Hongdae Chinese restaurant Saturday dinner with mala oil: Seodamheon

Back again after a while at a Chinese restaurant near Hongik University Station that I really love 🥢 ‼️ Got a ₩13,000 discount and still paid over ₩30,000 haha. Discount aside, I was genuinely satisfied ‼️

Why I chose Seodamheon near Hongik University Station

Seodamheon is a Chinese restaurant on Yeonhui-ro 1-gil near Hongik University Station, and even though it hasn't been open long, it's already famous as a Hongdae hotspot. On my way out after eating a mini croissant before a Friday interview... I got off the bus and this Chinese food smell was just so good... I got tempted and looked it up, and it turned out to be this famous??!

Seodamheon seating and interior on a Saturday evening

I went to Seodamheon on a Saturday evening not long after break time ended, and it was already full. Proof of how popular it is.. I barely managed to grab the last wall-facing seat..😭 Since the place was packed with customers I don't have interior photos, but there were quite a variety of tables — for 4, for 2 — and lockers were placed here and there for storing bags, which made it look clean and comfortable! Haha. The space was spacious and the tables well spaced out, so it wasn't too loud or cramped, super pleasant 👍🏻

Seodamheon menu: the two-person Dameun-sang and yeonmaek set

There's even a kind and detailed guide on how to eat samjjamyeon (black bean noodles with three toppings), which seems to be Seodamheon's signature dish..🩷

Of course, besides samjjamyeon, there's a huge variety of Chinese dishes ready — doenjang yunijjajang (soybean paste black bean noodles), minari beef brisket jjamppong, clam dosakmyeon stir-fried noodles, clam tangmyeon soup, dongpo-rou rice bowl, mapo tofu, yurinki (crispy fried chicken), crab fried rice, and more..! Since it was our first visit, we wanted to try as much as possible, so we ordered the required-course two-person set (Dameun-sang) + yeonmaek set!

* You can also check the menu while waiting in front of the restaurant!! *

Review event freebie: candied sweet potato (goguma matang)

Before the main dishes came out, we first got candied sweet potato (goguma maetang) 🍠 from the review event. Freshly fried, it was warm — no, piping hot — and sweet, really delicious. The tteokkochi (grilled rice cake skewers) probably would've been great too, but why did that get removed..ㅜㅜ

Dosakmyeon, round sweet and sour pork and glutinous rice donuts

This was my first time trying dosakmyeon (hand-cut noodles), and it was familiar yet new, and delicious!! And the round sweet and sour pork was a bit of a letdown since the sauce was already poured on.. but it was stuffed full of meat inside so I actually liked it more than the usual version!! The sticky rice donuts had no red bean inside !! They come out with red bean placed on top of the donut, so I was like, wait, is it..? but I hate red bean so this was actually great for me !! Leaving this note in case it helps anyone else who dislikes red bean like me..

Mala oil: the pairing to order at Seodamheon

Everyone reading this post ‼️ Please make sure to pair it with the mala oil ‼️ This is the real kick. I usually don't like mala flavors because they're too salty and intense, but this one has that mala taste without being too extreme, so it's a real treat.

I should've tried it with the sweet and sour pork too.. 😭 Can't be helped.. guess I'll have to go again..ㅋ

Yeonmaek, Yantai baijiu and the restroom

They also serve yeonmaek (lotus root makgeolli) 🍋 topped with a generous amount of lemon.. But next time I'll just get yeontae (lotus root soju) instead.. If you find gaoliang liquor intimidating, try yeontae. It tastes like pineapple and is delicious. The two of us left completely full..

The restroom is next to the dakgalbi place nearby, and even though this is Hongdae!! it was really cleanly maintained..👍🏻

Who should eat at Seodamheon in Hongdae?

Yeah, save this one. Next time I want to try other dishes.. like the minari beef brisket jjamppong.. or the clam dosakmyeon stir-fried noodles.. but I'm also curious about the shrimp spring rolls and dongpo-rou.. Writing this post is making me hungry again...🤤

• Anyone looking for an easily accessible restaurant in Hongdae
• Anyone who wants familiar but unusual dishes

Ugh, but won't this just make it even more crowded now..ㅜ You can also book through Catch Table!! I highly recommend Seodamheon in Hongdae~~!