Balsan Station Korean restaurant: duruchigi & chive beef jeon, Mikodam

What is Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch?

Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch (미꼬담 마곡발산점) is a Korean restaurant in Balsan-dong, Gangseo, Seoul. It's open 11:00–22:00 and has parking. I'd been once before and fell for both the flavor and the portions, so I went back. The food is delicious every time and the generous servings always leave me moved, so I'm writing another review.

Mikodam is a 5-minute walk from Balsan Station on Line 5.

What are the atmosphere and seating like at Mikodam?

The restaurant has a real hanjeongsik (traditional Korean full-course meal) feel, yet it's kept very neat and tidy. It's super clean, so the first impression as you walk in is great.

I especially liked that there's plenty of space, from 4-person tables to 6-person tables, enough to handle even bigger groups.

Baby chairs are also well stocked, so coming with a little one is no trouble.

Does Mikodam have rooms for family gatherings or company dinners?

Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch has two large rooms. It's one of the well-known restaurants in Magok, and the rooms are very clean and spacious, so they looked great for family gatherings or group dinners.

What free extras does Mikodam offer?

Besides what you order, Mikodam gives you a variety of free extras such as coffee, plum tea and sikhye (sweet rice drink).

There's even unlimited puffed corn as a snack!

Despite the clean facilities and all these extras, the prices are quite reasonable too.

What comes in the Mikodam set for 2?

On this revisit I ordered the Mikodam set for 2. It comes with a huge variety of dishes, from namul (seasoned greens) to meat, mackerel, yukjeon (pan-fried beef), cockles and seaweed soup.

See that? You'll understand the phrase "the table legs are about to break" (a Korean saying for a overloaded table), because Mikodam really does serve that many dishes.

Greens, meat, mackerel, yukjeon, even cockles: you get the best of land and sea. If there were a Joseon-era banquet table, would it have looked like this? It was just that varied.

How is Mikodam's seaweed soup?

A steaming bowl of seaweed soup (miyeokguk) comes with the set too. One taste and you know what rich seaweed soup means; it's the real deal. The depth of flavor made the phrase "deep and full-bodied" come out on its own, and I got that again this time.

Cockles wrapped in rock laver and dipped in soy sauce

The cockles are so fresh, chewy and plump at once, and the texture is a work of art.

Wrap a cockle in dolgim (rock seaweed) and dip it in soy sauce, and you get the tasty seaweed flavor along with the cockle's freshness, just delicious.

I dipped them in dolgim again today, and the freshness of the seafood came through in my mouth. The cockles were just so good.

Beef jeon topped with spicy chives

The yukjeon (pan-fried beef) at Mikodam is thick and cooked just right, and with the salty egg coating outside it tasted wonderful.

Yukjeon is as much a rice thief as soy-marinated crab, and it's one of Mikodam's specialties. Eat it with the spicy leeks on top and a bowl of rice vanishes in no time.

Thick, meaty mackerel

Mikodam's mackerel is thick and generous too. Eat the tender fish with rice and you have a properly satisfying meal.

Eating nutty mackerel with hot rice again that day made my mouth very happy. The mackerel is really fresh and melts in your mouth.

Pork duruchigi with outstanding seasoning

The set for 2 also includes pork duruchigi (spicy stir-fried pork), and the seasoning is a work of art again. The spicy yet nutty meat with rice made for a really tasty Korean meal.

Who is Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch best for?

To me, Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch is a place everyone, young and old, can enjoy, so if you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Magok for the family, it's well worth a visit. I think it's especially good for anyone looking for a Magok restaurant with private rooms for a family gathering or company dinner.