Yuxiang eggplant rice bowl at Gangnam Chinese spot Sinbok Myeongwan

I went to Gangnam alone today and stopped by Sinbok Myeongwan for dinner! I don't usually like eggplant much, so I'd never even tried yu-hyang eggplant before!

I kept seeing reviews saying Sinbok Myeongwan's yu-hyang eggplant rice bowl was delicious. So I got curious and ordered it…

Even I, who doesn't like eggplant, ate it so happily haha. I also ordered shumai and iced hong cha (red tea) alongside it, and the combo was so good — this is a real Chinese food spot near Gangnam Station.

Not an eggplant fan, but the yuxiang eggplant rice bowl worked

My main order was Sinbok Myeongwan's yu-hyang eggplant rice bowl. I usually avoid eggplant on purpose because I don't love its texture.

The reviews for Sinbok Myeongwan were so good that I decided to give it a shot. Turns out the eggplant is fried and then coated in sauce, and it was seriously so good…! I was a bit worried the spices would be strong since it's Chinese food, but they weren't as intense as I expected, so I think even people who don't usually eat Chinese food could enjoy it comfortably.

And the portion is huge haha. I ended up leaving about half, but they packed the leftovers for me to take home and eat again ㅠㅠ. If you're looking for a hearty lunch near Gangnam Station, this could be a good option too 🤭

Egg soup comes with the rice bowl

Ordering the yu-hyang eggplant rice bowl also got me a soup. It's basically egg soup, but with a bit more spice than usual and a slightly thick texture like it had starch in it haha.

It was nice to sip between bites of the rice bowl!

Shumai: 5 pieces to a plate

I also ordered shumai on the side.

You get 5 pieces on one plate, and these were genuinely delicious! So moist and soft that eating one just naturally makes your hand reach for the next one… haha.

Even though the eggplant rice bowl portion was already huge, I kept making room for the shumai. If you've been looking for dim sum near Gangnam Station, I'd recommend ordering shumai alongside your meal.

If you like dim sum, I recommend this place!

Iced black tea rounds out the meal

For a drink I ordered iced hong cha (red tea). Sipping it between bites of the eggplant rice bowl and shumai worked really well together!

If you want a drink to go with your Chinese food order, try adding the iced hong cha too :)

What is eating alone at Sinbok Myeongwan like?

I visited Sinbok Myeongwan alone that day, and solo diners get seated at their own 1-person tables. The seats themselves were spacious enough to comfortably lay out multiple dishes!

One small downside though… the 1-person seat I sat at faced the street, so I ended up eating while watching people pass by outside haha.

Aside from that being a little awkward, eating alone here was totally fine.

Solo dining at Sinbok Myeongwan: the verdict

I never expected to enjoy the yu-hyang eggplant rice bowl this much, given that I don't really like eggplant haha.

The portions were really generous, and I liked being able to pack the leftovers to take home. The shumai especially was moist and delicious, so I'd recommend it to anyone who loves dim sum!

If you're looking for a good Chinese restaurant near Gangnam Station, want dim sum recommendations near Gangnam Station, or just need a filling solo lunch spot, Sinbok Myeongwan is worth a visit :)

Next time I'd like to try other dim sum options too haha.

Location and parking near Gangnam Station

Sinbok Myeongwan is located at 6 Teheran-ro 4-gil, B126, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Parking is free for 60 minutes in the building, then ₩1,000 per 10 minutes after that.