.

The soy sauce crab had a salty umami that made me instinctively want rice, the japchae was glossy without being too sweet, which I liked, and the spicy pork stir-fry's fiery seasoning kept my chopsticks moving from the very first spread.

Sashimi and seafood, plus DIY sushi

Right as we were nearly finished with the first spread, sashimi and seafood dishes followed. The cold dishes created a different mood from what we'd eaten before, and switching between textures kept the course from feeling repetitive.

The sashimi was so fresh and soft too.

Rice and wasabi come out so you can make your own sushi, and they're big and long enough to cover an entire spoon and then some.

Flounder tangsuyuk, pork cutlet, minari pancake

Already pretty full, we got the hot flounder tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour fish). It was crisp outside and moist inside, and the tangy-sweet sauce wasn't overdone, letting the flounder's clean flavor shine.

The course kept going after that. The pork cutlet had a great balance of crispy batter and tender meat — even full, it was tasty enough to keep eating.

The freshly fried minari (water celery) pancake had a fragrant aroma that refreshed our palate midway through. It had tender squid inside, which paired well texture-wise.

All the way to the final stew, over 2 hours in

Finally, the course wrapped up with a stew. By this point, I understood why the rice and ramyeon noodles are free — because even though they're offered at no charge, the course is so massive we couldn't even think about touching them. Just tasting every single dish was more than enough to fill us up.

Overall, after trying it, this isn't a place that's just about a high dish count — the flow of the course is well designed from start to finish. It's great for chatting with company while trying one dish after another, and since the food kept coming without a break, our meal naturally stretched on. We thought only about an hour had passed, but we'd already been eating for over two hours. If you're looking for a hearty spread in Sadang or a spot for a group dinner or gathering, Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch is worth a visit!