Wagyu sirloin vs flap steak at Simin Sikdang, a Jongno 3-ga BBQ spot

I was looking for somewhere to have dinner near Jongno 3-ga and ended up at Simin Sikdang Main Branch! It's about 100 meters from Exit 1 of Jongno 3-ga Station, so it was quick to get to right off the subway. This time, instead of pork, I ordered wagyu sirloin and wagyu flap steak (kkotsal).

Even in photos the marbling looked pretty vivid, and there was a separate self-bar where you could grab different kinds of wrap vegetables, which made it great for wrapping the meat in various ways. The restaurant isn't just one floor either — there's seating upstairs too, so it looked like a solid option for a Jongno work dinner or a meal with a bigger group.

Where is Simin Sikdang Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Simin Sikdang Main Branch is located at Donhwamun-ro 5-gil 30, about 95m from Exit 1 of Jongno 3-ga Station, so it was easy to get to! It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00–21:30, and closed on Mondays.

• Address: 30 Donhwamun-ro 5-gil, Simin Sikdang Main Branch
• Hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–21:30 / closed Mondays
• Other: reservations and group bookings available, Wi-Fi, separate men's and women's restrooms
• Parking: not available

Just a note, the restaurant doesn't offer its own parking, so public transit seems like the easier way to get there.

Inside Simin Sikdang: the room and the upstairs seats

At the entrance of Simin Sikdang Main Branch there were notices about a TV feature and information about their kimchi stew. When I visited, there were quite a lot of customers inside already!

The ground floor has several tables set up, and you can go upstairs via an inner staircase. There's separate table seating upstairs too, so the space was bigger than I expected — it looked good for anything from a small meal to a gathering with several people.

It's fairly close to Jongno 3-ga Station, and since group bookings and reservations are possible, it seemed convenient for anyone looking for a Jongno work dinner or group dinner spot. If you're coming with a larger group, it's probably a good idea to check reservation availability beforehand.

What's on the wrap-vegetable self-bar?

On one side there was a separate wrap-vegetable self-bar. It wasn't just lettuce — there were several kinds of vegetables prepared, including perilla leaves, red chard, kale and chicory. Each vegetable had its name and a short description written next to it, so I picked up a few wrap vegetables I don't usually eat, haha.

I tend to eat a lot of wraps with meat, so it was convenient being able to grab as much as I wanted whenever I ran low. Along with wagyu sirloin and flap steak, there were pork menu items too, so it looked like a good spot for a group where everyone can order according to their own taste~

What two people ordered at Simin Sikdang, and what it cost

The two of us ordered one wagyu sirloin at 32,000 won and one wagyu flap steak at 37,000 won at Simin Sikdang Main Branch, plus a bowl of steamed rice for 1,000 won. The basic side dishes, sauces and wrap vegetables were set out first, and the meat came out with onions and mushrooms on the side.

How did the wagyu sirloin taste?

The first thing we tried was the wagyu sirloin! As soon as it came out, I could see the marbling packed densely through the lean meat.

The cut wasn't too thin, so it was easy to cook on the grill. The owner put the sirloin on the grill, cooked both sides, then cut it into bite-sized pieces for us.

As it cooked, juices rose to the surface and a savory smell filled the air, so I wanted to eat it right away, haha. I cooked mine to leave the inside still moist rather than fully well-done.

Even just one piece was tender and had a nutty flavor thanks to the right amount of fat. The thicker cuts where you can see the grain, like in the photo, weren't chewy at all and stayed moist when I bit into them.

I dipped it lightly in the basic sauce sometimes, and other times topped it with the onions and chives served alongside. Eating it with onions or vegetables rather than just meat cut down on the greasiness and made it much easier to keep eating~

There were so many kinds of wrap vegetables that I kept switching up the combinations. Sometimes I loaded lettuce generously with meat and green onion shreds, and other times I put meat, kimchi and garlic on a perilla leaf.

Wrapping it in a strong-flavored vegetable like perilla leaf made the meat taste completely different, so I kept reaching for it. Even in a single wrap I could swap around small amounts of meat, onion, green onion shreds, garlic and ssamjang, so I ended up taking a ton of photos, haha.

How was the wagyu flap steak different from the sirloin?

Next up was the wagyu flap steak. Comparing it side by side with the sirloin when it arrived, the flap steak clearly had more visible marbling.

The meat was sliced into long strips and grilled one row at a time. As it sat on the grill, the fat melted and the surface got glossy; after cooking both sides, we cut it into bite-sized pieces.

The flap steak had a slightly richer, nuttier flavor in one bite compared to the sirloin! Since we didn't overcook it, the inside stayed moist and tender.

Picking up each piece like in the photo, there was still enough juice left that it was good to eat on its own. It also tasted great with grilled onions on top.

The onions turned sweet as they cooked, which paired really well with the meat. Again, I tried a bunch of different wrap combinations~

I put flap steak and grilled onion on lettuce with a bit of green onion shreds or chili sometimes, and other times made a big wrap with meat, kimchi and garlic on a perilla leaf. Meat on perilla leaf with kimchi and garlic is such a familiar combo, and it was just as good as ever, haha.

With so many kinds of vegetables at the self-bar, it was fun how the same meat tasted a little different depending on the wrap. Having tried both the sirloin and the flap steak, I personally preferred the flap steak — the marbling stood out a bit more and the nutty flavor was richer.

Rice and kimchi bean sprout stew at Simin Sikdang

It felt like something was missing with just meat, so I ordered a bowl of steamed rice too. The kimchi bean sprout stew was freshly boiled and served hot — with bean sprouts and green onion in the broth, it went well after eating meat.

Having a spoonful of broth after a rich piece of meat felt like it reset my palate, so I ate well right to the end. I also noticed all around the restaurant that Simin Sikdang has been featured on TV for its kimchi stew, so next time I'd like to try the kimchi stew or other rice menu items too.

Verdict: is Simin Sikdang a good Jongno group dinner spot?

I tried both the wagyu sirloin and wagyu flap steak at Simin Sikdang Main Branch! Both cuts had visible marbling and weren't chewy at all once grilled, making them easy to eat.

The flap steak in particular had just the right amount of fat mixed in, so the nutty flavor came through more clearly in one bite, while the sirloin was comparatively lighter and easy to eat. I also liked having a separate wrap-vegetable self-bar, so I could grab as much as I wanted of not just lettuce and perilla leaves but several other kinds of vegetables too.

Eating the meat together with wrap vegetables rather than just meat on its own kept things from feeling too greasy all the way through, haha. It's fairly close to Jongno 3-ga Station and has seating upstairs too, so it works well for a meal for two, but it also looked like a good choice for a Jongno work dinner or group dinner with more people.

If you're looking for a place to eat meat around Jongno with plenty of seating, Simin Sikdang Main Branch might be worth checking out :)