Busan curry restaurant for half-and-half curry: Sarugak20

I had dinner plans in Jeonpo later, but had a little time to spare, so I stopped by Sarugak20 (사루각20) for a solo lunch!

Have you been to Moru Sikdang, the really famous restaurant in Jeonpo, Busan? I had been to Moru Sikdang many times, so when I heard that its second location, Sarugak20, was in Jeonpo, I visited with sky-high expectations.

Sarugak20 hours and location

Sarugak20 is on basement level 1, 78 Seojeon-ro 68beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea. It is open from 10:00 to 19:30, with last orders at 19:00, and closes regularly every Monday. Takeout, delivery, and pets are all welcome.

I also loved that it operates without a break time, so you can visit whenever! It is right in front of the Jeonpo 1-dong Community Service Center and only 210 m from Exit 8 of Jeonpo Station, so it is really close. Since it is underground, just follow the stairs down!

How to choose and order from the menu

The menu is neatly displayed at the entrance too, so it was easy to look over what I wanted before going inside!

Once inside, they give you a separate menu at your table so you can choose comfortably. After deciding, you order at the counter. Frozen curry is available to take home too. At around ₩5,000–₩6,000, it is not expensive, and it would be perfect for an easy meal at home—especially for people living alone or office workers to take away! Quite a few people actually came in just to buy curry. If I lived alone, I think I would go for takeout every day, haha.

After ordering, I picked up water and a glass from the station beside the counter, waited at my seat, and they brought the curry over directly.

A basement interior that does not feel underground

There is a separate washbasin inside so you can quickly wash your hands before or after eating. Hand wash and even hand cream were provided—the owner's thoughtful touch really came through, haha.

Although the restaurant is underground, natural sunlight streams in through the windows, so it did not feel stuffy at all. From the window bar seats, you can see hanok (traditional Korean house) rooftops, surrounding buildings, and bits of sky between them—a view that is not easy to find elsewhere.

Warm wood-toned tables and chairs, together with soft lighting, made the whole place feel calm and comfortable. I visited at around 1:30 on a weekend, and plenty of people were already eating. Even at that awkward in-between meal time, customers kept coming in! I guess it really is a well-known curry spot in Jeonpo, Busan, haha.

There was also a floor-seating area on one side. It was cozily separated from the rest of the space, so it looked great for groups to eat comfortably together!

There are bar seats by the windows, but there is also a bar along the wall, which makes it great for solo diners like me.

A space that feels like a little gift shop

On one side of the restaurant, they sell all kinds of items, including rattan bags, accessories, and keyrings. It was fun to browse while waiting for the curry!

There were lots of cute handmade items too. I really had my eye on the baseball-shaped keyring! Haha.

The walls were decorated with various illustrations, postcards, and vintage pieces. Sarugak20 was the kind of place where it was fun to look around every corner.

Half-and-half curry with cream and special curry

As I looked around the restaurant, the curry came out in no time. The half-and-half curry comes with cream curry and special curry, letting you try two kinds on one plate, so I think first-time visitors should give it a go! It is a popular dish at Sarugak20, one of Jeonpo, Busan's well-known curry spots, haha.

You can add a range of toppings to the curry, including scrambled eggs, a poached egg, sausage, and pork cutlet. I added scrambled eggs to my half-and-half curry, haha.

I tried the cream curry first, and it was wonderfully smooth, rather like Japanese soup curry. The curry aroma was gentle and lingering, making me want to keep eating. I can see why Sarugak20 is considered a great curry spot in Jeonpo, Busan...!! It had a slight kick too, so it was not rich in a cloying way.

The special curry contains minced beef, giving you a meaty texture in every bite, and its curry flavor is much deeper than the cream curry. I think people who love a bold curry flavor would prefer the special curry.

The perfect pairing with a sweet potato cheese croquette

I also ordered a sweet potato cheese croquette as a side. Its outside was crisply fried and wonderfully crunchy, while the inside was packed with sweet potato and cheese. Eating it while it was warm was especially delicious because the cheese stretched right out!

The croquette was delicious on its own, but I also dipped it in the cream curry sauce. The sweet sweet-potato-and-cheese filling and smooth curry were such a good match! If you visit Sarugak20 in Jeonpo, Busan, definitely add the sweet potato cheese croquette, haha.

My final thoughts on Sarugak20 half-and-half curry

Sarugak20, a Jeonpo, Busan curry spot run by the owner of Moru Sikdang! I completely recommend the half-and-half curry for enjoying both curries, along with the sweet potato cheese croquette on the side!

You can buy the curry through its Smart Store as well! Since you can keep it frozen and simply heat it up whenever a curry craving hits, it seems really convenient for people living alone or office workers. I am thinking of ordering some to try at home too, haha.