Peppery japchae and soy cockles at a Balsan Korean restaurant: Mikodam

Hey, it's Bongsam, here to try Korean food with style. Whenever I'm craving a hearty Korean meal near Balsan Station, I head to Mikodam, a place packed with good stuff.

• Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch
• ✔️Address: 42 Gangseo-ro 54-gil, 1F Unit 2, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ✔️Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00
• ✔️Parking available⭕️

Where is Mikodam in Balsan, and where do you park?

This place sits near NC Department Store, just a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Balsan Station on Line 5, so it's super accessible. Plus there's a separate lot where you can park up to 3 hours, making it a great pick if you're driving.

Main hall or private room at Mikodam: who eats here?

The inside of this Korean restaurant near Balsan Station is really spacious and comfortable. Being a newly opened spot, it's clean and has plenty of both hall tables and private rooms, making it great for gatherings or work dinners. In particular, there were a lot of family groups with elderly parents and kids.

How to choose the Mikodam set for two

The menu here can be ordered à la carte, but going with a set is usually better value. You can choose sets for 2, 3, or 4 people, with seaweed soup available in beef, abalone, or flounder. The cockles come soy-marinated or vinegar-dressed, and the side dish can be beef jeon, crab, or LA galbi.

I went with the set for two, choosing beef seaweed soup, soy-marinated cockles, and Jeju soy crab. Each seat has its own tablet, so you can easily order extra banchan (side dishes). Most of the banchan at this Korean restaurant near Balsan Station gets refilled for free, so you can eat until you're full.

The full table of banchan at Mikodam

After a bit of a wait, the basic banchan started filling the table. Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), pork stir-fry, salad, pickles, mackerel, three-color namul, geotjeori (fresh kimchi), gomchang gim (seasoned laver), and cold salad — a really colorful and delicious spread.

Before the rice even arrived, I tried the japchae first — it had a slightly spicy kick you don't usually get. The pepper aroma was strong, which is an appealing flavor for older folks.

Soy-marinated cockles and Jeju soy crab

Next came the main dishes: soy-marinated cockles and Jeju soy crab. Since it was a set for two, I expected small portions, but it arrived generously, and I was surprised. Just looking at this combo, you know you'll need two bowls of rice.

This Korean restaurant near Balsan Station stands out even from the freshly cooked white rice. They apparently only use Jeongdongjin rice — it has an extra-springy chewiness, and the more you chew, the sweeter it tastes.

Even the beef seaweed soup had a striking appearance — I'd never seen such a milky-white broth before. Simmered with Wando seaweed, the soup is nicely salty, and kids would happily finish a bowl of rice mixed into it.

The mackerel comes as a whole big fillet with a slightly funky, aged flavor, almost like dried yellow croaker. It's well-seasoned and salty, so it'd be perfect over rice with a splash of water too.

Cockle rice bowl and a free pork stir-fry refill

First, I mixed the seasoned cockles into rice and took a bite. The cockles at this Korean restaurant near Balsan Station are really large, giving a great chew. It tastes like a slightly spicy, savory soy-seasoned bibimbap.

And then the pork stir-fry, which I enjoyed the most. The sauce is spicy-sweet with no dryness, so good that I refilled it once. Pairing a bite of meat with three-color namul really brings out the charm of Korean food.

Gopchang gim, rice and a bite of soy crab

The soy-marinated crab made from Jeju yellow crab won me over instantly just by its plump, meat-filled look, and the spicy chili on top gives it a proper kick. Take a bite of rice with a piece of crab and suck it clean — you'll get an irresistible savoriness and springy texture.

Put rice on the seasoned gomchang gim from the banchan spread, squeeze on some crab, and — how can this taste so good? This Korean restaurant near Balsan Station lets you enjoy a wide variety of Korean dishes at great value. The salty, savory flavor keeps pulling you back.

Dessert at Mikodam: puffed corn and sikhye

On the way out, there's warm roasted corn kept by the entrance — grab a bit for dessert on your way out. There's also sikhye (sweet rice punch) and plum juice, so dessert is covered too — really generous all around.

After visiting this Korean restaurant near Balsan Station, my personal takeaway is that it's a great spot to enjoy a hearty Korean meal whenever the craving hits. Plentiful, tasty banchan and a variety of main dishes you can mix and match. It's the kind of place that makes you keep asking for more rice, so go check it out in style!