Sindang date restaurant for cilantro mapo tofu: Lucky Dragon JCB

Is Lucky Dragon JCB Sindang a good date spot near Sindang Station?

Lucky Dragon JCB Sindang is a great pick for a date near Sindang Station: the food is good and the mood works for a drink too. I didn't even know a place like this existed, and I'll definitely be back.

How to get to Lucky Dragon JCB and opening time

Lucky Dragon JCB Sindang is a short walk up an alley from the Line 2 side of Sindang Station. The distance between the Line 2 and Line 6 sides is quite long, so take the Line 2 exit. It opens at 5 PM, so you can book ahead, though walking in seems fine too.

Atmosphere inside Lucky Dragon JCB Sindang

The wood-toned interior feels cozy, and the lighting is neither too dark nor too bright. The big windows let in plenty of sunlight, but it's not open at the hottest time of day anyway, so if you want a window seat, just ask when you book!

Lucky Dragon JCB menu and how to order

The menu has rice and noodle dishes, small plates, and even nabe (Japanese-style hot pot) soups. There's a lot of variety and the prices aren't high, so a group could each order a few things they like. There are two discounted sets, but I only wanted what I was craving, so I ordered à la carte, haha.

The water tastes like barley tea, and the pitcher size differs for two people versus more. Anyway, that's not the important part: the table has a famous Japanese soy sauce plus various seasonings. There was a red one that might be chili flakes and a spice that smelled like Sichuan pepper!

QR code ordering at each table

You order by QR code, and each table has its own code, so you can see your companions' orders appear in real time on your phone. No awkwardly sharing one menu: everyone browses on their own phone and picks what they like. So good!

I ordered one each of the signature mapo tofu, the handmade yakigyoza (pan-fried dumplings), and yodaretori, a cold chicken dish sold at dinner only. Each menu item describes its flavor and ingredients, so it's easy even on a first visit!!!

There's also an event: leave a photo review on Naver or Google and you get a peach steamed bun, so definitely join in! I'll show it later, and it's super tasty.

How spicy is the mapo tofu at Lucky Dragon JCB?

The mapo tofu isn't as fiery as it looks, but the chili oil aroma and the numbing, tingling Sichuan pepper powder are fairly intense. The mapo tofu came out first. I really love cilantro, so I added it myself; do whatever suits your taste. Either way, I loved the bright red look and the piping-hot serving before I even took a bite.

It's packed with minced pork, and the tofu soaked in sauce doesn't feel separate from the rest.

Mapo tofu with a free bowl of rice

The mapo tofu would make a great drinking snack, but a staff member asked if I needed rice, and when I said yes, it was free! Naturally it shines even more with rice, and it's spicy but addictive, probably the best mapo tofu I've had lately. I want to go back just for this, haha. A great Sindang Station date spot.

How to eat yodaretori (gusugye) chicken

Gusugye is a cold chicken dish with sous vide chicken breast and plenty of spicy sauce on top of bean sprouts, best eaten wrapped in cucumber. The dish was honestly unfamiliar, but I like chicken, bean sprouts and cucumber, so I gave it a try. The sprouts are underneath and the spicy sauce is generously spooned over the top, so you can wrap it or eat the parts separately however you like.

The cilantro on the dish caught my eye first, but more than anything, the seasoning on those bean sprouts is something no Korean could dislike.

You use the cucumber like a wrap: lay down a slice, then top with sous vide chicken breast, a bit of bean sprouts and cilantro, and you're done. Thanks to the sous vide, the chicken breast is quite tender, and the strong seasoning covers the potentially bland cucumber and chicken, so the balance was good.

Handmade yakigyoza made in-house

The yakigyoza are dumplings made in the shop, Japanese style: moist on top and crispy on the bottom, in 5 decent-sized pieces. One mapo tofu came out, and then everything arrived in no time at Lucky Dragon, the Sindang Station favorite~~ Handmade dumplings made in-house are hard to find these days!

The meat and vegetable filling is well balanced, and with so much meat they were very juicy and delicious. They're hot right away, but dumplings like this shouldn't get cold, so my tip is to eat them quickly to keep the juices in~!!

Soju with the dishes, and the crowd

With such tasty snacks on the table, my companion couldn't not drink, and polished off a bottle of soju again today... The customers skew young overall, and with so many couples and groups of women, the place has clearly nailed both mood and flavor.

Photo review event: free peach steamed bun

The peach steamed bun is a dessert you get through the Naver or Google photo review event. It's shaped like a real peach and arrives in its steamer, more than warm, really hot! Isn't it so cute?

It's fairly full of red bean paste, and even I, who doesn't love red beans, enjoyed it: the sweetness of the beans, the nutty flavor of the bun and the chewy texture all blend well. I really don't like red bean, you know T_T but this is so good while it's warm!!! Write a review!! haha