Seomyeon braised ribs, plain level 1 and gold-bowl fried rice: Sinchon

What kind of braised rib restaurant is Sinchon Yangpuni in Seomyeon?

Sinchon Yangpuni (신촌양푼이) is a spicy yangpuni (metal-bowl) braised rib restaurant in Seomyeon, Busan, that says it has served nothing but braised ribs in the same spot for 20 years. The weather has been getting hot and I've lost my appetite, and when that happens something spicy is just the thing. Sinchon Yangpuni in Seomyeon is famous for its spicy braised ribs, so I went, and hearing "20 years in the same spot" made me look forward to the taste even more!

Sinchon Yangpuni main building or annex: which one to go to?

Sinchon Yangpuni Seomyeon Main Branch has two buildings: the main building down an alley, and a newly opened annex right across from it. The new annex definitely looks cleaner from the outside!

To get to the main building you go down an alley like this, and unlike the annex, it has the feel of a well-worn local favorite showing its years!!

Inside, the main building is full of homey, nostalgic charm, and both locals and tourists come here. It's less about fancy interiors and more about the food, a comfortable place to enjoy a meal.

I like that you can pick between the main building and the annex to suit your taste. I haven't been to the annex yet so I can't say, but next time I'll try it!!

Is Sinchon Yangpuni's spice level 1 OK if you can't handle spice?

Sinchon Yangpuni's level 1 is just pleasantly spicy, so even a spice wimp like me enjoyed it. The wall has tips for eating it well and a clear guide to how hot each level is, which made choosing easy!!

I'm a spice wimp so I went with level 1, and if it isn't spicy enough once you taste it, you can add more heat!! I really like that.

Sinchon Yangpuni menu and how to order

The main menu at Sinchon Yangpuni is the yangpuni braised ribs, and you have to order one portion per person. You can also pick toppings like octopus, kimchi or pork cutlet. Toppings would probably taste even better, but I just wanted to try the plain basic version. Here's what I ordered today~

• Yangpuni braised ribs, level 1
• Rice balls
• Self-made fried rice
• Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) add-on

That's what I ordered, haha!

Complimentary soup and side dishes

Sinchon Yangpuni serves soup by default, and it was nice and warm for settling the stomach.

And the basic side dishes come out too.

Rice balls loaded with seaweed flakes

The rice balls came out first. They're covered in seaweed flakes, and you mix them up hard, haha. When there's red broth around, I always crave rice balls!

Do staff cut the yangpuni braised ribs for you?

Yes, at Sinchon Yangpuni a staff member comes over, separates the bones and cuts up the meat. After a short wait, today's main, the yangpuni braised ribs, arrived!!

It looks a bit like a mountain of bulgogi, piled high with bean sprouts and shredded scallions, and then a staff member comes to prepare it. They separate the bones and cut the meat, and the bones slide right out. You just wait and they do it all, which was so convenient!! Ta-da, the finished braised ribs~

How the level 1 braised ribs taste

I went with level 1 and it was nicely spicy and delicious. The ribs were cooked until tender, soft and easy to chew,

and piling on scallions and bean sprouts brought out even more texture. Also, a small amount of rice cakes and glass noodles comes inside the ribs by default, so just so you know~

Wrapping them up with the "honey combo" posted on the wall made them even tastier. Honey combo approved!! I also dipped the leftover rice balls in the broth,

and the spicy seasoning soaks deep into the ribs, so the heat went really well with the rice balls!

Braised ribs that are also perfect as drinking food 👍🏻👍🏻

Finishing with kalguksu noodles and self-made fried rice

The broth at Sinchon Yangpuni is so rich and tasty that I couldn't skip the add-ons. Drop in the kalguksu noodles and you've got a spicy kalguksu~

And of course the finish is fried rice~ They say the broth tastes better when reduced, so I reduced it as much as I could and made the fried rice myself,

Make the fried rice in the gold yangpuni bowl

Apparently the self-made fried rice at Sinchon Yangpuni is supposed to be done in the gold yangpuni bowl?! Hahahaha. I didn't know and just fried it in the pot.. It was still delicious, as expected.

Sinchon Yangpuni braised ribs in Seomyeon: final verdict

If you're looking for a meal or a braised rib spot in Seomyeon, give Sinchon Yangpuni a try. I liked that you can adjust the spice level and add toppings to your taste. For an easy time, level 1 seems good. Next time I'll try toppings and level 2!