Korean restaurant in Gwanak, Seoul: braised skate at Yeseoban

On one of those days when I was craving a proper Korean meal in Sillim, I found a place that made me think, “I have to come back here next time!”

Yeseoban location and braised skate price

Yeseoban (예소반) is at 225 Munseong-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. It is 418 m from Exit 1 of Seowon Station and a 10-minute walk from Sillim Station. Before 6 PM, you can get one hour of free parking—just ask at the counter after your meal!

The small Sokcho-style braised skate is ₩40,000, including two servings of pot-cooked rice.

The small Sokcho-style braised skate for two

Yeseoban is near Sillim Station and Seowon Station.

This time, two of us went for the small size of the Sokcho-style braised skate.

You can scan the QR code and order~!

You can request less heat without worrying

I am usually not great with spicy food, so whenever I hear “braised,” I get a little nervous about the heat first.

When ordering, you can ask for it to be made non-spicy instead of the standard heat, and enjoy it deliciously without it being spicy.

The moment I took a bite, my worries were over! It had just the right pleasant kick and loads of savory depth—one spoonful of rice, one piece of skate~!

Suddenly, my appetite got very, very enthusiastic haha. If you are looking for Korean food in Sillim and want something beyond the usual menu, this braised skate is really, really good.

The fun of picking through the skate and pot ingredients

More than anything, there was such a generous amount of skate. The flesh had that signature tender, moist texture, and the sauce was not just aggressively hot—it had a deep, delicious spiciness.

Mix in the bean sprouts served as a side dish and it becomes another special treat~!! You have to try it. And the radish soaked right through with sauce goes without saying. A piece of skate on tofu is delicious too.

There were even chewy garaetteok (long cylindrical rice cakes), so it was fun choosing what to eat. The tofu + garaetteok + sauce combination is an understated secret weapon, especially!

It was not only the skate, the main event, that tasted good; it was fun hunting down and eating the ingredients in the pot one by one.

So I would recommend it too when you are craving a filling lunch near Sillim Station.

A comforting home-style spread, from side dishes to pot-cooked rice

I really liked the side dishes too. Things that are hard to make sure you eat at home every day, like gungchae (dried lettuce stem) and lotus root, came out so neatly arranged that it somehow felt like I was nourishing my body.

After having such a solid spread from the main dish to the sides, I felt, “I really nourished myself today!” And the pot-cooked rice was the real kick!! The rice was sticky and wonderfully nutty~! You can even have sungnyung (scorched-rice tea), which leaves you feeling refreshed haha. As it turns out, this place specializes in home-style meals,

and is run by a husband-and-wife chef team with experience starting a cooking academy.

Maybe that is why it felt like comfortable home cooking, while every dish was made with real care and had the feel of an upscale Korean set meal. When I visited, there were many older guests who seemed to be regulars, and I also noticed families dining together.

People kept coming in to get takeout too, so I thought, “Ah, this must already be a neighborhood place people come back to regularly.” Because of that atmosphere, I think it would be nice to visit with parents looking for Korean food in Gwanak-gu as well.

I had the braised skate this time, but I am curious about the braised pollock with siraegi (dried radish greens) next time, and I also want to try the fire-grilled jjukumi (webfoot octopus), which sounds mouthwatering from the name alone.

The braised skate in particular was so generous that even two people ordering one small size could enjoy it fully, so I was very satisfied. Rather than flashy, trend-driven food, Yeseoban was somewhere I would want to return to when I am craving a properly made Korean meal.

If you are looking for Korean food in Sillim, wondering where to have lunch near Sillim Station, or seeking Korean food in Gwanak-gu to enjoy with your parents, give it a look. Next time, I plan to try other dishes at Yeseoban—and take the braised skate home too.