Yeonsan-dong Korean restaurant, ₩20,000 couple dinner: Sinseon Myeonga

On my way home from work, my wife called.

"What are we eating tonight?"

...Honestly, it was one of those days when neither of us had an ounce of energy to cook haha. On days like that, there's a place we go almost on autopilot. Our neighborhood restaurant near Yeonsan-dong, Sinseon Myeonga. Half date, half just dinner — we've been going a lot lately.

Dinner for two at about 20,000 won each: Sinseon Myeonga in Yeonsan-dong

Sinseon Myeonga is a Yeonsan-dong restaurant where you can lay out a small bossam, sujebi and bibimbap and still land around ₩20,000 per person. These days one casual meal out for two can easily run ₩50,000–60,000. Even ordering just a medium bossam alone at a bossam place can top ₩30,000.

But here, somehow, it works haha. Honestly, among Yeonsan-dong restaurants, this price for this spread isn't common.

How far is Sinseon Myeonga from Yeonsan Station, and where do you park?

It's about a 7–8 minute walk from Exit 14 of Yeonsan Station. We usually just stroll over since we live nearby, but if you're driving, there's a lot behind the building.

One catch: the barrier isn't automatic, so you call the restaurant once you arrive and they'll open it for you. The person who stood there the first time going "uh... how do I get in?" — that was me haha.

The couple's usual order: sujebi, bulgogi bibimbap and small bossam

Push the door open and the wood-tone tables and bright lighting sort of melt the tiredness of the commute away a little. The kitchen is open, so you catch glimpses of the noodles being boiled and the dough being torn.

Ordering is by kiosk, beep beep. Our go-to combo is always this.

• One hand-torn sujebi
• One bulgogi bibimbap
• One small bossam

If even one of the three is missing, something feels off haha.

The tasting plate of sundae nobody ordered

You order, sit down, and then — wait, we didn't order this? A tasting plate of sundae just shows up first.

No off smell, nice and chewy — gotta give it credit.

Why sacks of rice are displayed on the wall at Sinseon Myeonga

While waiting, I noticed rice sacks proudly displayed on the wall — apparently they blend Suhyangmi and Icheon Imgeumnim rice to cook the rice here. If you know Suhyangmi, you know — that rice with the toasty, scorched-rice-like aroma when it cooks. And they're using that in a ₩9,000-something bibimbap...? I've been to plenty of Yeonsan-dong restaurants, but this is the first place I've seen actually display its rice sacks.

How does the sujebi taste? Anchovy broth and dough torn to uneven thicknesses

Sinseon Myeonga's hand-torn sujebi is a bowl of hand-torn dough in anchovy broth. The sujebi finally arrives, steam rising~

One spoonful of the broth first and the anchovy stock spreads through refreshingly.

Since they make their own noodles in-house, the dough is torn by hand, so each piece comes out a different thickness.

The thin ones slide right down, the thick ones are chewy and satisfying to bite into. It's like two textures playing in one bowl haha. Even while going "hot, hot" the spoon doesn't stop.

Order the small bossam, not the tasting portion

Next up, the small bossam.

If you think the tasting plate alone might be a bit disappointing for two people — you absolutely have to order the small bossam!

Even the small size comes in a pretty generous portion. Pick a piece up with chopsticks and it falls apart softly along the grain.

The fat is bouncy, the lean meat is tender with no dryness at all. Wrap it with kimchi and dried radish strips and take a big bite... this combination needs no explanation.

My wife wrapped two in a row and then said one thing.

They could honestly just run this place as a bossam restaurant.

If you're looking specifically for bossam among Yeonsan-dong restaurants, this place has you covered haha.

Bulgogi bibimbap with light, separate grains of rice

The bulgogi bibimbap was my job. The moment I mixed it, the rice grains didn't clump — they stayed fluffy and separate.

Ah, so this is why they brag about the rice... The sweet bulgogi sauce feels like it coats every single grain.

A sip of sujebi broth, a bite of bibimbap, a piece of bossam. Cycle through that routine a few rounds and before you know it, the bowls are empty.

A can of sikhye each, and check the 3–4 pm break time

On the way out after finishing our meal — wait, what's this in the fridge? Turns out diners who've eaten can take a can of sikhye each.

Sipping the cold, sweet sikhye on the walk home is how our after-work date always wraps up. Just a heads-up: break time is 3–4 pm, so check ahead if you're planning a late lunch!

Enough food for three, and the two of us walked out stuffed, still around ₩20,000 a person. A restaurant like this in Yeonsan-dong crosses my mind more often than a pricier date. Great meal again today, Sinseon Myeonga. This felt like a Yeonsan-dong restaurant we'll be back at on our next after-work commute.