Busan Korean restaurant with abalone pot rice: Songjeongok

A weekday lunch with my mother after a Songjeong Beach walk

Today, I enjoyed a weekday date with my mother for the first time in a while. On this breezy weekday lunch when we could feel autumn in the air, we visited this Songjeong Korean restaurant after walking along Songjeong Beach. I was so pleased because she enjoyed every one of the many side dishes and thoughtfully prepared foods.

Songjeongok Songjeong Main Branch: location, hours, and parking

• Location: 1F and 2F, 54-1 Songjeonggwangeogol-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–22:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Sat–Sun 11:00–22:00
• Parking: Dedicated parking available

Location

It has great access to Songjeong Beach in Busan and is in a lovely spot for a walk, so it is perfect for before or after your meal!

Songjeongok (송정옥) is close to Dongbusan Outlet Lotte Mall, Lotte World Adventure Busan, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, and Osiria, making it a perfect location for a day out.

Parking

There is a dedicated parking lot, so we parked comfortably.

Songjeongok's classic wooden exterior

Songjeongok has a classic wooden exterior that also feels a little like a Japanese-style building.

The floor-to-ceiling windows give the whole building an open feel, with a warm image and an unforgettable atmosphere.

First-floor interior

As you enter, the vintage props displayed all around the walls are so charming, and it feels like a place where parents can relax and enjoy themselves even more.

The wide front windows create a wonderful sense of openness, while the neatly arranged tables add a tidy feel. What an atmosphere 🤭 The warm sunlight, and the fresh leaves fluttering in the breeze beyond the window—it is pure mood.

Second-floor interior

Go upstairs and you will find an interior that is the essence of plant decor, blending a more storybook-like feeling with traditional touches. The old-style luxury mother-of-pearl pieces are traditional beauty, haha.

The second floor definitely feels brighter and more open than the first. Plant-decor vibes throughout, even on the ceiling 💕

Songjeongok menu and prices

• Abalone Pot Rice Set Meal ₩19,000
• Abalone Seafood Hinoki Set Meal ₩23,000
• Whole Parboiled Octopus ₩20,000

Order

✔️ 2 Abalone Seafood Hinoki Set Meals

A generous table of side dishes in brass bowls

Now you can see exactly why I brought my mother to Songjeongok. Look at this generous spread!

The moment the neat, clean side dishes in brass bowls were set down by the floor-to-ceiling windows, I was moved.

There were all kinds of dishes made with fresh seafood: crunchy seasoned squid salad, soy-marinated raw crab, green-onion kimchi, white kimchi, and seasoned clams.

The suyuk (boiled pork) was so tender and juicy—really delicious. My mother practically finished it in no time; it was so tender it simply melted in her mouth 🤭

True to a seafood set meal, the stir-fried squid in sweet sauce was perfect with rice, too!

The fresh shrimp salad was nice and light to eat as well.

The doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) was not heavy, so it paired well with the other main dishes.

The mains: abalone pot rice and hinoki-steamed seafood

Songjeongok is known for Songjeong pot rice, and its abalone pot rice is a signature dish that stands apart from others, with fresh abalone and an exquisite creamy sauce made from abalone innards!

At last, we met the hinoki-steamed seafood! On a bed of bean sprouts came squid, shrimp, abalone, clams, potato, fish cake, and corn, all filled with the fragrance of hinoki cypress.

It is absolutely a great place to bring your parents, right? Such wholesome, wholesome flavors!

Mix the creamy abalone innards and scrambled egg well, serve some into a bowl, then pour broth over one-third of the rice and you can enjoy another nutty layer of nurungji (scorched rice). The suyuk was delicious wrapped in ssam (leaf wraps), and the hinoki-steamed seafood was great for tasting the seafood's natural flavors.

A Songjeong Korean meal that is great for parents: final thoughts

At Songjeongok, we experienced a proper Korean meal: generous side dishes and suyuk, abalone pot rice highlighted by creamy abalone innards, and wholesome, delicious hinoki-steamed seafood.