Mala tofu over rice at Gangnam Station Chinese spot Sinbok Myeongwan

On days when I'm craving Chinese food near Gangnam Station, Sinbok Myeongwan sometimes pops into my head. Their mapo dofu especially has a flavor I keep thinking back to. This time too, I suddenly wanted mapo dofu, so I went for dinner.

Sinbok Myeongwan

Where is Sinbok Myeongwan, and is there parking? (1 minute from Gangnam Station Exit 1)

Sinbok Myeongwan, a Chinese food spot near Gangnam Station, is located on the basement level of Central Prugio City. It's about a 1-minute walk from Exit 1 of Gangnam Station (Line 2/Sinbundang Line), so it's convenient to drop by after work. Once you go down to the basement level, it's right to the right of the central escalator — just look for the sign written in Chinese characters. If you use the building's parking lot, the first hour is free, and after that it's ₩1,000 per 10 minutes. Good to know if you're driving.

What's on the menu at Sinbok Myeongwan

The menu ranges from noodles to rice dishes to cooked dishes. The signature noodle dishes are uyuk dosakmyeon (beef knife-cut noodles) and yubal dosakmyeon. Uyuk dosakmyeon pairs chewy handmade knife-cut noodles with a tingling Sichuan-style broth. If you prefer mixed-style noodles over soup noodles, yubal dosakmyeon is worth a look too. There's also gwabarou (sweet and sour pork), cream shrimp, chili shrimp, yulinji, gganpungi, and fried eggplant, plus rice dishes like shrimp fried rice, eoyang-gaji deopbap (eggplant rice bowl), and tiger deopbap.

Private rooms and solo seats — but no reservations

The interior is clean and on the compact side, with about 3 private rooms, good for visiting with a group. One downside though: they don't take reservations. It's not a book-ahead kind of place, so if you're planning to visit with a group, it's good to know that in advance. There are also about 3 seats by the window that are good for solo dining, so it works fine for eating alone too.

I visited during dinner time, and people kept streaming in until the place filled up quickly. It's a spot that a lot of office workers near Gangnam Station come to for lunch or dinner after work. You order through a table kiosk, so it's easy to take your time looking over the menu before ordering.

The three dishes ordered this time, plus free zhacai

The three dishes ordered were sujeongdal mandu (crystal shrimp dumplings) 9,800 won, shaomai 9,800 won, and mapo dofu 10,800 won.

This place is secretly a jjajangmyeon-radish (pickled radish, jjasai) spot worth noting. I picked at it before the main dishes came out, picked at it again while eating dim sum... I honestly lost count of how many refills I got, haha. The basic pickled radish that comes with Chinese restaurants quietly decides how satisfying the whole meal feels, and this one really suited my taste.

Shaomai, 9,800 won

The shaomai has pork and shrimp inside, topped with flying fish roe that adds a light popping texture. Dipped lightly in soy sauce with a bit of ginger on top, the savory dim sum flavor really came through.

Sujeongdal mandu (crystal dumplings), 9,800 won

The sujeongdal mandu is a dumpling with shrimp and garlic chives inside, and the wrapper's chewy texture was really nice. The plump bite of shrimp with a subtle hint of chive made it light and easy to eat.

Mala tofu, 10,800 won — order a bowl of rice with it

The mapo dofu has soft tofu with a mala flavor that builds up gradually. True to its reputation as a dish that devours rice, it tastes best eaten together with rice. Piling mapo dofu generously on top of a bowl of rice and mixing it all together with the sauce — ah, this is drool-inducing 💥. Scooping up a spoonful of rice with tofu and sauce together, it's spicy yet savory, and I kept going back for more. If you love mala flavor, I'd really recommend ordering a bowl of rice along with it.

Good for a solo dinner or a small group in Gangnam

With seats good for eating alone and rooms good for small groups, it works well whether you're visiting solo or with friends, depending on the occasion. Being close to Gangnam Station Exit 1 and easy to get to was also a big plus for me. If you're craving Chinese food or you love dim sum, it's worth stopping by at least once. Next time, I'm planning to pick one of the knife-cut noodle dishes and order the mapo dofu again, haha.