Paju Korean restaurant for gangdoenjang ssam lunch: Simhaksan Deulkkot Ssambap

Ssam lunch near Paju Lotte Premium Outlets

The weather was lovely, so my mom and I went shopping at Paju Lotte Premium Outlets and looked for somewhere nearby for lunch. I was really happy with this place! Simhaksan Deulkkot Ssambap was only about 500 m from the outlet's outdoor parking lot, so it took just around two minutes by car. You can practically get there as soon as you leave the outlet and cross the road, so I really liked the location. It seemed like a great place to pop into right after shopping.

Parking and hours

• 55-10 Dolgoji-gil, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Parking available in front of the restaurant
• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:30–17:00
• Last order: 20:00
• About 500 m from Paju Lotte Premium Outlets

We visited at lunchtime, and there were quite a few cars in the parking lot. But the parking attendant guided us so kindly with a smile that we parked comfortably. There also seemed to be plenty of spaces!

As soon as we stepped inside, the delicious smell of food was wafting through the air~ Maybe because it was lunchtime, the place was almost full. Luckily, there was no wait, but I thought you might have to wait on weekends or at busier times. There was even a separate waiting area inside. There were plenty of tables, and the guests ranged from couples to families and groups. Most tables were occupied, so I couldn't take photos of the whole interior ㅠㅠ

The Deul set for two

My mom and I visited as a pair that day and ordered two Deul sets. The Deul set was ₩20,000 × 2, and you order through the QR code at each table!

The set comes with spicy stir-fried pork, stir-fried squid, doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew), gangdoenjang (thick seasoned soybean paste), and stone-pot rice, so it feels like a proper full spread. The side dishes arrived first, and each one felt thoughtfully prepared; everything tasted good, too. A sweet pumpkin porridge came out as an appetizer, and it was smooth and easy to eat without feeling heavy.

The gangdoenjang my mom loved too

The doenjang-jjigae was served on an induction burner, so we could enjoy it hot. To me, it felt somewhere between doenjang-jjigae and cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew). It was earthy and deeply savory. The gangdoenjang arrived with the side dishes too, still steaming hot. I was curious, so I dipped a little taste in it—and wow… it was seriously delicious. It was nutty and packed with savory flavor; honestly, I felt like I could finish a whole bowl of rice with just this gangdoenjang and ssam (wrapped bites of leafy vegetables), haha.

This soybean paste is really delicious.

You know moms can be surprisingly picky about food, right? Haha. My mom took one bite and said that. When my mom says something is tasty, I somehow trust it even more, lol.

Self-serve ssam vegetables and stone-pot rice

You could help yourself to extra ssam vegetables and side dishes. There were several kinds of greens besides lettuce and perilla leaves, as well as cucumber peppers. For someone like me who loves vegetables, this self-serve ssam-vegetable station was such a welcome sight. You can go back for more when you run out without feeling self-conscious.

And I absolutely love stone-pot rice at restaurants, so I was happy it was served here too. The rice looked great, and after the meal, you can pour hot water into the stone pot and enjoy nurungji (scorched rice crust) as well.

Fire-grilled spicy pork and spicy stir-fried squid

The main dishes, spicy stir-fried pork and stir-fried squid, arrived too. They looked generously portioned right away, and I loved the distinct fire-grilled aroma. The pork really did have that smoky grilled flavor, and the meat was tender. I especially liked the stir-fried onions: they had soaked up the seasoning, so they were delicious even on their own.

Put the spicy pork and onions on ssam greens and take a big wrap… you know how ridiculously good that is, right!? Add a little of that delicious gangdoenjang I mentioned earlier, and the savory flavor just explodes! Haha.

The stir-fried squid felt a little spicier than the pork, but the sauce itself was addictive. The squid was plump, and there were plenty of onions too. I wrapped it in greens, mixed the sauce into rice, then wrapped that mixed rice in greens again, lol. Trying all these combinations kept me reaching for more. To me, it wasn't extremely spicy. It had about the level of heat an elementary-school-aged child could probably eat, so I thought it would be easy for all ages to enjoy. Overall, it wasn't aggressively spicy—the flavor of the sauce really came through.

Dessert and a review event

Dessert was available after the meal, too. There were old-fashioned Korean snacks, and you could help yourself to ice cream and coffee. It felt like you could take care of everything from rice to dessert in one place, so it seemed like a nice option for a family meal.

Most of all, I visited with my mom that day, and she was really satisfied, which made me happy too. She doesn't usually compliment restaurants easily, but she said this meal was delicious, haha. I think it was exactly her kind of food.

If you're shopping at Paju Lotte Premium Outlets and looking for somewhere nearby to eat, this was a good option: the location is convenient, and you can have a hearty meal with ssam vegetables, stone-pot rice, spicy pork, and stir-fried squid. The gangdoenjang was especially memorable! My mom and I decided we'd come back together next time :)

Oh, and one unusual thing! They give you a lottery ticket if you take part in the review event, lol. I got one too… will I win first prize…? Hahahaha. Everyone, please say a little prayer for me, haha.

I think Simhaksan Deulkkot Ssambap would make a satisfying meal whether you visit with your parents, your partner, or the whole family. If you're looking for a hearty meal after shopping at the Paju outlets, it's a place I'd keep in mind to try.