Gangneung Korean restaurant, set meal for 3 + sundubu: Saimdang Bueok

An honest review of Saimdang Bueok, a Gangneung Chodang sundubu spot. A neat hanjeongsik (Korean set meal) near Ojukheon that was great for going with my parents.

Why I chose Saimdang Bueok for a Korean meal near Ojukheon

Gangwon trip? Gangneung is the first place that comes to mind! As always, I planned this summer vacation around Gangneung restaurants. My parents and I love Korean food, so we often go to tofu restaurants, ssambap (leaf wrap rice) places and hanjeongsik restaurants. This time Saimdang Bueok (사임당부엌) caught my eye: it's famous for Chodang sundubu (soft tofu) and offers unlimited basic side dishes.

Wraps come with the basic side dishes, there's Gangneung's signature Chodang sundubu, and the neat banchan (side dishes) get refilled. It ticked every box! So off we drove to Ojukheon~

Saimdang Bueok location and hours

Saimdang Bueok is at 1st floor, 6 Jukheon-gil 85beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon. It's super close to Ojukheon~ close enough that you can take a walk after your meal if the weather is nice.

It's open daily 10:30–20:00, with last order at 19:15. No closing days, so you can visit without worrying.

Parking and restrooms

The parking lot at Saimdang Bueok is really big, so there was no parking stress~ It seems to be shared with the neighboring Matdeurin restaurant.

The restrooms are separate for men and women.

You go in next to the cashier. The restroom was really clean! Maybe because the building is newly built, the interior and everything else were tidy too.

Seating inside: reserve ahead for a window table

Saimdang Bueok takes Naver reservations. My family booked on Naver the day before and got a nice window table! Groups are welcome, and the building seems to be shared with the neighboring restaurant, Matdeurin.

The building seems newly made, and it was really clean and hygienic. There were rooms big enough for group visits, and the main hall was spacious too.

Each seat is also separated by partitions, so you can eat and chat without worrying about other guests. Nice.

Saimdang Bueok full menu and prices

You order from the kiosk at each seat. You can also press the bell and order from a staff member!

• Ojukheon Hansang ₩14,000 (doenjang jjigae, soybean paste stew)
• Saimdang Hansang ₩19,000 (choice of seaweed soup or Chodang sundubu)
• Yulgok Hansang ₩35,000

This time we ordered three Ojukheon Hansang sets and added an à la carte Chodang sundubu!

What's in the Ojukheon Hansang: 8 side dishes, grilled fish and doenjang jjigae

The Ojukheon Hansang comes with 8 basic side dishes, wrap vegetables, ganngdoenjang (thick soybean paste), grilled fish and doenjang jjigae.

The grilled fish is flounder and Korean atka mackerel (imyeonsu), crispy and seasoned just right, perfect with a spoonful of rice!

The doenjang jjigae isn't the usual MSG-heavy stew you get at barbecue places. It's packed with ingredients and has the healthy flavor my parents like.

The Chodang sundubu and side dishes I liked most

What I liked most were the side dishes and the Chodang sundubu.

The Chodang sundubu is seriously, seriously good (crying). I scooped up every last drop of the broth. The broth is really nutty and mild, with a real tofu aroma, so good.. It was the best tofu I've ever had!

And the side dishes are amazing. At Korean restaurants that don't care about banchan, everything tastes like it came from the same factory (you all know, even the sauces taste alike..). At Saimdang Bueok every single side dish was really tasty. It tasted like handmade dishes from a premium banchan shop! My parents, who are picky about banchan, were really satisfied. The seasoning wasn't too salty, just right, so it was great for making cabbage wraps by dipping wrap vegetables in doenjang.

Another plus: the side dishes are refillable! They were so good that we refilled every one of them once, I think. Clear shot, haha.

By the way, what we ordered was the Ojukheon Hansang, but rather than adding sundubu à la carte like my family did, ordering the Saimdang Hansang, which includes pork stir-fry, sundubu, grilled scallops and more, seems like better value!

Friendly staff too

The staff were friendly too. When I asked for a side dish refill they brought it right away, and when I pressed the bell they came immediately, even for small things. Service was easygoing overall, which I liked.

When you're eating good food, great service makes it more memorable.

Saimdang Bueok in Gangneung: overall verdict

One of the places I was most satisfied with, more than expected, among the food on this Gangneung trip. I actually went for the sundubu, but the basic side dishes were so good that they stuck with me even more. It's not a hanjeongsik place that throws out sloppy banchan; you can feel the care in each dish. I especially recommend the Chodang sundubu.

If you're looking for a Gangneung restaurant to take your parents to, it seems like a good choice :) Reviews are also good for dishes like pork stir-fry that kids would like, so I recommend it if you come with children too. I'll probably stop by again next time I'm in Gangneung, haha.