Hwaseong Japanese dining for three generations: Sindong Lab

Not long ago, I made my second visit to Sindong Lab Hwaseong Bongdam Branch (신동랩 화성봉담점), a Japanese restaurant in Bongdam where my family and I had such a lovely, delicious meal~

After our last visit with the kids, they kept saying the meal had been so neat and delicious and singing, “Let’s go again!” every day. So this time, we specially brought along my parents too, and all three generations headed out together in high spirits!

How were the parking and reserved seats?

Parking is always one of the biggest things to think about when visiting, right? Sindong Lab has a large parking lot right in front, so you can park comfortably without a worry. Even if it fills up during the weekend rush, there is a public parking lot just one minute away, so even newer drivers needn’t worry. We visited on a weekend evening, and the dining room was already full of guests!

But since we had made a Naver reservation beforehand, we were shown straight to our reserved table set for six, with absolutely no waiting. Once you step inside, the warm, atmospheric interior catches your eye: soft lighting and green plant decorations come together to make it feel as cozy as a little restaurant in Japan. I think Sindong Lab would be just the thing for anyone looking for an atmospheric spot near Yunggeonreung or a nice lunch-date place in Bongdam.

Sukiyaki that won over my parents

Once we were seated, we ordered such a varied, plentiful spread to suit everyone’s tastes. Of everything, my dad’s absolute number-one pick was, without question, the sukiyaki set meal!

The cute, neatly arranged sukiyaki is simmered right at your table on an individual brazier, so you can enjoy it warm and richly flavored all the way through. The deep broth, infused with tender fresh beef and crisp vegetables, was exactly to the adults’ liking, and Dad kept praising how delicious it was.

It was so fun to pick out the meat shabu-shabu-style and dip it into the egg-yolk sauce or special sauce that I was really glad we had brought my parents. With the warm broth and neatly presented side dishes, it was an enormously satisfying meal.

Tabletop brazier grilling the kids loved

The biggest reason the kids had been begging to come to Sindong Lab was the steak brazier grill! A mini stone-plate brazier comes to the table, and the kids can put the bright red, medium-cooked meat on it themselves and grill it to their liking with a lovely sizzle.

Their eyes sparkled at the sound and savory aroma of the meat cooking—they had so much fun grilling it themselves. The ricotta cheese salad served alongside was refreshing too, cutting right through any richness from the meat.

The freshly prepared sake-don (salmon rice bowl) we ordered with it had salmon prepared that day, and its thick slices and melt-in-your-mouth texture were simply excellent.

The traffic-light cream udon nabe had chewy udon noodles coated in a thick, nutty cream sauce, giving it the distinctive flavor you would expect from a place with trendy menu items.

The fatty tuna and salmon set meal was also wonderfully appealing, with amazingly fresh tuna and salmon that tasted rich and refined. Every single menu item felt carefully made with real attention.

Unlimited ice cream for dessert

After finishing a delicious meal, it is time for what could be called Sindong Lab’s highlight: dessert! There is an unlimited ice cream station ready inside the restaurant.

I was surprised because this was not the usual icy, square-cut restaurant ice cream. It was high-quality ice cream that was sweet and wonderfully chewy. You can fill a cup with flavors such as strawberry and vanilla, making the end of the meal perfect!

The little ones in our family fell for the fun of grilling meat, then fell for this high-quality ice cream all over again, and they were already getting us to promise we would come back soon! The quality is so excellent that I do not think there is a better restaurant to visit with children.

Officially one of our family’s favorite restaurants

From its varied menu that everyone of every age can enjoy, to easy parking, the cozy atmosphere, and dessert to finish, it was a perfect dinner with nothing missing. Seeing how satisfied my parents were and how happily the kids ate, I think this will become one of our family’s favorite places to dine out.