Nowon Korean set-course dinner, candle-warmed ribs: Sutgarak Masil

Today I visited Sutgarak Bansang Masil, well known in Nowon as a spot for meeting-the-in-laws dinners and family gatherings! Let me introduce it right away~

Where is Sutgarak Bansang Masil, and where do you park?

Sutgarak Bansang Masil is a 10-minute walk from Nowon Station (Line 4) Exit 1.

If you're driving, pull into the road and turn on your hazard lights — a parking attendant will help you park!

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building, reached via the building's stairs.

Opening hours and phone number

• Hours 11:30 – 21:30
• Break time 14:30 – 17:00
• Last order 14:30 / 20:40
• Address 412 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul (318-1 Sanggye-dong), South Korea

Private rooms, seating and the table setting

True to its reputation as a Nowon family gathering spot, there were rooms of various sizes as well as regular tables outside the rooms. Personal tableware and wet wipes were already set out on the table.

What the set courses include, and the one-per-person rule

Here's the menu at Sutgarak Bansang Masil, a well-known family-gathering restaurant in Nowon! They serve the Special Course, Precious Course, Chamjoeun Course, Masil Course, and Basic Course. Every course is one order per person, and note that guests age 8 and up are charged the adult price!

First courses: adlay and cherry blossom porridge, spring forsythia fritters

The first dish was adlay cherry blossom porridge (율무벚꽃죽), a nutty porridge made with adlay, a springtime grain, dyed and shaped into flowers. It was served at just the right temperature, a nice palate opener before the meal.

The spring forsythia fritters (봄개나리튀김), topped with a sweet-and-sour red chili sauce over shrimp, shepherd's purse and asparagus, came out freshly fried and crisp — and you could even eat the rice paper 'bowl' it was served in.

The japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) was loaded with various mushrooms and meat, and the noodles were well coated in seasoning — both the texture and flavor were great.

Chilled whelk salad and medicinal-herb bossam

The whelk vinegar salad (소라초회냉채) had savory, clean-tasting whelk with beet-dyed konjac jelly and gardenia-dyed lotus root, all drizzled with citrus sauce. Served on a single plate, it was gorgeous to look at too.

The medicinal herb bossam (약선보쌈, boiled pork wraps) came with baek-kimchi (white kimchi) and dried radish strips, plus salted shrimp with cheongyang chili mixed in, making for a clean, non-greasy bite.

Orange butterfly salad, crown daisy and lotus root pancake, perilla seaweed soup

The orange butterfly salad (오렌지나비샐러드) paired spring greens and glasswort with a refreshing orange sauce — a bright starter.

The mugwort-and-lotus-root pancake (쑥갓연근전), pan-fried crisp with crown daisy, clams and lotus root, was a familiar flavor but an unusual combination — I really enjoyed it.

The perilla seaweed soup (들깨미역국) had a strong, nutty perilla flavor that paired nicely with the seaweed.

Braised short ribs over a candle, Masil tteokgalbi on a hot plate

The nutritious mushroom braised ribs (영양버섯갈비찜) came packed with oyster mushrooms, mansong mushrooms and more alongside the braised ribs. To keep it from cooling, they lit a candle underneath the pottery bowl — thanks to that, I could eat it warm all the way to the end.

The ribs were braised so tender the meat pulled right off the bone.

The Masil tteokgalbi (마실떡갈비, grilled seasoned short-rib patties) was kept warm by a heating plate built into the table, so I could enjoy it hot from start to finish.

The tteokgalbi had a moist texture without being tough — a flavor anyone would love.

The rice course at the end and the seasonal dessert

Seasonal namul (seasoned vegetables), doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), and cherry blossom rice were also served, so I ended up full even by the final course. When I needed extra side dishes, the staff brought them right over when I asked!

For the seasonal dessert, they brought out a cool yuzu tea. Sweet and refreshing, it was a great way to finish the meal.

Baby chairs are available too, so I'd recommend this as a Nowon family gathering spot. If you're looking to have hanjeongsik (Korean course meal) in Nowon, this is Sutgarak Bansang Masil, a Nowon family gathering spot I'd happily recommend!