Tangtang octopus at SABAL, a Korean restaurant with parking in Jongno

I had an errand near Gyeongbokgung Station and stopped by SABAL for dinner. I'd wanted to visit ever since I saw it featured on Wednesday Food Talk, a food show I've always trusted, and this errand happened to bring me nearby. What made it especially convenient was that parking around Gyeongbokgung is usually a headache if you drive, but SABAL offers parking support.

How much parking does SABAL near Gwanghwamun Station cover?

SABAL sits on the first floor of the Gyeonghuigung-ui Achim Complex 3 officetel. I knew there was a parking lot, but since this is right in the middle of Gwanghwamun in Seoul, I expected it to be complicated. It turned out to be much easier than I thought.

Every car gets 1 hour free, and if each person spends over ₩20,000 on food, you get an extra hour. They also sell discounted parking tickets, so even if the free support isn't enough, the extra cost is minimal. Parking stress is common when eating in downtown Seoul, so this was quite convenient.

SABAL's exterior and interior on the first floor of Gyeonghuigung-ui Achim

Walking past Gyeonghuigung-ui Achim, I once thought 'that restaurant looks pretty' — and it turned out to be SABAL. We visited around 6pm on a weekday and got in right away with no wait.

Now that the weather's cool like this, sitting at the outdoor tables to eat would be nice too.

Inside, the dining area and kitchen were separated, and there was also a room for private dining. When we visited, a group meal was in progress in the room, so I couldn't take interior photos there. It seemed like a good spot for family gatherings or meals with friends where you want to chat comfortably.

It looked neat from outside, but once inside, the atmosphere was far more upscale than I expected. At first I thought it was just a regular Korean restaurant, but visiting in person, it felt closer to Korean fine dining. The plating was clean, and between the store's atmosphere and the staff's service, it was overall a calm place to eat.

Under each chair was a basket for bags or belongings. I'd brought a backpack that day, and holding it on my lap was uncomfortable, but once I found the basket and set the bag down, eating became much more comfortable.

SABAL's menu and what we ordered

SABAL had quite a variety of menu items — rice dishes, warm noodles, cold noodles, salads, and meat dishes were all available.

What we ordered was..

• Tangtang octopus deodeok gochujang rice + mini noodles ₩17,000
• Gamtae perilla oil bibimbap + mini noodles ₩17,000

Looking at nearby tables, the mini tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes) seemed to be a popular order too. We wanted to try it, but since we'd had a late lunch that day, we held back, worried we'd order too much and leave leftovers. Next time I visit, I'd like to try the tteokbokki too.

Pumpkin porridge and the side dishes at SABAL

Once we sat down, pumpkin porridge came out first. The vivid yellow color looked appetizing, and a spoonful tasted sweet and smooth. It was a nice light bite before the meal.

Three basic side dishes came out, and the kimchi especially caught my eye. At most restaurants kimchi comes in large pieces you have to cut with chopsticks, but here it was already cut into bite-sized pieces from the start. It felt like even the small details were carefully considered — a sign of the restaurant's attentiveness.

The mini noodles that come with the set

The mini noodles that came with the menu were noodles in a warm anchovy broth. Tasting the broth first, it had a clean, light anchovy flavor. But there was a slightly spicy note lingering at the end. Not aggressively spicy — just a subtle kick after the clean broth, which actually helped whet the appetite.

It tasted best right when it first arrived. Trying it again midway through the meal, it felt a bit blander than at first — I'm not sure if that's because the broth cooled down or because I'd been eating other food in between. Either way, I'd recommend eating the mini noodles while they're still warm, right when they arrive.

What does SABAL's tangtang octopus with deodeok gochujang rice taste like?

The tangtang octopus deodeok gochujang rice caught the eye with its plating the moment it arrived. Yellow egg strips were arranged around the edge like flower petals, with a red pepper on top as an accent, making the colors quite pretty.

Octopus sat on top of the rice, along with flying fish roe. Every spoonful had the fun popping texture of the roe. Every so often the aroma of minari (water dropwort) drifted up too, so overall the smell was never monotonous.

The gochujang seasoning gave it a slight kick, but the seasoning itself was on the milder side. It wasn't aggressively salty or spicy — you could still taste the rice and ingredients together. The chewy octopus, the popping roe, and the minari aroma all came together in one spoonful, making it fun to eat.

Gamtae perilla oil bibimbap: better wrapped in the seaweed

The gamtae (dried seaweed) perilla oil bibimbap was also mild in seasoning overall.

I especially loved the aroma and taste of the shiitake mushrooms. With perilla oil and perilla powder mixed in, there was plenty of nutty flavor too.

Rather than a bibimbap with strong, punchy seasoning, this was closer to a dish that highlighted the aroma and nuttiness of the ingredients themselves.

Wrapping the rice in gamtae added its distinctive aroma, and the same rice tasted noticeably different.

Personally, I preferred wrapping it in gamtae over eating it plain. If the octopus rice was spicy and chewy, the gamtae perilla oil bibimbap was nutty and light — I was glad we ordered both.

Near the checkout counter, mouthwash was set out too. It wasn't a strong, tingling product like Gargrin or Listerine — the taste was relatively mild and gentle.

Is SABAL worth a weekday dinner? Final verdict

I first went to SABAL out of curiosity because it had appeared on Wednesday Food Talk. But visiting in person, the plating was pretty, the space was neatly kept, and the staff were kind. Above all, having a wide variety of rice and noodle dishes made it easy to pick something to your taste. It's a good place to head to when you want a somewhat elegant setting for Korean food near Gyeongbokgung or Gwanghwamun. Being able to get parking support when parking is a worry in downtown Seoul was a pretty big plus too.