Korean set-menu restaurant in Songdo, Incheon: Bomseol Set for two

I've been craving Korean food a lot more lately. It had been a while since I wanted something both refined and hearty, so I went looking for a place like that.

Bomseol Songdo International City

Bomseol Songdo International City is a Korean restaurant in Songdo where you can enjoy a clean, well-put-together hanjeongsik (Korean set-menu) spread.

Where is Bomseol Songdo International City, and where do you park?

Bomseol Songdo International City is on the 1st floor of Building A at S-Cube City in Songdo. There's a parking entrance right next to the restaurant, with 2 hours of free underground parking.

After parking, just head into the Building A entrance and take the elevator up to the 1st floor — you'll find it right away.

What is the dining room at Bomseol like?

The Bomseol Songdo International City space is very clean and calm. The high ceilings kept it from feeling cramped, and the wide table spacing with partitions meant I could eat comfortably without worrying about the neighboring table.

There are also private rooms available, which looked perfect for family gatherings, group dinners, or other private events.

Ordering is done via the tablet provided at each table.

Bomseol menu and prices: the 23,000-won Bomseol Set for two

The Bomseol menu at this Songdo restaurant includes the Deulbap Set at ₩18,000, the Bomseol Set at ₩23,000, and the Myeongin Set at ₩32,000.

There are also additional menu items like gulbi (dried yellow corvina), grilled mackerel, stir-fried pork, and soy sauce crab. We ordered the Bomseol Set for two at ₩23,000 per person.

What the self-serve bar at Bomseol includes

Even though Bomseol Songdo International City is a hanjeongsik restaurant, it runs a self-serve bar. Besides the basic side dishes, there's a generous spread of wrap vegetables, various namul, fried items, jjolmyeon, and even tteokbokki.

There was also a warm pumpkin porridge station.

For dessert, there was pu'er tea, coffee, and Korean sweets, which made the hearty meal ahead feel even more promising.

While we were looking around, the dishes we ordered started coming out one by one.

Brass-bowl side dishes, stone pot rice and table-cooked cheonggukjang

The Bomseol Set came with a variety of generous side dishes in brass bowls, which I love. Just seeing the brass bowls makes me feel extra pampered, and puts me in an even better mood.

You could feel the care put into each and every side dish, and there wasn't a single one that wasn't delicious.

The rice was served as stone pot rice. It was so glossy that just looking at it made me hungry.

I started eating while waiting for the nicely browned crust to turn into a tasty sungnyung (scorched rice tea).

The cheonggukjang was set up to simmer right at the table so it could be enjoyed hot.

Cheonggukjang's distinctive smell wasn't overpowering, so it wasn't off-putting, and the mellow, savory flavor that spread through it was rich yet smooth. Sipping the warm broth in between bites made everything go down even more smoothly.

The three mains: bossam, grilled mackerel and seasoned raw crab

On top of the basic side dishes, this Songdo hanjeongsik restaurant also served up three main dishes.

The bossam had no gamey smell at all, wasn't dry, and was tender and moist, with just the right chewy texture — the more you chewed, the more savory it tasted.

It was delicious on its own, but eating it together with the raw radish salad, garlic, and sauce that came with it made the flavor even better.

A whole large mackerel was served. Grilled to a golden brown with no fishy smell at all, the skin was crispy while the flesh underneath was moist and tender, letting the mackerel's clean, savory flavor really come through.

The seasoned crab was made with domestic keum crab (blue crab). It was large and packed full of meat.

The sauce looked strong, but once I tried it, it wasn't harsh, spicy, or fishy at all. The more I chewed, the more the sweetness of the crab meat blended beautifully with the savory sauce.

I was also happy to see kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake) and pumpkin jeon, which you don't come across that often these days.

Finishing with barley bibimbap, sungnyung and pumpkin porridge

Bomseol also offers barley bibimbap at the self-serve bar.

Since I happened to be craving barley rice, I made one right away following the instructions for the best way to eat it. Even though I was already full, I still managed to enjoy every bite.

After eating so many different dishes, your stomach can feel a bit heavy, so it was nice that the warm sungnyung seemed to settle things down.

Finally, I wrapped up the meal with warm pumpkin porridge and Korean sweets. Adding something sweet at the end kept my mouth happy all the way through and put me in an even better mood.

I couldn't believe that all that food had somehow ended up in my stomach. I couldn't put my chopsticks down because everything was so good, so I ended up overeating more than usual, but I enjoyed it deliciously right to the very end.

Is the Bomseol Set worth 23,000 won per person?

Overall, every dish was mild rather than heavy-handed, bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients in a refined yet generous Korean spread. It was a satisfying meal that left me feeling both full and in good spirits after a long time — the kind of place I'd want to come back to whenever I'm craving a hearty Korean set-menu spread.

Directions and opening hours for Bomseol Songdo International City

• Address: 1st floor, Building A, A116–A120, 40 Cheomdan-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Parking: Entrance next to the restaurant, 2 hours free underground parking