Balsan Korean restaurant, holiday meal with mom for ₩46,000: Mikodam

During a rare holiday break in the middle of a busy stretch, I planned a special date with my mom.

My mom always works so hard, so I wanted to treat her to a proper Korean set meal (한정식) somewhere with good vibes. So I went to Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch, a well-known Korean restaurant near Balsan Station.

How to find Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch, and where to park

Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch is about 261m from Balsan Station Exit 4, roughly a 3-minute walk, so it's pretty close to the station.

Parking isn't at the restaurant building itself — you use the separate lot next to Hi-Mart. It's about a 1-minute walk from the restaurant, and best of all, parking is free for 3 hours, which was really convenient.

Inside Mikodam: dining hall and private room seating

Walking in, the overall vibe was clean and calm. The tables are wood-toned with plant decorations scattered around, giving it a fairly upscale feel.

Further inside, there were also separate room-style tables. They looked good for groups too. And there was one small thing I really liked.

The spoon and chopsticks weren't just sitting loose on the table — they came individually wrapped. It's a small thing, but it made me feel good haha.

What comes in a Mikodam set, and how to order at the kiosk

Mikodam's signature is the set that comes with seaweed soup, cockle bibim, and a side dish. Sets range from 2 to 4 people, and the composition of the soup, bibim, and side changes depending on party size. The side can be chosen from beef jeon, Jeju yellow crab, or LA-style short ribs.

You order through the kiosk on the table. After picking the set, you can choose the type of seaweed soup and cockle bibim yourself.

• Seaweed soup: beef / flounder / abalone (choosing abalone adds ₩4,000)
• Cockle bibim: savory soy sauce dressing / vinegar dressing

I liked being able to pick the exact options I wanted to match my cravings.

The kiosk also had a separate side-dish refill menu. If you needed more side dishes or water mid-meal, you could just request it on the screen without having to flag down staff.

Where Mikodam's ingredients come from

Mikodam also has its ingredients clearly listed.

There was a detailed explanation of the ingredients used in the store. First, the seaweed is from Wando — grown and harvested at designated farms of the Wando Abalone Cooperative in areas like Geumil-eup, Geumdang-myeon, and Saengil-myeon. The cockles come from Beolgyo and Yeosu, selected under annual contract farming to be under 2 years old. The rice is Sindongjin rice, known for its plump, large grains that make for glossy, tasty cooked rice. The mackerel is sourced from Norway. Being able to see exactly what ingredients are used, right there in the store before the food even arrives, was a nice touch.

The 46,000-won set for two we ordered that day

We ordered the ₩46,000 set for two, plus the abalone seaweed soup upgrade for +₩4,000. For the cockle bibim, we chose the vinegar dressing.

After ordering, the basic side dishes came out first.

Even for two people, the table was packed full. The side dishes kept coming one after another until the table was completely covered. There was grilled fish, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), stir-fried pork, namul (seasoned vegetables), kimchi, pickles, and salad — so many dishes there was barely room on the table.

Overall, the seasoning on the side dishes was just right to eat with rice. The kimchi and cockle vinegar dressing were a bit on the sweet side, but everything worked well together and it was all delicious.

Grilled mackerel and beef jeon (pan-fried beef)

The mackerel came out grilled crisp — crunchy outside and just salty enough inside. Putting some rice on the browned skin worked really well. My mom, who loves grilled fish, enjoyed it too, which put me at ease.

What stuck with me the most from that day was the beef jeon (pan-fried beef). Slightly crispy outside, moist inside — topping it with the chive salad that came alongside cut through the richness and made it feel clean. It wasn't greasy at all, so I kept reaching for more, and my mom said it was delicious too, so I felt good about choosing that side.

Abalone seaweed soup and tangy vinegar cockle bibim

I paid the extra ₩4,000 to upgrade the seaweed soup to abalone,

and the abalone was big and plump, so it felt worth the upgrade. The broth wasn't sharp or salty — more mild, with the seaweed and abalone flavor coming through subtly, making it clean and satisfying.

For the cockle bibim, I went with the vinegar dressing. The chewy cockles were coated in a tangy-sweet sauce that was great to mix into rice. The sauce was a touch sweet, but it worked well paired with the other side dishes.

The review-event rolled omelette and self-serve drinks

While eating, I noticed there was a Naver review event, so I joined and got a free egg roll. Since it was a freebie, I wasn't expecting much, but

it came out thick and generously sized, so I happily ate it up. It was a soft egg roll with a bit of ketchup on top — perfect for picking at between bites.

After finishing the meal, we grabbed plum tea, sikhye (sweet rice drink), and warm roasted corn from the self-serve corner.

A refreshing glass of cold plum tea and a few kernels of roasted corn wrapped things up nicely.

Tips for visiting Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch

• About a 3-minute walk from Balsan Station Exit 4.
• Parking is at a separate lot next to Hi-Mart, not the restaurant building.
• Parking is free for 3 hours.
• Use the table kiosk to choose your preferred seaweed soup and cockle bibim seasoning.
• Abalone seaweed soup can be added for ₩4,000 extra.
• If you need more side dishes or water, request it directly through the kiosk.
• Even the set for two comes with a table full of food.
• You can get a free egg roll through the Naver review event.
• After the meal, help yourself to plum tea, sikhye, and warm roasted corn at the self-serve corner.

A generous Korean spread that even a picky mom approved

Honestly, my mom can be a bit picky about food. If she doesn't like a restaurant, she'll joke that 'the water here is the best thing,' so whenever we eat out together, I find myself watching her reactions closely.

The water here is the best thing

But that day, she ate everything well — the side dishes, the mackerel, the beef jeon, the seaweed soup, all of it. Seeing her enjoy the meal put my mind at ease and made me quietly proud that I took her there. If you want to treat your parents to a neat, generous meal, this seems like a good place to bring them.