Balsan Korean restaurant: grilled fish, sikhye refills, Mikodam

I suddenly craved grilled fish over the weekend, so I searched for Korean restaurants near Balsan Station and ended up here. This time I visited Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch (미꼬담 마곡발산점)!

I heard the grilled fish and seaweed soup were good, so I went for weekend lunch.

Where Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch is, plus parking and free dishes

Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch is at 42 Gangseo-ro 54-gil, 1F Unit 2, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. It's about a 5-minute walk from Balsan Station, and parking is available in the building!

They give a free egg roll for writing a Naver review, and a free beef jeon (pan-fried beef) within a week before or after your birthday — these little events were pretty cute.

A free egg roll, though. Can't say no to that.

What the dining room and seating are like at Mikodam

The interior of Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch was clean and upscale overall. It wasn't a chaotic, busy diner feel — the moody-toned decor made it calm and comfortable to eat in. Real Balsan Station Korean restaurant vibes, fully loaded.

Maybe because of the moody decor, it felt relaxing. The seating was spaced out nicely and there were a lot of tables. We came in after 2pm when the crowd had cleared out, so we got to eat even more comfortably >.< This is supposed to be a Balsan Korean restaurant everyone talks about, so let's order.

The 46,000 won Full Table Set for Two: is it enough for two?

Looking at the menu, we ordered the Full Table Set for Two! It cost ₩46,000. At first I wondered if it'd be enough for two, but once it arrived, it truly lived up to the 'full table' name — it came out generously.

I was surprised the side dishes were tastier than expected. Honestly, at these full-table places, sometimes only the main dish is good and the sides are just so-so, but here every single side dish held up. Didn't expect it to be this good — pleasantly surprised. The rice was fluffy too, hehe.

The cockle salad was practically good enough to be the main dish. Like some kind of Jeju soy crab.

How does the flounder seaweed soup taste?

I usually eat beef seaweed soup a lot, so I was more curious about the flounder version. The broth wasn't sharp or strong — it was clean and light, which paired well with the grilled fish. If you're looking for a good seaweed soup near Balsan Station, I think Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch will hit the spot.

Unlimited sikhye and roasted corn tea to finish

And here's the cute part. Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch has unlimited refills of sikhye (sweet rice punch) and roasted corn tea. Unlimited sikhye — isn't that a low-key happiness point?

The staff came out with a big container of sikhye, shook it around, and poured it into our cups, and that scene was just kind of adorable for no reason. Finishing the meal off with sikhye and corn tea felt like a proper Korean meal ending!

After eating, we went to Traders and I spotted Terra Tomato-flavored beer. There's a tomato-flavored Terra too, apparently — that was surprising. I was curious but didn't try it this time. Next time I visit Traders, I'll give the tomato Terra a shot.

Is Mikodam near Balsan Station worth it? Final verdict

Whatever, to sum it up: Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch is a great place to visit near Balsan Station when you want a clean, proper Korean meal. The Full Table Set for Two was generous, and overall I was satisfied with the grilled fish, flounder seaweed soup, cockle salad, and side dishes!

The place is clean and the seats are spacious, so it'd work well for family outings, weekend lunches, or meals with parents. I'd recommend Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch to anyone looking for a good Korean restaurant near Balsan Station, or a grilled fish spot near Magok.

This is one of those places I'll think of again whenever I'm craving grilled fish and seaweed soup on a weekend.