Meat-free Gangneung hanjeongsik, 14,000 won for two: Saimdang Bueok

The last day of my Gangneung trip..! After eating so much rich, greasy, spicy food, I suddenly craved something clean and Korean-style! As always, ending a trip with clean, tidy Korean food is the best — here's my review!

Where is Saimdang Bueok in Gangneung, and what are the hours?

📍Address/Location 6 Jukheon-gil 85beon-gil, 1st floor, Gangneung, Gangwon, South Korea ⏰Hours Daily 10:30 ~ 20:00 🚗Parking available ✅Corkage available (₩5,000/person)/Refills/Groups/Reservations/WiFi/Separate restrooms/Wheelchair accessible/Disabled parking

The exterior of this Gangneung restaurant — Saimdang Bueok is literally right across from Ojukheon, so it's a great spot for your Gangneung trip: visit Ojukheon and grab Korean food too. The parking lot is also spacious, so it seems great for group visits.

Elderly folks always have to have vending machine coffee after a meal, and they have one in the store — such genuine satisfaction haha. Next time I should bring my grandma!

This Gangneung hanjeongsik (Korean set meal) restaurant's interior is clean too, right? The full-length windows let in bright sunlight, and there's a wider group seating area further inside, so it's great for both group visits and family visits.

Saimdang Bueok menu and prices

Saimdang Bueok's menu is divided into the Ojukheon Set (₩14,000), Saimdang Set (₩19,000), and Yulgok Set (₩35,000), with sides available to add on.

• Ojukheon Set ₩14,000
• Saimdang Set ₩19,000
• Yulgok Set ₩35,000
• Scallop butter grill ₩3,000
• Steamed skate ₩6,000
• Whole grilled fish ₩8,000
• Braised shrimp ₩8,000
• Stir-fried pork ₩13,000
• Beef bulgogi ₩15,000
• Flounder sashimi salad ₩20,000
• Raw beef (yukhoe) ₩30,000

You order the same set for everyone at the table, and you can add whatever sides you'd like. We really wanted truly clean Korean food, so we all ordered the meat-free Ojukheon Set!

What comes with the meat-free Ojukheon Set for two?

Ojukheon Set ₩14,000 x2. A great-value spread with 8 basic side dishes, grilled fish, and doenjang (soybean paste) stew.

Steamed cabbage, pickled peppers, seasoned cockles, kimchi, and various namul (seasoned vegetables) — honestly, you could eat a whole bowl of rice with just these! I really love steamed cabbage //.//

And on top of that the doenjang stew arrives still bubbling — total countryside table vibes, and that clean, plain flavor really melted away my trip fatigue haha.

A visual that makes you want to just eat a whole bowl of rice, ㄷㄷ. The rice was scooped generously, and there were plenty of vegetables in the doenjang stew too, which I really liked.

How were the grilled fish and countryside doenjang stew?

I almost forgot while eating the cabbage wraps and side dishes, but there's grilled fish too! Mild and completely rice-stealing, so I quickly picked off the flesh and ate it with rice. This is also perfect wrapped in cabbage.

The doenjang really has that authentic countryside flavor, absolutely amazing ㅜㅜ I really love countryside doenjang... hehe.

On top of that, the plump, spicy cockles were delicious, and the chwinamul (aster greens) and other seasoned vegetables were tasty too — I could really tell there was skilled hands behind the cooking.

Adding butter-grilled scallops for 3,000 won

Scallop butter grill, ₩3,000. Since everything was so tasty, my eyes naturally wandered to the add-on sides, and among them I ordered the simple-but-delicious-looking scallop butter grill — and sure enough, it was so good! A bit of saltiness mixed with the rich, savory flavor of butter, and it wasn't chewy at all but soft, so I kept reaching for more. Scallops and butter really are the best combo!!!

Is Saimdang Bueok near Ojukheon worth a visit?

If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Gangneung, I recommend Saimdang Bueok near Ojukheon — great side dishes and a variety of food you can enjoy for around 10,000-something won :) As always, for Koreans, Korean food is the best of the best~