Hongdae restaurant in Seoul for dongpo pork rice bowl: Surim Sikdang

We're not exactly young anymore, but we agreed to meet in Hongdae, the street of youth. Are we going to be okay...? Haha.

Looking for something simple to eat before hanging out nearby, we went to Surim Sikdang, which is apparently famous in Busan.

Is there a wait at Surim Sikdang Hongdae on weekdays?

When we walked in around 6:30pm on a weeknight, the place was nearly empty, but by 7pm it was almost fully booked. Seeing it packed even on a weekday made me think weekends might require a wait. That said, the menu is simple so turnover seems decent — worth keeping in mind.

• Hours: 11:00 AM–9:00 PM (last order 8:00 PM)
• Weekday break time: 3:00 PM–5:00 PM
• Address: 19-19 Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Where is Surim Sikdang Hongdae, and is there parking?

Surim Sikdang Hongdae sits between Sangsu Station and Hongik University Station, about a 10-minute walk from either one. The closest bus stop is Hongdae Jeongmun, so it's easy for students to reach given how close it is to Hongik University's front gate. There's a free parking lot next to the restaurant on weekends, but since it's tucked in an alley, I'd recommend public transit.

Menu and the 7,000-won eggplant rice bowl

Tantanmen is the headliner, but the dongpo pork rice bowl and other dishes all looked delicious too. What surprised me most was that the eggplant rice bowl costs just ₩7,000. Prices have gone up so much lately that eating out usually means budgeting at least ₩10,000 per meal. Since March 2024, Surim Sikdang Hongdae has been selling the eggplant rice bowl at ₩7,000 every day until they run out. You could feel the owner's consideration for students watching their wallets in that price.

You order at the kiosk near the entrance and grab a seat, and you can also check out tips for enjoying each dish.

Tantanmen, the Busan signature

Deep bone broth spiced with paprika-peanut sauce and egg noodles made for a spicy tantanmen (sesame-peanut spicy noodles). It's spicier than you'd expect, so if you struggle with even mild ramen heat, this might be tough — but if you love spicy food, it's a perfect match. It was so good we scraped the bowl clean, with the ground meat's savoriness and the bean sprouts' crunch working together beautifully. The white part of the green onion added its own depth too.

Dongpo pork rice bowl

A hearty bowl with tender-braised dongpo pork (soy-braised pork belly), salty simmered fried tofu, bean sprouts, and egg. Dongpo pork can easily turn greasy if done wrong, but this wasn't greasy at all, and the portion of meat was generous.

Beef noodle soup

Beef shank simmered for a long time, given a kick with salty Ulleungdo-grown myeong-i namul (mountain garlic leaves). The rich broth feels like sagol gomtang (bone broth), topped with thick, tender slices of beef shank. With bean sprouts, green onion, and bok choy adding fiber, it's not spicy at all, so kids could probably eat it too.

Eggplant mandu (5 pieces)

Surim Sikdang's signature dish. Minced meat and vegetables are packed between slices of eggplant and deep-fried, served fresh and hot. They're quite large, so even one piece is filling. Be careful of burning the roof of your mouth since it's hot, and you can dip it in fried soy sauce or mala sauce to taste. My friend was already full but kept picking at these until the very end because they were so good. Whether you come alone, as a pair, or in a group, this is a dish you absolutely have to order. My friend even said they want to come back just for the eggplant mandu.

Seating and facilities inside Surim Sikdang Hongdae

Surim Sikdang Hongdae has three 6-person tables plus bar seating on both sides. The thoughtful touches stood out — a baby chair, a hanger for coats, and baskets for storing bags.

The aprons were disposable, so it felt clean, and the side dishes were self-serve, so you could take as much as you wanted.

Even without a dinner appetite going in, everyone scraped their bowls clean — a truly delicious meal. If you're looking for a good simple Chinese food or ramen spot near Hongdae, this might just be one of the best choices around.

And so, another day where I accidentally ate way too much. Next time, I'm going for the mapo tofu rice bowl.