Family meal with samgye seafood nurungji tang in Paju: Dolpanseok

Visiting Dolpanseok Jjamppong near Simhaksan

I came across this place while looking for good restaurants near Simhaksan in Paju, and as soon as I walked in, I understood why it's talked about so much. The menu itself was no joke — a whole lineup of stone-plate dishes. This is a review of the samgye seafood nurungji tang (chicken-seafood scorched rice soup) I had here.

I was trying to figure out where to take my parents for a family meal, and the limited-time seasonal tonic dish samgye seafood nurungji tang looked great, so we went. The parking lot is spacious too. Dolpanseok Jjamppong really has a huge variety of menu items — so many options.

The dining room and seating

The restaurant was spacious with generous gaps between tables, which I liked. The mapo tofu also looked really tasty, so I'm planning to come back and try it with the stone-plate jajangmyeon next time.

So how does the samgye seafood nurungji tang taste?

As soon as we sat down, the piping hot samgye seafood nurungji tang arrived, and honestly, it was a real surprise. The nutty flavor of the nurungji (scorched rice), the deep taste of the seafood broth, and the rich samgye (chicken tonic soup) flavor all came together and it was so good. It looked hearty enough to fill you up on its own. There was a female staff member who was so kind — I really wanted to give her a shoutout.

Since there were three of us, I thought the samgye seafood nurungji tang alone might not be enough, so we also ordered dontichitang (pork-chicken sweet and sour dish) as a side. They said half-and-half was possible, so we went with that, and it was delicious too. It wasn't limited to just one main dish — you could enjoy a bit of everything, which made it really satisfying. Crispy outside, tender inside sweet and sour pork style.

The seafood and ingredients were generously loaded in, and since I brought my parents, they added more broth to suit our taste, so we ate until full. There was a sturdy chicken leg in there too, nice. It was a good-sized piece with plenty of meat on it.

It comes out bubbling on a stone plate, so you really need to be careful. It's extremely, extremely hot — careful, careful!

Self-serve corner and unlimited rice refills

The self-serve corner had onions, danmuji (pickled radish), and even pa kimchi (green onion kimchi) — I loved that you could help yourself. Just take as much as you'll actually eat so nothing goes to waste!

Rice refills are unlimited, so it was perfect for stirring rice into the broth. And with the pa kimchi alongside, you never got tired of the richness — kept eating happily the whole time. This place is heaven for carb lovers. Unlimited rice refills, seriously!! I had more than two bowls.

There was three-flavor stuff, squid, shrimp, baby octopus — all sorts of good things packed into the samgye seafood nurungji tang, and it was very satisfying. It's savory and salty, the kind of dish anyone of any age could enjoy.

Price and portion size — how many people is it good for?

Samgye seafood nurungji tang is ₩43,000. It might be a bit much for two adults but a bit short for three, and since rice is unlimited, it'd be good to add a side dish or mapo tofu.

The half-and-half dontichitang side we ordered was also packed with meat, and the sweet sauced portion was delicious too. Half-and-half for ₩15,000 is a real bargain considering how much chicken costs these days.

Dessert and kid-friendly amenities

For dessert, there are rice crackers right at the entrance — nutty and sweet, a nice little treat. Since kids might come along, they even have a microwave for baby food.

They even give you yogurt after the meal — such a thoughtful touch. I hope Dolpanseok Jjamppong, this great restaurant near Simhaksan in Paju, keeps doing well!!

It would feel wrong not to include this place on a list of good restaurants near Simhaksan in Paju. Starting with the samgye seafood nurungji tang, and going through the stone-plate jjamppong, stone-plate jajangmyeon, and half-and-half dontichitang, plus unlimited rice refills and pa kimchi — it was a really full experience. Next time I need a good spot near Simhaksan, this will be the first place that comes to mind. It was a family meal with my parents, and the food, kindness, and service were all very satisfying.