Chinese course date near Sinsa Station with valet parking: Samsin

I finally made a trip to Seoul after a long while! Parking is such a pain in Seoul and it's always so crowded, so every time I come I end up agonizing over "where should I eat what?" Today I'm recommending a classic, gorgeous date course in the middle of Seoul that nails convenient parking, flavor and value all at once!

It's Samsin (삼신), a Chinese course restaurant, and I was totally satisfied from the atmosphere to the food! If you're looking for a special-occasion or date spot in Seoul, I really want to recommend it, so here's my quick review!

Samsin Garosu-gil location, hours and valet parking near Sinsa Station

Samsin Garosu-gil is on the 2nd and 3rd floors of 46 Gangnam-daero 156-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It's open daily 11:00–23:00 with a break from 16:00 to 17:00. Parking is valet, ₩5,000 for 3 hours.

• Address: 46 Gangnam-daero 156-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (2nd–3rd floors)
• Hours: daily 11:00–23:00 (break time 16:00–17:00)
• Parking: valet (₩5,000 for 3 hours)

Parking is honestly the biggest obstacle to a date in Seoul, right? Samsin Garosu-gil does valet, so I could visit with zero parking stress! There are lots of hot spots nearby too, so you can leave the car and enjoy the area after your meal :)

What is the atmosphere like inside Samsin Garosu-gil?

Samsin Garosu-gil is split across the 2nd and 3rd floors, with a stately, Chinese-style interior throughout. I went up to the 2nd floor, opened the door, and gasped right away! It was so Chinese and so stately that it felt like stepping into a scene from a movie!🏮

The 3rd floor in particular has big windows that feel open, and you even get a bit of a view, which was nice, haha.

From the lighting to the wall decorations to every little prop, you can feel how much care went into the interior! With that refined, classic Chinese restaurant mood, photos come out great, the tables are nicely spaced, and there are proper private rooms, so it's perfect for hosting guests, holding a meeting or going on a date!

À la carte or a course meal at Samsin: which should you order?

Samsin lets you order à la carte dishes or a course meal. The course is such good value that we went with Samsin's Course B!

Samsin's Course B is packed, from the appetizers through the main dishes, the meal and dessert, and the flow was perfect 😋

We had a reservation, and they'd even set the table for us in advance! Doesn't the table look so classy? Even the spoons and chopsticks were so elegant, haha. You can feel the care in every piece of tableware, so I felt treated like a guest even before the meal started!

In what order does Samsin's Course B arrive?

First course: Sokcho snow crab soup

The first dish of Samsin's Course B was Sokcho snow crab soup. The course started right as we sat down!

I usually avoid crab soup because I dislike that slippery texture, but the snow crab soup at Samsin warmed me up while tasting so clean with deep flavor, and I scraped the bowl clean! It was generous with the Sokcho snow crab meat too, so it was a perfect starter😋

Handmade dim sum sampler: xiaolongbao, shrimp har gow and wedding shumai

After the soup came the handmade dim sum sampler, with three kinds: xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), shrimp har gow and wedding shumai.

The colors and shapes were so pretty I almost hated to eat them🥹✨ As someone who really loves dim sum, I had to give them a pass on looks alone! The wrappers were chewy, and the fillings kept their rich juiciness and bouncy texture, so every bite made me exclaim. Picking through the different kinds was fun too!

Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) with sauce poured into a clay pot

The tangsuyuk (Korean sweet and sour pork) that followed is said to be the Tokyo Steak version of tangsuyuk. What's really unusual is that they serve the pork in a clay pot (ttukbaegi) and pour the hot sauce over it right in front of you!

The sauce goes in with a sizzle, and the sight and sound had me exclaiming before I'd even eaten. Everyone... can you see the juiciness of the meat..? The moment I bit in, the outside stayed crispy while the sauce soaked in, and the thick pork was superb! It has a different kind of charm from ordinary tangsuyuk!

Big, plump chili shrimp

And next came the chili shrimp! The shrimp were really big and extra bouncy! The sweet-spicy chili sauce coated the crispy fried batter, and the mouth-filling texture was truly art 🍤

Jjajangmyeon, jjamppong or kimchi fried rice: which main to choose in Samsin's course?

For the meal in Samsin's Course B you can choose among Taean potato jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce), meat jjamppong (spicy seafood-style noodle soup) and Samsin kimchi fried rice. After the chili shrimp, the stars of any Chinese restaurant, jajangmyeon and jjamppong, finally arrived.

We each chose one, jajangmyeon and jjamppong, and decided to share them nicely😋

Taean potato jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles)

When I heard "Taean potato jajangmyeon," I thought, "Potato jajangmyeon?" It sounded unfamiliar at first! But the potato doesn't stand out or dominate; it seemed to be blended in naturally! The potato flavor isn't strong, and it tasted like exactly the delicious jajangmyeon we all know, so I think everyone would like it with no divide in opinion 😋 The sauce had a glossy sheen, and its harmony with the noodles was art!

Meat jjamppong (spicy noodle soup)

With the meat jjamppong, the second I tried the broth I went "Ahh.." and couldn't help exclaiming!🌶️👍 The broth was rich, spicy and hearty, the real deal! It was the perfect choice to close out the course with a spicy kick!

What dessert comes with Samsin's course meal?

The final dessert of Samsin's Course B was tangerine sherbet. This was seriously delicious!!!!🍊💛 Sweet, sour and cool, it washed away the heaviness of Chinese food and left my mouth clean and refreshed! Even the closing dessert was totally my taste ◡̈

Verdict: is Samsin Garosu-gil worth it for a date in Seoul?

I wonder if there's another place in Seoul where you can park this easily and enjoy a neat course meal at good value in such a stately setting. On a day when you want to refresh yourself with tasty food in a lovely place, definitely visit Samsin. I recommend it with all my heart ꯁ