Korean BBQ couple set behind Jongno 3-ga jewelry arcade: Simin Sikdang

I finally went to a restaurant I had walked past every single time, Simin Sikdang (시민식당) Main Branch, right behind the Jongno 3-ga jewelry arcade. If you often come to Jongno 3-ga, you've probably passed it at least once too, haha. It has lots of kinds of meat, plus kimchi stew and fried rice, and the whole lineup was just so perfect. Let me tell you about it!!

Simin Sikdang Main Branch location and hours

Simin Sikdang Main Branch is at 30 Donhwamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Nakwon-dong 192), open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00–21:30. There is no parking. Groups and reservations are possible, and you can pay with Zero Pay, local currency and the high-fuel-price relief payment.

• Location: 30 Donhwamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Nakwon-dong 192)
• Hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–21:30
• Parking: not available
• Other: groups welcome, reservations possible, Zero Pay, local currency and high-fuel-price relief payment accepted

How do you get to Simin Sikdang from Jongno 3-ga Station?

It's about a 2-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 1. Head into the back alley behind the jewelry arcade and it's really easy to spot. There are two entrances, and I came in through the back door rather than the main one, because the back door is closer to Exit 1!!

The restaurant has been on SBS Live Today, and I liked their promotional line that all the kimchi at a BBQ place like this is made in-house. Jongno 3-ga is full of older customers, and older folks don't like Chinese-made kimchi ^^ (my dad, haha).

Inside Simin Sikdang and the 2nd-floor group seating

The inside is quite spacious, with a 1st and 2nd floor. I love it when a restaurant is full of older people (it feels like proof that the place is the real deal). There seemed to be only one or two tables of people in their 20s and 30s, and everyone else was in their 40s, 50s and above. I didn't even look at the menu, but I figured the prices and the lineup must be good here~~ haha.

I went to peek at the 2nd floor and it was seriously impressive, lol. A group seemed to have booked the whole thing that day. Look at that table setting, wow... And on the other side, more than 10 older customers had already had a hearty round of drinks and were wrapping up, lol.

Clothes stylers in a Korean BBQ restaurant? Simin Sikdang's thoughtful touch

What impressed me most at Simin Sikdang was that a BBQ restaurant has a clothes styler!!! Two of them, no less.... In spring, autumn and winter, when you wear a jacket, you can put it in before your meal and take it out as you leave, fresh and fluffy. That sounds so nice. The owner's sense is top-notch, lol.

There's also a drinks fridge just for waiting customers, for when there's a line on a Friday evening or the weekend, lolol. Crazy thoughtful... Cola and cider, sikhye (sweet rice drink), corn silk tea, hovenia tea and various juices were all ready. Such a clever touch!!

Check the country-of-origin info before you go~~ Now let's sit down. The stone grill is huge!!

Simin Sikdang menu and set prices

The owner was there the day I visited!! He graduated from the business school at Chung-Ang University, a really cool guy!! He honestly makes as good an impression in person as in his photo. Simin Sikdang has also been on TV quite a lot: Morning Wide, Saeng Saeng Jeongbotong, Live Today and Saengbangsong Oneul Jeonyeok. A restaurant of the citizen, by the citizen, for the citizen. Simin Sikdang ("citizen restaurant"), so funny, lolol.

The set menus at Simin Sikdang are really well put together. There were two of us, so we ordered the couple's Asamyuk set!!!

• Asamyuk set for couples (₩56,000): wagyu flower steak 100g + fresh pork belly 150g + jeyuk stir-fry 200g + kimchi stew + wagyu iron-plate cheese fried rice
• Simin Pork Belly Half Set for 2–3 people (₩70,000): 29cm Simin pork belly 450g + three kinds of kimchi + kimchi stew + wagyu gujeolpan cheese fried rice
• Simin Pork Belly Full Set for 4–5 people (₩125,000): 29cm Simin pork belly 900g + three kinds of kimchi + kimchi stew + wagyu gujeolpan cheese fried rice

The meal items are well put together too, right?? The grill stone is called Jangsu soapstone. They said it takes a long time to heat up, so it must be a good stone, lolol. It apparently emits far-infrared rays, how cool lolol. And the beef is Australian wagyu~ the pork is domestic Seonjin Pork!! Time to dig in!!

How is à la carte pork belly different from the set's pork belly?

You can order the meat à la carte at Simin Sikdang, but the à la carte pork belly and the Simin set pork belly differ a bit. If you can, go for the set, it's really solid, generous and delicious ㅠㅠ

• Simin set pork belly: only the rib-meat section of the pork belly is selected, 15mm thick
• À la carte pork belly: evenly provided cuts of pork belly, 10mm thick

Simin Sikdang's Asamyuk couple set, tried by two

The side dishes with the Asamyuk set included something like seasoned pollock salad?? and a japchae (glass noodle) salad, both delicious haha.

