Sinseol-dong Korean restaurant, bossam and galbi sets: Hansang Charyim

These days it's not easy to put together a bunch of side dishes at home, so I went looking for a Korean place where I could get lots of banchan (side dishes) and meat in one go, and ended up at Hansang Charyim Bapsang Sinseol-dong (한상차림밥상 신설동). It's near Sinseol-dong Station, so it wasn't hard to find, and it seemed like a good pick when you want a hearty Korean meal.

Where is Hansang Charyim Bapsang Sinseol-dong?

Hansang Charyim Bapsang Sinseol-dong is at 28 Hanbit-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, fairly close to Exit 3 of Sinseol-dong Station. It's open 10:45–21:30, and it's an easy place to reach by public transport.

Inside the restaurant and the seating

Inside, there were more seats than I expected, and the whole place had a relaxed atmosphere for eating.

It looks good for office workers around Sinseol-dong coming for lunch, and it would also work fine for a family meal or a group get-together.

Menu and prices: what did we order?

This time I ordered 3 Hansang Bossam Sets (₩15,000) and 2 Herbal Galbi Sets (₩17,000). The menu ranges from table-setting meals to bossam sets, galbi sets, and options that can be switched to stone-pot rice.

• Hansang Bossam Set ₩15,000 × 3
• Herbal Galbi Set ₩17,000 × 2

You can ask them to leave out side dishes you won't eat

At Hansang Charyim, if you tell them in advance which side dishes you don't eat, they'll leave them out. There was a notice asking customers to request this ahead of time for the environment, so uneaten banchan don't just get thrown away.

There's a review event going on too: write a review and get a free drink.

What do the bossam and galbi sets come with?

I ordered the bossam set and the galbi set separately so we could try both dishes at one table.

It starts with a generous spread of banchan. Seasoned greens, kimchi, pickled items (jangajji) and seasoned side dishes (muchim) all come out, and with the bossam, galbi and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) added, it was quite a hearty meal.

With so many kinds of banchan, it's fun to end up trying things one by one that you wouldn't usually eat at home.

As the food started coming out, the table filled up bit by bit, and I thought: yep, this really is a full table spread, just like the name says.

How does the bossam in the Hansang Bossam Set taste?

The bossam in the Hansang Bossam Set came sliced not too thick, and the meat was tender and easy to eat.

It's mild and clean-tasting even on its own, but with the myeongi-namul (wild garlic-like greens) kimchi and the muchim side dishes served alongside, it definitely went even better.

I think the best part of a spread like this is being able to alternate between lots of different banchan while eating the bossam.

How does the galbi in the Herbal Galbi Set taste?

We ordered the Herbal Galbi Set too, since it's a different flavor from the bossam and we wanted to try both together.

I like lean meat, so it suited me well. It went nicely with rice, and the radish and vegetables cooked with the meat had soaked up the seasoning, so they were good to eat alongside. If the bossam is the mild side, the galbi has that seasoned flavor that makes it a great rice companion.

A Korean meal with doenjang-jjigae

With doenjang-jjigae and all those banchan, it felt like a proper Korean meal with a bowl of rice. The jjigae was especially good, a spoonful here and there between bites of meat. A bowl of rice disappeared quickly, haha.

When is Hansang Charyim Bapsang Sinseol-dong a good choice?

I think Hansang Charyim Bapsang Sinseol-dong is worth a visit if you're looking for a restaurant near Sinseol-dong Station, if you're craving Korean food with lots of side dishes, or if you want a filling bossam or galbi set at a good-value price.