Sindang izakaya Set 2 and Suijin highball: Lucky Dragon JCB

Today I'm introducing a great spot near Sindang Station: Lucky Dragon JCB⭐️ Sindang has so many good restaurants already, so I'm always drawn to something a bit different from your average izakaya! This time I visited Lucky Dragon JCB, which blends Chinese and Japanese vibes together — pretty impressive as a date spot~~ Let's get into the review🤗

Where is Lucky Dragon JCB and when is it open?

• 📍 Location: 43-8 Dasan-ro 42-gil, 1F, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 📍 Hours: Daily 17:00 - 02:00 (last order 01:00)
• 📍 Other: Group-friendly, reservations, wifi, easy payment

A 3-minute walk from Sindang Station Exit 4 — where to park?

It's about a 3-minute walk from Sindang Station Exit 4! If you're driving, note that there's no dedicated parking lot, so you'll need to use a nearby public parking lot😝

Inside Lucky Dragon JCB: 6-7 tables and window seats

Walking in, it felt cozy yet clean! There are only about 6 to 7 tables, so it's not a big place overall. But the tables aren't crammed together, so it was easy to chat quietly. There are also window seats by the floor-to-ceiling glass, which felt like a great spot to sit on a date.

The menu at Lucky Dragon JCB and what we ordered

Here's the menu! Lucky Dragon JCB splits its lunch and dinner menus. At lunch, you can get Japanese ramen, chahan (fried rice), and mapo tofu as meals. At dinner, they offer signature anju (drinking snacks) paired well with draft beer, highballs, and sake. The menu moves between Chinese and Japanese styles, which really sets it apart from a typical izakaya.

On this visit, we ordered

• Set 2 (char siu chahan, mala mapo tofu, age gyoza) - ₩33,900
• Suijin highball - ₩6,900

!

Tasting Set 2 dish by dish

For the basic side dish, we got what seemed like seasoned ugeoji (dried napa cabbage leaves) — good for cleansing the palate between bites.

The full spread!

Mala mapo tofu

[Mala mapo tofu] This is mapo tofu with mala (numbing-spicy) flavor added!

There was cilantro on top too.

You could really taste the distinct tingle of Sichuan peppercorn along with the spicy richness of chili oil! Surprisingly, even though it looked super salty and intense, the mapo tofu alone was delicious 😳 If you like that numbing mala flavor, this will be pretty satisfying!!

Char siu chahan (char siu fried rice)

[Char siu chahan] This is fried rice topped with char siu! Apparently they make the char siu in-house over 18 hours.

The rice grains were fluffy with a distinct wok-hei (smoky) flavor! The char siu was tender and savory-salty, with a rich umami that's typical of pork. It has a slight oiliness, but it's not too heavy, so you keep reaching for more!!

You've got to eat it with the mapo tofu~~ The savory fried rice mellows out the strong mala flavor nicely.

Age gyoza (fried dumplings)

[Age gyoza] This is a fried dumpling style!

Fried nicely crisp, one bite gave a satisfying crunch.

The dumpling filling was packed with juices!!

Tomato tsukemono (pickled tomato)

[Tomato tsukemono] This is pickled tomato

It's pickled in wine, but all the alcohol cooks off, leaving just the wine's sweetness soaked into the tomato.

Perfect for dessert!

Verdict: a different kind of date spot near Sindang Station

• Taste ★★★★
• Portion ★★★★☆
• Price ★★★★☆
• Hygiene ★★★★☆
• Service ★★★★☆
• Atmosphere ★★★★☆
• Would revisit ★★★★☆
• TOTAL | 4.43(5)

If you're looking for a distinctive, good-vibe date restaurant near Sindang Station, I recommend Lucky Dragon JCB!! Unlike a typical izakaya, the space felt unique with both Chinese and Japanese influences at play 🙌🏻🙌🏻 It's a small-scale place, but that actually makes it easier to talk quietly, which fit the date atmosphere well. Ate well today too!