# Mapo tofu and Harbin beer at Apgujeong Chinese restaurant Bobo Sikdang

- By Seowoo (https://superchart.com/en/@paper-placemat/)
- Written Sep 20, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after a sponsored visit to the restaurant.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@paper-placemat/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@paper-placemat/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/index.md)

## In short

Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong is a dish-focused modern Chinese restaurant in Apgujeong Rodeo, Gangnam, Seoul. The order was Harbin beer, mapo tofu (spicy tofu with minced pork) and hongsojangeo (braised eel), pairing tofu as soft as sundubu with a reduced soy sauce and a tangy sauce. For sharing proper Chinese dishes rather than the usual jjajangmyeon and jjamppong, Bobo Sikdang is the right call.

## Good to know

- **Ordered**: Harbin beer, mapo tofu, braised eel
- **Side dish**: Celtuce (gungchae) dressed with chili oil
- **Mapo tofu options**: Choice of noodles or rice; ordered as a standalone dish this time
- **Seating**: Ground-floor hall and private room seats, including large tables and a hall for exclusive use (reservation recommended)
- **Address**: 1F 103, Robin Myeongpumgwan, 30 Eonju-ro 174-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

*as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026*

If you're looking for modern Chinese dining, I'd recommend this place. There are quite a few unusual dishes on the menu, and it feels like somewhere you could bring an important gathering, too.

![Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong main image](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-01-523kh-1200.webp)

## What kind of Chinese restaurant is Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong?

Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong is a Chinese restaurant near Apgujeong Rodeo where you can enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes, cooking-focused rather than noodle-focused. It's on the ground floor, and along with the main hall there are room-style seats too, which makes it look like a good option for group meals.

![Entrance to Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong on the ground floor of Robin Myeongpumgwan](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-02-1xv68-900.webp)

![Blue Ribbon stickers lined up at the entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-03-2z98m-900.webp)

There are so many Blue Ribbon stickers lined up by the entrance that counting them stops meaning anything. The interior is clean and modern, decorated well enough that you'd hardly guess it's a Chinese restaurant.

![Clean, modern interior of the Bobo Sikdang hall](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-04-1vmmb-900.webp)

![Atmosphere of the Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong dining hall](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-05-1ensq-900.webp)

## Private rooms at Bobo Sikdang and the group dining mood

Given the atmosphere, Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong seems like it would work fine even for a formal meeting between families, or for a comfortable outing with your parents. There are large tables and even a standalone private hall, so booking ahead seems like the way to go.

![Large table and room-style seating space](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-06-h2vjh-900.webp)

![Interior of a private room at Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-07-8922a-900.webp)

![A standalone private hall dining space](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-08-2rrfh-900.webp)

![A set round table seating area](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-09-1d78p-900.webp)

![Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-10-x2dys-900.webp)

![Menu page with a large selection of alcohol](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-11-189v5-640.webp)

## What is on the Bobo Sikdang menu?

You can see the Bobo Sikdang menu has quite a lot of alcohol options, and the dish selection has more unusual items than you'd expect — though it's not an overwhelming number of choices. (Some Chinese restaurants have menus that run several volumes like books, haha.)

There's plenty of jjajangmyeon-type noodle dishes among the meal options too, so it seems fine to drop in for something light as well.

![Harbin beer on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-12-djdk6-900.webp)

![Gungchae (Chinese celtuce) with chili oil, served as a basic side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-13-18yxx-900.webp)

![Table set with the ordered dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-14-romdd-900.webp)

![A plate of mapa tofu with generous chili oil](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-15-1aih5-900.webp)

## The order: Harbin beer, mapo tofu, braised eel

This time the order was Harbin beer, mapa tofu, and braised eel. First came the basic side dish, gungchae (Chinese celtuce) with chili oil.

It's a bit different from jjasai (Sichuan pickled mustard tuber) — the crunchy celtuce combined with the aroma of chili oil and a slight kick made a great appetite-opener before the Chinese dishes. It seems like a small thing, but that lingering chili oil aroma paired really well with the beer.

