Sinsa Chinese restaurant mint seats and Hokkaido cream shrimp: Samsin

I was looking for a Chinese restaurant near Sinsa Station that felt a bit different from the usual, and ended up at Samsin Garosu-gil. It's within walking distance of Sinsa Station Exit 8, so it was easy to get to, and close enough to Garosu-gil that I could wander around afterward.

What struck me most was how different the atmosphere was from your typical Chinese restaurant — I was looking around the moment I walked in. This time I ordered galbi-jjim (braised short rib) jajangmyeon, Hokkaido milk cream shrimp, and Tebanaka meat jjamppong, so I got a proper taste of the menu.

What is the atmosphere like at Samsin Garosu-gil?

Samsin Garosu-gil is a Chinese restaurant in Sinsa-dong where mint-colored seating meets Chinese-style decor. When hunting for a Sinsa Station Chinese restaurant, the food matters, but I also care a lot about the space itself — and here, the colors and interior grabbed my attention the second I stepped in.

The mint-colored seats blend with East Asian-style doors and decorations, and dragon motifs and Chinese-style details are scattered throughout, making it feel like a brief trip to China. It's less a neatly decorated Sinsa-dong Chinese restaurant and more a space with genuine character.

The seating is somewhat divided by section, so I didn't feel too crammed against other tables, and there were also tables set up nicely for larger groups.

It seemed like a good fit not just for dates but also for friend get-togethers, family meals, or work dinners.

Gold tableware and mint-green table settings

One thing I quietly loved about Samsin Garosu-gil was the tableware. Gold plates and utensils set against a deep green tablecloth looked genuinely striking.

The small side plates for serving food had such a distinctive color and texture that I kept snapping photos. The gold spoons and chopsticks were also a clear step up from what you'd normally find at a Chinese restaurant.

Even the teapot had an elaborate pattern, giving the sense that every small detail had been thought through.

Among Garosu-gil Chinese restaurants, it's rare to find one where the table setting itself sticks in your memory like this.

Galbi-jjim jajangmyeon: how much meat is in it?

The dish I was most looking forward to at Samsin Garosu-gil was the galbi-jjim jajangmyeon. I expected just a light scattering of braised short rib on top of the jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), but when it arrived, the amount of meat was substantial — it looked seriously filling.

You mix the chunky braised short rib, onions, and jajang sauce into the noodles, and the ribs turned out softer than I expected.

The meat wasn't dry at all — it was tender to chew and paired well with the rich jajang sauce.

This wasn't just regular jajangmyeon with a light meat topping — the meat itself had real presence, so one bowl was quite filling on its own.

Hokkaido milk cream shrimp: how does it taste?

The most visually striking dish by far was the Hokkaido milk cream shrimp. The shrimp were generously coated in a soft milk cream sauce, topped with what looked like whipped cream — it caught my eye the moment I saw it.

Eating it, the shrimp were sizeable and plump, with a clearly springy texture. The cream was rich and smooth, so eating it together with the shrimp gave a really full, savory flavor.

It also worked well as a side alongside heavier dishes like jjamppong or jajang. It looked quite different from the cream shrimp I usually see, and it made for good photos too.

Tebanaka meat jjamppong and its broth

The dish that really filled me up was the Tebanaka meat jjamppong. The moment it arrived, there was so much meat in it that I noticed the meat before the broth.

Tasting the broth, the meat flavor came through strongly, clearly different from a lighter seafood jjamppong.

The broth itself was heavy and deep, so the flavor didn't get diluted even mixed with the noodles, and there was plenty of meat to keep fishing out. The galbi-jjim jajangmyeon was already filling, and the meat jjamppong had a generous portion too — if two people order multiple dishes, you might end up much fuller than expected.

Eating all three dishes together

Since the dishes I ordered were all so different in character, it was fun eating them together. The galbi-jjim jajangmyeon was about sweet, rich jajang sauce with tender meat, while the meat jjamppong centered on a heavy, deep broth.

Mixing in the Hokkaido milk cream shrimp along the way brought in a soft, savory cream flavor, and the combination of all three worked well. Above all, none of the three dishes skimped on ingredients, so I left genuinely full.

Getting to Samsin Garosu-gil and parking

Samsin Garosu-gil is located at 46 Gangnam-daero156-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an easy walk from Sinsa Station Exit 8. Valet parking is available for ₩5,000 per two hours.

Since it's on the route from Sinsa Station toward Garosu-gil, the location works well as a stop before a date or gathering in Garosu-gil. Reservations are possible, and with seating and rooms for larger groups, it's worth keeping in mind for work dinners or get-togethers.

Is Samsin Garosu-gil worth a visit?

Among Sinsa Station Chinese restaurants, Samsin Garosu-gil stood out for the space itself as much as the food. With its Chinese-style decor, mint-colored seating, and elaborate gold tableware, the atmosphere is nothing like your average neighborhood Chinese restaurant, so it should suit anyone looking for something different.

The galbi-jjim jajangmyeon and meat jjamppong were both filling with generous meat, and the Hokkaido milk cream shrimp left an impression with its springy shrimp and smooth cream combination. It's a place I'd think of again for a slightly special Chinese meal on a date or gathering in Garosu-gil.