Herring roe and pollock roe banchan at Sansol Sinnonhyeon, Seoul BBQ

There are so many places near Sinnonhyeon Station selling samgyeopsal (pork belly) or mokssal (pork neck), but personally, when I eat meat, how good the banchan (side dishes) are matters a lot to me haha.

I love pairing sides with my meat. This time I visited Sansol, a well-known BBQ spot near Sinnonhyeon Station. I thought it only had a Sinsa location, but apparently they run this Sinnonhyeon branch together too.

After eating samgyeopsal and mokssal, we finished off with makguksu (buckwheat noodles), and the combo of meat and sides was so good I wanted to write it up.

What's special here is that they serve aged pork, and staff grill everything for you — such an easy, comfortable way to eat.

Getting to Sansol Sinnonhyeon from Sinnonhyeon Station

Sansol, this popular BBQ spot near Sinnonhyeon Station, is close to Exit 3, so it's pretty accessible by transit. When you're setting up a meal in Gangnam, it's kind of a hassle if the place is far from the station, but this one is right around Sinnonhyeon Station, so it wasn't hard to find at all.

Interior and room

The interior wasn't chaotic like a typical BBQ joint — it had a clean, well-thought-out concept, which made for good date-night atmosphere too. The tables were all divided into private sections, which also makes it suitable for group gatherings.

There's also a separate room-style space for group use, so I'd recommend booking ahead if you're planning to use it.

What are the banchan like at Sansol?

Sansol, a Korean BBQ spot near Sinnonhyeon Station known for its variety of banchan

People say all that matters at a BBQ place is the meat, but no — the side dishes that come with it matter just as much, honestly. They end up making you order more and eat even fuller haha.

Sansol serves a wide variety of banchan, and personally, the herring roe and pollock roe with wasabi were really delicious.

You could tell a lot of care went into every little detail. They were great for mixing and matching one bite at a time with the meat.

What are Sansol's signature menu items?

Various cuts of meat are sold by 150g portions, and there are set menus too, so if you want to eat more, I'd recommend going with a set.

Today we ordered one serving of samgyeopsal, one of mokssal, steamed egg, and Gangwon-style makguksu.

They grill it for you, and with real care — it came out tasting great.

Samgyeopsal (pork belly)

The color and thickness of the meat looked really appetizing, with a glossy sheen that made my mouth water even before eating. Grilled golden on the outside and juicy inside, it let the signature nutty flavor of samgyeopsal really shine.

Since staff handle the grilling, you don't have to worry about the process at all — you can just focus on eating.

My tip: pair the samgyeopsal with herring roe and wasabi Maldon salt.

Mokssal (pork neck) and pairings

The mokssal was nutty yet light, and it paired really well with pickled yeolmu (young radish greens) or scallion soy sauce.

They also grill mukeunji (aged kimchi), which had great depth of flavor. It's not spicy kimchi but clean, aged kimchi, so it refreshed the palate nicely. The yuzu radish salad went well with basically all the meat.

The savory juices burst with every bite, and the traditional aging method made the texture extra chewy and satisfying! Even the mokssal, when it cooled, stayed tender instead of going dry.

They also grill corn, mushrooms, and cheongyang peppers alongside the meat haha.

Steamed egg

The steamed egg came drizzled with nutty sesame oil, making it even softer — fluffy, moist, and really delicious.

Gangwon-style makguksu

I was torn between this and hongge (snow crab) ramyeon, but went with the makguksu (buckwheat noodles)! Since it's Gangwon-style, they recommended adding a spoonful of sugar. It's sweet and really wakes up your appetite — I actually enjoyed it more than naengmyeon (cold noodles).

It came loaded with egg strips and roasted seaweed flakes, giving it a nutty flavor and nice chew.

Wrapping it up together with the meat definitely cut through the richness nicely.

Final thoughts

Sansol didn't feel like just a meat meal — with all the variety of banchan and sides, it felt like a generous, well-treated meal overall.

Next time I'd love to try the samgaksal (pork skirt) too haha. If you're looking for a good BBQ restaurant near Sinnonhyeon Station, put Sansol on your shortlist!