Suwan District gukbap restaurant with green chili sundae: Sinjuokmi

Eating one proper meal of rice a day just hits different, doesn't it?!? Looking for somewhere to have lunch in Suwan District, I spotted a bunch of gukbap (Korean soup with rice) options that caught my eye, so I visited Sinjuokmi.

Where is Sinjuokmi Suwan District branch, and where do you park?

Sinjuokmi Suwan District branch is a gukbap restaurant on the 1st floor of 52 Jangsin-ro 20beon-angil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. It's near Suwan Lotte Mart and Suwan Lotte Outlet, about a 10-minute walk away.

A clean-looking gukbap restaurant. There was a Blue Ribbon sticker at the entrance, which got me excited about what kind of gukbap awaited. Parking was available right beside the building, but it was already full when I visited, so I parked in a nearby alley.

Inside Sinjuokmi: is there a wait at Sunday lunch?

Walking inside, I liked how spacious and clean the place was. It even had pretty lighting, which you don't often see in a gukbap restaurant haha!! Kind of gave off a classy gukbap restaurant vibe 👀

I visited around 12:30pm on a Sunday, and there were plenty of diners, including some eating solo. These photos were taken after the crowd cleared out.

Sinjuokmi menu and prices

There were quite a lot of gukbap varieties, so I didn't manage to photograph the whole menu. There was sundae-guk, restorative sundae-guk, suyuk set meals, organ gukbap, pork gukbap, handmade sundae, suyuk, and hot pot dishes — and each of those categories branched into more soup types!

It looked like a good place to bring your parents too, since there's plenty to choose from. The suyuk set lets you add ₩3,000 to any existing gukbap and get extra suyuk (boiled pork) alongside it, so if one bowl of gukbap alone feels like it's not quite enough, this is a good-value way to eat more. There's also a discounted sundae-guk menu for students up to high school age. Nice haha.

We ordered

• Special spicy fern & mixed-organ gukbap ₩12,000
• Handmade mixed sundae half plate ₩11,000
• Restorative sticky-rice nurungji pork gukbap ₩10,000

That's what we ordered.

What comes with the meal, and what is on the self-serve bar

On one side of the table were salted shrimp, dadegi (chili paste), and perilla powder, so you could add them to taste. For basic side dishes, they brought out kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), musaengchae (spicy radish salad), onions, and doenjang (soybean paste), and told us the rest of the extra side dishes were self-serve.

You really have to try the handmade sundae here, so of course we ordered it haha. There was also a sign explaining that suyuk is boiled four separate times a day, at 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm. Since it's boiled in batches by time slot, suyuk lovers should keep that in mind.

Handmade mixed sundae half plate, 11,000 won: how the green chili sundae tastes

The handmade mixed sundae half plate came out first. It looked great, plump and glossy. I used the self-serve salt and chojang.

The handmade sundae was packed full inside. The one on the left was plain handmade sundae, and the one on the right was the green chili pepper–flavored sundae. Both were savory with no unpleasant smell, and had that lovely soft texture unique to handmade sundae. I personally preferred the slightly spicy white sundae on the right haha.

Our ordered gukbap soon followed, and the stone pots came on wooden coasters, which somehow made it feel a bit more refined haha. There's also a difference in the rice setup — the fern & mixed-organ gukbap comes with rice served separately, while the sticky-rice nurungji pork gukbap already has the nurungji mixed into the soup, so no separate rice comes with it!!

How spicy is the special spicy fern and mixed-organ gukbap?

Sinjuokmi's special spicy fern & mixed-organ gukbap (₩12,000) was loaded with fern bracken and organs, and tasted clean with no unpleasant smell. I was curious how spicy it would actually be — it wasn't sharply spicy at all, and even for someone like me who can't handle spice well, it was a mild kick that I enjoyed.

Restorative sticky-rice nurungji pork gukbap, 10,000 won

The sticky-rice nurungji pork gukbap was my pick! I love nurungji-type dishes so I was looking forward to the taste. The pork pieces were cut small, easy to scoop up with a spoon, and the combination of nurungji, milky broth, and pork chewing together was savory and clean-tasting.

As you eat, the nurungji soaks up the broth and gradually softens further — that's exactly the soft texture I was after when I picked this dish. Mellow but addictive and savory, it was exactly my taste (￣﹃￣)

Final verdict on Sinjuokmi Suwan District branch

I visited while looking for a lunch spot in Suwan District, and the interior was clean and comfortable, with plenty of gukbap varieties to choose from based on preference. Both the handmade mixed sundae and the two gukbap dishes were clean-tasting with no unpleasant smell, and the sticky-rice nurungji pork gukbap was satisfying, with the pork and milky broth blending with the softly dissolved nurungji for a savory, clean flavor. I'd also recommend it as a spot for hangover recovery after drinking this Chuseok!

Who should eat at Sinjuokmi

• Anyone looking for a hearty lunch Korean restaurant in Suwan District, Gwangju
• Anyone looking for a place with a wide variety of gukbap
• Fans of handmade sundae
• Anyone needing a strong hangover-curing gukbap
• Anyone looking for a spacious, comfortable gukbap restaurant