Japanese spot by Mangwolcheon, Hanam: salmon jang, eggplant bowl, Roi

Why is the rice at Roi Sikdang in Misa, Hanam, so good?

Roi Sikdang (로이식당) is a Japanese home-style restaurant near Mangwolcheon stream in Misa, Hanam. They say the rice is a blend of Gyeongju Samgwang rice and Buyeo Sindongjin rice in the tastiest ratio, cooked with natural Jirisan bedrock water. And the rice is unlimited! It's a rice place I keep thinking about lately, so I wanted to introduce it.

They say it suits a date, a family meal or a get-together with friends, and some people have already been back several times. A friend introduced Roi Sikdang to me, and it had been sitting in my saved places until I finally got to eat there!

To get straight to the point: the first thing I thought after eating at Roi Sikdang was "the rice is really good." Apparently the owner's father ran a rice mill (bangagan). They learned from childhood that every single grain of rice holds care and time :) You could feel that same heart carried over into the food here.

You really notice the difference with one spoonful. Even people who don't care much about rice would probably change their minds at Roi Sikdang. See the detailed review below.

Roi Sikdang Hanam Misa Main Branch: hours, directions and parking

Roi Sikdang Hanam Misa Main Branch is on the 1st floor at 75 Misagangbyeonbuk-ro 30beon-gil, Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do, and it's open daily 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00). Last order is 14:40 for lunch and 20:30 for dinner.

How to get there

• By car: from Starbucks Hanam Misa, go straight 30 m toward Dalbom Kindergarten, turn left, then go straight 100 m and it's on the left
• By bus: get off at the Misa 2-dong Community Service Center stop (28484), enter toward the park on the left of the S-Oil station, follow the residential road on the right for 150 m, and it's on the 1st floor on the right
• By subway: about an 18-minute walk from the nearest station

Amenities, seating and payment

• Amenities and services: Wi-Fi / group visits / takeout / delivery / reservations
• Seating: group seating for 1 to 12 people, solo seats available
• Payment: local currency (card type), high oil price relief support fund (credit/debit card)

Parking

• Free parking available (4 cars in front; ask the staff if full)
• 3–4 spots in front of the restaurant (may be full at peak times)
• The empty vacant lot next door can be used
• Note: parking on the road or street in front may be subject to enforcement at certain times

What do the exterior and interior of Roi Sikdang look like?

The first thing you notice at the entrance is the wooden sign. It reads "Real home-cooked rice bowl / A place that does salmon jang well," and it isn't over the top, yet it tells you what Roi Sikdang is about at a glance. The red-framed windows are a nice accent that adds warmth to the exterior.

Inside, wood-tone furniture and lighting set the mood. The interior isn't big or flashy, but that actually felt more comfortable. Shelves above the open kitchen are neatly organized, and the cups and utensils lined up tidily show how carefully the place is kept. The tables are spacious solid wood, with just the right spacing to focus on your meal.

Frames and small props are placed simply on the walls, giving it a odd comfort that's part café, part home. For drinks, they have draft beer, canned beer and whisky, so it's a good setup for a casual drink too. Overall it feels like a space aiming for quiet conversation and focusing on the meal rather than noise and crowds.

They apparently sell Asahi draft beer cans too :) A must for beer lovers!

Roi Sikdang menu and prices

Roi Sikdang's signature dishes are Kanto-style sukiyaki for 2 (₩29,900), onggi yuzu salmon jang (₩14,900 / set ₩16,900), 100% fresh cream mentaiko (pollock roe) pasta (₩17,900), perilla oil Roi soba (₩12,900) and herb-cured salmon rice bowl (₩14,900 / set ₩16,900). The lineup is varied, covering rice bowls, noodles, kids' menus and tempura.

Signature menu

• Kanto-style sukiyaki for 2, ₩29,900: a two-person pot of beef and vegetables simmered in a shallow broth, dipped in egg
• Onggi yuzu salmon jang, ₩14,900 / set ₩16,900 (what I ordered): not-too-salty, healthy yuzu salmon jang aged 24 hours in a pollution-free onggi (earthenware) pot
• 100% fresh cream mentaiko pasta, ₩17,900: udon noodles in a sauce of 100% domestic fresh cream, a popular dish that was also released as a meal kit
• Perilla oil Roi soba, ₩12,900: chewy buckwheat noodles tossed with perilla oil, special soy sauce and egg yolk
• Herb-cured salmon rice bowl, ₩14,900 / set ₩16,900: salmon prepared with herbs and sea salt, with a sub-sauce aged 24 hours, no fishy smell