And then the glowing boss appeared, ta-da... Isn't this perfect for two people to try a variety ㅠㅠㅠ Wagyu flower steak + fresh pork belly + jeyuk, plus lots of veggies like enoki mushrooms, green onion, onion and cherry tomatoes.

I think I need a beer, after all... hehe

The set's kimchi stew was more than a side dish

The Simin Sikdang kimchi stew that comes with the Asamyuk set was reportedly picked by SBS Live Today as one of Seoul's top 5 kimchi stews. Honestly I thought it was just the side stew in a set menu, so I had no expectations?? But the broth has a really deep, hearty flavor, kind of like bone broth, anyway it's savory and spicy and look at how generously filled it is,,?

It's full of their house-made kimchi, plus mushrooms, tteokguk rice cakes, enoki mushrooms and quite a lot of meat... Eating a little with rice before the grill heats up is a great appetizer 😽 It's served split into two bowls, just right for two people!!!

Wagyu kkotsal first, then fresh pork belly

Enjoy the Australian wagyu flower steak (kkotsal) first.. The pork belly takes longer, so put it on early. The colorful veggies look even prettier once grilled. See how the meat cuts so softly with the scissors,,?

Dip the wagyu flower steak in salt and take a big bite, and you really get that beef tenderness and juicy, nutty flavor. The marbling is great, it isn't too greasy, and there's no gamey smell, so it was a perfect start!! Melt-in-your-mouth beef is always right, always right..

Next, the pork belly,,!! Fresh pork belly never fails.. It came at a good thickness and was so nice grilled crispy ㅠㅠ It cooked well while we ate the beef, so we could eat it right away without a break ㅠㅠ A different taste from the nutty beef.. Trying a variety like this was even more satisfying.

What does jeyuk stir-fried pork grilled on a stone plate taste like?

This is my first time grilling jeyuk (spicy pork) on an iron plate!! Excited!!

The jeyuk is even better stir-fried with the leftover veggies... Grilled on the stone like this, it cooks up crisp like over an open flame with no broth, and wow,, that is so good.

The jeyuk is thin, so the seasoning soaks in really well. Topped with veggies, the slightly spicy-salty jeyuk was a perfect palate cleanser after the wagyu flower steak and the pork belly.

Wagyu cheese fried rice, the Simin Sikdang way

Wow, and then the glowing boss arrived, the wagyu iron-plate cheese fried rice..!!! The lineup is already so perfect ㅠㅠㅠ

There's a way to make the wagyu gujeolpan cheese fried rice taste great, so follow it exactly!!

• 1. Stir-fry the wagyu until sizzling
• 2. Add the kimchi, bean sprouts and the set of three vegetables
• 3. Add one packet of sesame oil and stir-fry
• 4. Stir-fry together with the rice
• 5. Add the other packet of sesame oil and the seaweed flakes
• 6. Make a crater in the middle, add the cheese, then cover it with rice again
• 7. Turn off the heat after 2 minutes and enjoy!!

Seriously, Simin Sikdang is serious even about the fried rice... The kimchi stew, the meat, the fried rice, nothing falls short. First, they stir-fried the wagyu up nicely.

Then we added the bean sprouts, kimchi and the three kinds of veggies and stir-fried them!! Sesame oil went in too, of course!!

Then we added the rice and stir-fried it hard with the sesame oil ㅠㅠ Doesn't it look so good ㅠㅠ

With wagyu in the finishing fried rice, the chew is really different ㅠ That plating isn't just pretty, it's actually for the taste. Happy eyes and happy mouth, so the set was perfect right to the end. The two of us ate until we were really, truly stuffed haha.

Simin Sikdang Main Branch: final verdict

• Highly recommend the Asamyuk set for two
• The set lineup is really generous
• The clothes styler in a BBQ place is a crazy-good touch
• Staff service is the friendliest
• The 2nd floor is spacious, group reservations highly recommended

I was really satisfied with the Simin Sikdang Asamyuk set, which lets you enjoy wagyu flower steak, fresh pork belly, jeyuk stir-fry, kimchi stew and wagyu gujeolpan cheese fried rice all at once. My dad sometimes meets friends in Jongno, and I need to tell him to go to the 2nd floor of Simin Sikdang for his gatherings, haha. For those of you who, like me, always just walk past, please go in this time. It was sooo good!