Japanese summer dinner in Hanam Misa: yuzu salmon jang at Roi Sikdang

Roi Sikdang in Hanam Misa when the heat kills your appetite

The weather's been insane lately — so hot that even though I'm hungry, I lose my appetite, and then my energy just tanks. Days like this keep happening. I figured I couldn't let it slide, so I went to Roi Sikdang, a Japanese home-cooking restaurant near Mangwolcheon Stream in Hanam Misa, to hunt down my lost appetite. If you're talking about must-visit restaurants in Hanam Misa, this is the place. This time I brought my appetite back with cool soba and refreshing yuzu salmon jang.

6:30pm visit, parking for 3–4 cars out front

I'd used Roi Sikdang a lot for delivery, so I've known this place since it opened. There's talk now that Roi Sikdang is the unofficial go-to for salmon donburi (rice bowl) in Hanam Misa. If you want salmon, head straight to Roi Sikdang, no questions asked.

I visited around 6:30pm. Since it's in a residential area near Mangwolcheon Stream, you can park right in front of the restaurant — around 3 to 4 spots seem available. It happened to be vacation season, so things were generally quiet, which made it twice as enjoyable, haha.

The exterior of Roi Sikdang, a Hanam Misa favorite, was clean and just so pretty. There's a break time too, so check before you visit.

Break time: 3pm to 5pm

Ordering the summer recommended menu at the kiosk

You order at the kiosk here.

This time I picked from the sweltering-summer recommended menu. Since we were starving, we decided to order first and think later — I wanted to try all 4 of the popular summer dishes, but since there were only two of us, we each ordered one we liked. I got the earthenware-aged yuzu salmon jang, and my friend got the king shrimp tempura soba (2 pieces).

Roi Sikdang's interior, full of cute little details

This is the interior of Roi Sikdang — so pretty, right? Totally my taste. There were so many cute little decorative pieces that it felt like a place you should come to for a special occasion. It's a Hanam Misa favorite, but is it allowed to be this pretty? Being somewhere nice like this really does lift your mood too.

Earthenware-aged yuzu salmon jang set, ₩16,900

This is what I ordered — the earthenware-aged yuzu salmon jang set for ₩16,900, also available à la carte. The set apparently comes with extra fruit and takoyaki.

When you hear "salmon jang," you might worry it'll be heavy on soy sauce or too salty, but this one has a faint yuzu aroma added, which seems to brighten up the salmon's distinct flavor.

Eating the salmon jang with warm rice was such a great balance. The appetite I'd lost to the heat came right back, haha. As I kept eating, I mixed in some soy sauce with the rice and wrapped it in gamtae (roasted seaweed) — absolutely delicious. I feel like I could've eaten one or two more bowls of rice. Forget crab jang — salmon jang is a rice thief too.

Cool soba topped with 2 pieces of king shrimp tempura

My friend's order — cool soba. The noodles were chewy and the broth was so refreshing.

Something cold going into your mouth just feels amazing. Soba alone can feel a bit lacking, but this one thoughtfully came topped with king shrimp tempura, which made it really filling.

My friend shared one piece of king shrimp with me — plump and crispy, it disappeared into my mouth in the blink of an eye. Soba is definitely a dish you have to eat before this summer's over.

Finishing with grapefruit ade and lemon ade

Since it was a special day meeting up with a friend I love, we each ordered a grapefruit ade and a lemon ade. We toasted and built up more friendship. Drinking them with the meal made my mouth feel refreshingly clean.

What stood out was how neatly and tidily each set was presented. The little bowls holding the side dishes were so cute I kept gasping without even meaning to. Where do they even buy those tiny bowls, haha. The kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi) bowl was so adorable I kept glancing at it. Eating somewhere with such a nice atmosphere and good food really does bring back a lost appetite and energy.

Roi Sikdang fits dates, family meals, and small gatherings

Visiting Roi Sikdang myself this time, it's not just the food — the clean, well-arranged interior stayed with me too. It suits a date spot for couples, and since they have baby high chairs ready, it also works really well for family meals or small gatherings. It's near Mangwolcheon Stream, so it's a good stop before or after a walk — just keep in mind there can be waiting during popular hours.

My personal favorite here has always been the salmon donburi, but thanks to the cool soba and yuzu salmon jang I had this time, I feel like I discovered another side of Roi Sikdang's charm. It was a day I could've easily brushed off with no appetite, but thanks to this neatly set table, I ended up in an even better mood than before. Every dish seems delicious, probably because they're made with real care. I still have menus I haven't tried — guess I'll have to go back and knock them out one by one, haha.