Cucumber and eggplant haters' Chinese lunch in Apgujeong: Bobo Sikdang

I visited Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong, run by the chef who appeared on Culinary Class Wars 2 as "Samdaega Jungsik" (Three-Generation Chinese)!

Where is Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong, and what are its hours?

Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong is at 1F Unit 103, Robin Luxury Hall, 30 Eonju-ro 174-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and it is open daily from 11:30 to 22:00. Break time is 15:00 - 17:30, and last order is 14:20 for lunch and 20:50 - 21:00 for dinner.

• 📍 Location: 1F Unit 103, Robin Luxury Hall, 30 Eonju-ro 174-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ Hours: daily 11:30 - 22:00
• Break time 15:00 - 17:30
• Last order (lunch) 14:20 / (dinner) 20:50 - 21:00
• 💚 Group reservations available
• 🍷 Corkage available

Bobo Sikdang's exterior and atmosphere

The outside is a bold red that says "proper Chinese restaurant" right away, so it really stands out! Plastered on the door before you walk in are the marks for three years of Blue Ribbon certification and Taste of Seoul, which tell you this is a good place and got me excited.

And the fact that it was on Culinary Class Wars 2!! It was my first time at a restaurant of a show chef, so my expectations were high ><

Are Bobo Sikdang's private rooms good for work dinners and family meetings?

Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong has several private rooms, so the vibe is great for group dinners, gatherings, meetings and even the first meeting between two families (sangyeollye). Even on a weekday lunch the rooms were filling up, so I'd book ahead on Naver Reservation haha.

Even without a room, the hall is spacious with lots of tables. It feels less like a plain Chinese restaurant and more like fine dining! Galleria Department Store is nearby, so it's perfect for a meal after shopping haha.

They even thought of high chairs! When you eat out with a baby in Apgujeong Rodeo, you end up hunting for a high chair. Come to Bobo Sikdang ><

Chinese food is rich and oily, so warm tea is just right, and I liked that Bobo Sikdang serves warm tea instead of water haha.

Set menu or à la carte for two at Bobo Sikdang?

For two, the double set (cucumber salad + XO sauce steamed scallops + mala eggplant tempura + a meal dish, ₩57,000) is the sensible choice, but I was curious about the beef butter sweet and sour pork, so I ordered à la carte. The à la carte options are good, but the sets and courses are well put together too, so ordering a set or course that fits your group size would be great.

I went with a friend and was going to order the double set, but I was so curious about the beef butter sweet and sour pork that I went à la carte haha.

• Beef butter sweet and sour pork (tenderloin) ₩45,000
• Mala eggplant tempura ₩29,000
• Cucumber salad ₩9,000

Will cucumber haters like Bobo Sikdang's cucumber salad?

Bobo Sikdang's cucumber salad (₩9,000) has the cucumber sliced into thin layers like a spiral potato, so even I, a cucumber hater, enjoyed it. Even the cucumber salad is fancy, lol. A high-end Chinese restaurant really is different. I don't much like cucumber, but I ordered it to cut the richness of Chinese food (though it honestly wasn't rich haha).

I don't like cucumber, so big whole chunks would have been hard to eat, but cut into thin layers the special sauce soaks in and the texture actually turns soft, so even a cucumber-hating person like me loved it! With that tangy, sweet, cool sauce, cucumber can actually taste this good...

Is Bobo Sikdang's mala fried eggplant a must-order?

Bobo Sikdang's mala eggplant tempura (₩29,000) is the best fried eggplant of my life, and I'd tell you to definitely order it. The batter is very thin and crunchy, and the eggplant was soft with no oiliness.

I don't like eggplant either, lol, but I do like the fried eggplant at Chinese restaurants, you know the one. But mala fried eggplant? I couldn't not order it. It looked crunchy from the first glance and made my mouth water..

One shot before cutting it, and you can see the crunch even in the photo

Wow, one bite and it was the best fried eggplant of my life. Honestly, fried eggplant that's a bit mushy and soaked in oil is awful, right? If you don't like fried eggplant, that's surely the kind you've had. Bobo Sikdang's eggplant isn't oily or mushy; it's soft. How do they cook it like this?? A real high-end Chinese restaurant is different; I felt it through fried eggplant.

And can you see how thick the batter is? It's so thin that it cuts the greasiness yet is super crunchy. That's why it goes so well with the soft eggplant ㅠㅠ The mala sauce was also so, so good that I wanted to order a bowl of rice and mix it in. Please definitely order the mala eggplant tempura!!

Is Bobo Sikdang's beef butter tangsuyuk too greasy?

In Bobo Sikdang's beef butter sweet and sour pork (tenderloin, ₩45,000), the butter melts in the heat of the dish and the butter aroma soaks through everything, and despite my worry it wasn't rich at all. This butter tenderloin tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) was something I wanted to try even if it meant giving up the set menu!

When you toss it, the butter melts from the heat of the tangsuyuk and the aroma spreads through the whole dish. I did worry that butter tangsuyuk would be too rich, but if you're a butter lover, please, please try this tangsuyuk..

The tender beef tenderloin goes so well with the butter and the sweet and sour sauce, it's really good!!! ㅜㅜ The tangsuyuk I've been eating at Chinese restaurants isn't tangsuyuk,, the usual kind is soaked in oil with a hard coating that makes the roof of your mouth sore ㅠㅠ Bobo Sikdang's butter tangsuyuk stays soft in your mouth the whole time 🤍🤍

Is Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong expensive?

With a Culinary Class Wars 2 chef and an Apgujeong location, I expected it to be really pricey, but Bobo Sikdang's prices were quite reasonable! And the taste, need I say.. every dish was good and the atmosphere is great, so I highly recommend it for dates and family meet-ups too! I recommend Bobo Sikdang as a Chinese restaurant in Apgujeong Rodeo ❤️

At the time of the writer's visit, there were reportedly a corkage discount for writing a review and a free drink for saving the restaurant on Naver.