### Mapo tofu: tofu as soft as sundubu

Bobo Sikdang's mapa tofu can be ordered with noodles or rice, but this time it was ordered as a standalone dish. Right away, there's a generous amount of chili oil in it.

![Close-up of mapa tofu loaded with minced meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-16-py5aj-900.webp)

There's also plenty of minced meat, and the distinct mala (numbing spicy) aroma comes through clearly. That said, it's not a style where the mala flavor overwhelms everything — the meat and chili oil blend together to build a rich, layered flavor overall.

The tofu's texture is interesting too. Rather than the firmer tofu you'd usually expect, it's closer to sundubu — silken, soft, and easily crumbling, so the rich sauce coats it naturally.

With the chili oil and mala-heavy sauce carried by such soft tofu, it seems like it would go really well with rice too.

The spacious atmosphere is really nice.

### Braised eel: reduced soy sauce and a tangy sauce

Braised eel. It's listed on the menu as one of Bobo Sikdang's signature dishes, and after going back and forth between this and dongpo pork, I ordered it — and it turned out to be quite a distinctive dish.

![Bobo Sikdang's signature braised eel served at the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-17-15919-900.webp)

The eel is very tender. Eaten on its own, you get the soft texture along with the eel's characteristic aroma, but dipping it generously in the reduced sauce underneath changes things entirely. The rich soy sauce aroma latches onto the eel's flavor and the taste really lifts.

![Braised eel sitting in reduced soy sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-18-x6v2g-900.webp)

The tangy sauce served alongside is another highlight. Tasting the sauce alone at first, the sourness — like Chinese-style vinegar — was quite strong, and honestly I wondered what it was meant for.

![The tangy sauce served alongside the braised eel](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-19-bci38-780.webp)

![Eel dipped in the tangy sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-20-cgw82-900.webp)

But paired with the eel, it goes crazy. The tanginess cuts through the eel's rich, savory flavor and clears away any greasiness, putting a period on the whole taste. The sourness that felt sharp on its own becomes exactly the right note once it meets the eel.

![Eel flesh flaking apart softly](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-21-ki609-900.webp)

![Plate of braised eel with a rising ginger aroma](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-22-609jt-900.webp)

A strong ginger aroma also comes through. There's a bit of the eel's own characteristic scent that could feel slightly fishy — people sensitive to that eel aroma might have mixed feelings. But the way that scent is reined in by the rich soy-based reduced sauce, the ginger, and the tangy sauce, layering several flavors together, ended up being something I quite liked.

![A piece of eel coated generously in the reduced sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-23-2srd1-900.webp)

![Braised eel eaten with both sauces combined](https://img.superchart.com/images/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel-24-e74us-900.webp)

Combining the reduced sauce and the tangy sauce together really elevates the whole dish. I'd recommend not eating the eel alone but scooping up plenty of the reduced sauce underneath with each bite.

## Verdict: come to Bobo Sikdang for the cooked dishes

Overall, Bobo Sikdang takes a different direction from the typical jjajang- or jjamppong-centered Chinese restaurant. The dish menu is the focus, and it seems well-suited to ordering Chinese-flavor-forward dishes like mapa tofu or braised eel one at a time to share.

Next time it'd be fun to try the dongpo pork, and while the braised eel's aroma might be divisive for some, I felt it was a genuinely well-composed dish precisely because it's built to be eaten with multiple sauces and aromas layered together, scent and all.

If you're in Apgujeong and want to try something a bit different from the usual Chinese menu, I'd recommend picking from Bobo Sikdang's cooked dishes.

## Where it is

- Bobo Sikdang Apgujeong (보보식당 압구정)
- 1F 103, Robin Myeongpumgwan, 30 Eonju-ro 174-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 강남구 언주로174길 30 로빈명품관 1층 103호
- 37.5279048, 127.0363201
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%B3%B4%EB%B3%B4%EC%8B%9D%EB%8B%B9%20%EC%95%95%EA%B5%AC%EC%A0%95/@37.5279048,127.0363201,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@paper-placemat/bobo-restaurant-apgujeong-mapo-tofu-eel/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt