Kid-friendly gimbap lunch in Jamsil, Seoul: Jamsil Cheotjip

Toddling along ๑◕‿‿◕๑

Longtime Jamsil-Saenae locals all know the Trigium, Elsse, and Lechenies shopping complexes, right? Each complex has its own true local favorites and long-running shops. On the basement floor of the Trigium complex, Jeongine Banchan (side dish shop) used to be quite famous. It ran for 10 years, and now, carrying on the parents' dedication and hard work, it has transformed into a Korean restaurant.

Jamsil Cheotjip: location, hours and parking

• 📍61 Seokchonhosu-ro, B1 B102, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰Mon–Sat 09:00–20:00 (closed every Sunday)
• 🚘Complex parking lot (1.5 hours validated by the restaurant)
• ✨A gimbap shop using antibiotic-free eggs, premium Wando seaweed, Jeju beet pickled radish, Gyeonggi rice milled within 2 weeks, and mill-pressed sesame oil
• 👼🏻Baby-friendly / no high chair / stroller-accessible

Hello! I'm a blogger who loves photos and writing. The first week of September is my birthday, and it started off with a cake gift. Even a KakaoTalk gift sent from far away is something I'm just grateful for these days, as a new mom.

Birthdays haven't felt exciting for a while, but every day spent with my baby feels like a birthday. Today my baby and I had lunch together at the Trigium complex in Jamsil. Since it's my neighborhood, nothing beats Jamsil Cheotjip for eating something comfortable, filling, and healthy.

From side-dish shop to Korean restaurant: what is Jamsil Cheotjip?

Jamsil Cheotjip, a lunch spot in Jamsil-Saenae, is a Korean restaurant centered on premium gimbap. This space used to be famous as a side-dish shop, and the owner's daughter took over the family business, reborn as a Korean-food eatery. Since it was such a famous, long-running side-dish shop among Trigium residents, even after the business changed to Jamsil Cheotjip, it already had many regulars from the start.

Jamsil Cheotjip, a Korean restaurant in Jamsil, gets busy enough to have a wait because the fillings are generous and healthy. Right next door is a Lotte Super, so we played 'grocery store' with my baby while waiting.

What we ordered at Jamsil Cheotjip and what it cost

• Shrimp tempura gimbap ₩8,000
• Kids' bulgogi gimbap ₩4,000
• Hand-cut premium pork loin cutlet ₩11,000

Why Jamsil Cheotjip's gimbap is so well known

There's a reason this gimbap is famous.

• Antibiotic-free eggs
• Premium Wando seaweed
• Jeju beet pickled radish
• Gyeonggi rice milled within 2 weeks
• Fresh romaine
• Mill-pressed sesame oil

All used to make the gimbap. Just looking at the ingredients, you can't help but call it premium. Once you taste it, each ingredient's own flavor comes through clearly, and the clean taste is outstanding.

Kids' bulgogi gimbap, 4,000 won: my 17-month-old ate it herself

The kids' bulgogi gimbap is truly a gem. My 17-month-old ate it all by herself as finger food. She ate everything except 3 pieces, all on her own. She'd just woken up from a good nap and was in a great mood, so the food must have tasted amazing to her too. Two gimbap pieces on a slice of pickled radish underneath — it kind of looks like a little character shape, doesn't it?

Hand-cut grade-one Korean pork cutlet, 11,000 won

The pork cutlet here is also excellent for the price. It's a hand-cut premium-grade Korean pork cutlet for ₩11,000. Above all, the portion is generous, and the meat is on the thicker side, so I'd strongly recommend Jamsil Cheotjip's pork cutlet too.

Shrimp tempura gimbap, 8,000 won, with four shrimp

The shrimp tempura gimbap is especially famous at Jamsil Cheotjip. It's packed with 4 freshly-fried shrimp tempura pieces. It's loaded with all kinds of fresh ingredients, from house-made pickled beet radish to antibiotic-free egg omelet strips, and it's really delicious. It's worth every won of the ₩8,000. It comes with a mayo dipping sauce on the side for dipping.

The soup served on the side

The broth served on the side is a real cheat code. It's not the usual fish-cake bouillon broth — apparently it's simmered slowly with 8 ingredients including South Sea anchovies and Wando-produced kelp, made with real care. Since it's a place where you can bring your baby and eat comfortably and fully, plenty of families with children come here too.

Now that she's reached the stage where she can eat gimbap on her own, eating out together has become so much more fun. The owner was also so kind, and that warmth came through and made the lunch even happier. ♥

Coffee after lunch in the same complex

Where to get coffee near Jamsil Cheotjip

You can't skip coffee after a meal at the Trigium complex, right? Coffee Inryu (커피인류) is well known already, so you probably know it. But besides that, on the same line, I'd strongly recommend Café 155's café latte. If you take out, an Americano is ₩1,500 and a latte is ₩2,500. The beans are surprisingly good for the price. Getting a quality café latte for ₩2,500 — solid! Since I have to carry my baby around, takeout is convenient for me anyway, so it's even nicer.

Wishing you all a wise parenting-and-eating-out journey.