Rice bowls

• Fried eggplant beef rice bowl, ₩13,900 / set ₩15,900 (what I ordered): a mix-it-yourself bowl topped with fried eggplant and vegetables in spicy Roi sauce
• Beef belly rice bowl, ₩12,900 / set ₩14,900: thinly sliced beef belly simmered in a special soy sauce, a tender bowl kids like too

Noodles

• Soba with 2 jumbo shrimp tempura, ₩14,900: soba in a deep house-made broth with the savory depth of rice syrup
• Udon with 2 jumbo shrimp tempura, ₩14,900: 2 jumbo shrimp tempura in warm broth made in the restaurant
• Tempura udon, ₩11,900: a hearty udon topped with shrimp, kimchi pancake and gimmari (glass noodle seaweed roll) tempura
• Udon, ₩9,900: the plain, light udon in the house broth

Kids' menu

• Baby cheese pork cutlet, ₩9,900: 1 mini cheese pork cutlet + 1 chicken + fries + rice
• Baby soy bulgogi, ₩8,900: a kid's meal of rice, soup, bulgogi, fried egg and seaweed

Tempura (sides and drinking snacks)

• Assorted tempura, ₩18,000: 3 shrimp + 3 karaage (Japanese fried chicken) + fried squid legs + fries
• Fried chicken (karaage), ₩16,000: seasoned chicken thigh karaage + fries, recommended with beer
• Jumbo shrimp tempura, ₩14,000: whiteleg shrimp tempura + cabbage salad
• Mini tempura, ₩8,000: 1 shrimp tempura + 1 crab stick tempura + 3 karaage, a light way to enjoy it

The onggi yuzu salmon jang set and fried eggplant beef rice bowl set spread

What I ordered at Roi Sikdang was the onggi yuzu salmon jang set (₩16,900) and the fried eggplant beef rice bowl set (₩15,900). The moment I saw the whole spread on the tray, I cried out, "It's too pretty to eat!" It was served so neatly and nicely that I fell for it just looking at it, and it made me so happy.

Even the plain water bottle is so cute and fits the mood. The basic side dishes are great too. They were full of care and went well with the main dishes. I was going to ask for more if it wasn't enough, but the portion was just right, so I ate what I was given. The fruit decoration and the takoyaki (octopus balls) are especially cute, totally my taste!

What's the best way to eat the fried eggplant beef rice bowl set?

The right way to eat Roi Sikdang's fried eggplant beef rice bowl is to mix the eggplant sauce and rice first, then top it with the fried eggplant and vegetables. A menu guide card sat on the table saying, "We recommend mixing the eggplant sauce with the rice, then topping with the fried eggplant and vegetables." I ate it that way and it was absolutely right.

From the look of it, eggplant is the main so it might seem light, but once you mix it and take a bite, the spiciness of the Roi sauce soaks into the rice and keeps you coming back. With broccoli, cherry tomatoes and assorted vegetable tempura on top, it looks really pretty and feels like a healthy rice bowl. Miso soup comes with it too, so the set felt really well put together.

Both dishes had one thing in common: not harsh or overly seasoned, yet you keep eating. Once you try it yourself, you'll immediately see why Roi Sikdang is called a place with delicious rice.

Is the onggi yuzu salmon jang set too salty or fishy?

The onggi yuzu salmon jang set at Roi Sikdang is quite generous, with the salmon jang as the main plus rice, miso soup and side dishes. They say the salmon jang is aged 24 hours in a pollution-free onggi pot, and when I actually ate it, it wasn't salty at all, the yuzu aroma rose up subtly, and there was none of the fishy feel salmon can have.

Put it on rice and mix it up and my spoon just wouldn't stop. None of the set's side dishes felt like filler, and the miso soup made in the restaurant was deep and savory, which made it a really filling way to finish a meal.

The little onggi bowl is so tiny and cute.

Roi Sikdang in Misa, Hanam: summary at a glance

Roi Sikdang is my strong recommendation as a Hanam Misa restaurant and a Misa Station restaurant.

• The rice itself is different: rice cooked with Jirisan natural bedrock water and an optimal ratio of Gyeongju Samgwang and Buyeo Sindongjin rice, a place serious about rice, where you can tell the difference with one spoonful
• Aged dishes that show care: onggi yuzu salmon jang aged 24 hours in a pollution-free onggi pot, and the herb-cured salmon rice bowl with herbs, sea salt and a sub-sauce aged 24 hours
• Works for couples, families, solo diners and group gatherings
• A separate kids' menu, so families with children needn't worry
• Right by the Misa Mangwolcheon walking path
• Wood-tone interior with an open kitchen, a quiet and comfortable dining mood
• Open daily from 11:00 to 21:00 with no days off
• Reservations and walk-ins both possible, so you can visit however you like