Spicy bracken pork gukbap and handmade sundae in Gangnam: Sinju Okmi

I was craving something hot and hearty after a while, so I visited Sinju Okmi Gangnam Branch, famous for delicious gukbap near Gangnam Station!!

Where is Sinju Okmi Gangnam Branch and how do you get there?

Sinju Okmi Gangnam Branch is a 5-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 3! It's on the first floor of a building on Teheran-ro 10-gil, so it wasn't hard to find at all.

How busy is Sinju Okmi on a Saturday at noon?

I visited on a Saturday at 12pm and there were so many people eating already! If I'd come just a little later I might have had to wait... 😳

Sinju Okmi menu and what was ordered

This time I ordered the boyang spicy bracken sweet rice-crust pork gukbap and a half plate of handmade assorted myeongin sundae!

Sinju Okmi's table setting and heotgae tea

I loved that dadaegi chili paste, salted shrimp, and perilla powder were set on the table so you could adjust the seasoning to your taste while eating the gukbap. You could enjoy the base broth first, then add dadaegi for extra spiciness, or season with salted shrimp and add perilla powder for a nuttier flavor — really nice for adjusting to your own palate haha.

And the water wasn't regular bottled water but heotgae tea!! It was refreshing to sip between bites, and it felt like they cared about these small details too.

Half plate of handmade myeongin sundae: thin sundae casing

The handmade assorted myeongin sundae half plate went really well with the gukbap!! You could try a little of several kinds of sundae without much commitment, and the sundae itself was moist and packed with filling, making it even more satisfying alongside the gukbap! Dipping the sundae lightly in the gukbap broth also worked really well! The sundae skin was thin, so it was delicious! Skip the boiled pork half plate and definitely try this sundae instead!

How the spicy bracken and sweet-rice-crust pork gukbap tastes

The pork gukbap had a distinctive name from the start. As the name suggests, it's a spicy gukbap with bracken (fernbrake) and sweet rice crust in it, giving it a different feel from a typical pork gukbap! The bracken in the warm broth added nice texture, and the broth itself was spicy yet rich, perfect for eating with rice!!

In particular, the sweet rice crust dissolved into the broth added a chewy yet soft texture that made it even more satisfying haha. Scooping up the meat and bracken together in one spoonful gave a variety of textures, and the spicy broth kept me reaching for my spoon again and again! If you like hot soup dishes, this menu will satisfy you!!

Kimchi, seasoned radish and somyeon at the self-serve bar

One of the most convenient parts of the meal was the self-serve bar. With kimchi, pickled radish, somyeon noodles, and more prepared, I could help myself to as much as I needed. It's a really welcome setup especially for those who like adding somyeon to their gukbap! The kimchi and pickled radish also paired well with the gukbap, and eating them in between bites made the meal even tastier haha.

Is Sinju Okmi Gangnam worth it, and when to go?

Overall it was a satisfying meal — I got to enjoy a spicy, hearty gukbap together with handmade sundae! If you want something a bit different from typical pork gukbap, I'd recommend the boyang spicy bracken sweet rice-crust pork gukbap! This is a place I'd want to revisit when I want a hearty, hot meal! 😋

Also, they post that the meat is boiled at 10am, 12pm, 4pm, and 6pm, so if your timing lines up, it might be worth trying freshly boiled meat. If you're a fan of meat dishes, keep that visit timing in mind! As part of a review event, you can also get a purple bread snack, so grab it as a simple dessert after your meal~~~~