Weekday lunch C-course, 24,000 won, with mom: Sutgarak Bansang Masil

If you're looking for a spot near Nowon Station for a formal meeting between families, a parent's birthday, or a family gathering, Sutgarak Bansang Masil is worth a look. It's a long-running local favorite serving a neat hanjeongsik (Korean course meal) built around seasonal ingredients. With a variety of private rooms and easy parking, it works well both as a meeting-the-in-laws spot and a proper family dinner venue.

Location and hours at Sutgarak Bansang Masil

• 📍 412 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Daily 11:30–21:30 (last order 20:30)
• Break time Mon–Fri 15:00–17:00
• Closed Sep 24 (Thu) – Sep 26 (Sat) for Chuseok holiday
• 🚘 Parking available

This was my first visit to Sutgarak Bansang Masil, but my mom told me she used to come here often for gatherings when I was little. We arrived at Masil while she reminisced.

Is parking easy for a Korean restaurant near Nowon Station?

Masil has its own private parking lot, and if the front lot is full, a parking attendant is on hand to guide you. You know how hard it is to find easy parking near Nowon Station, right? I visited on a weekday lunch and had no trouble parking at all.

We took the stairs up to the second floor. My name was already on the reservation list posted at the door. Walking in, I saw a wall of celebrity autographs and photos — it really made me feel this was a place with a long history.

Room sizes and hall atmosphere

The hall tables were quite spacious, and there were several private rooms in the back too. Rooms can hold anywhere from 5 to 30 people.

In front of the room area there was a photo zone with a pretty flowering tree. Mom said everyone used to take photos there back in the day, haha. The hall seating also got great natural light, giving the whole place a warm, comfortable feel.

What's in the 24,000 won weekday lunch C-course

We ordered the weekday lunch C-course (₩24,000 x 2). If you visit for dinner, the masil jeongsik (₩27,000) has the exact same menu composition.

Yulmu beotkkot juk (adlay cherry blossom porridge)

First came the yulmu beotkkot juk — adlay porridge tinted with baeknyeoncho (Korean cactus fruit) to give it a cherry-blossom accent, which looked really pretty. It had that clean, nutty flavor characteristic of adlay, perfect for settling the stomach before the real meal began.

From orange butterfly salad to yaksun bossam

Next came deulkkae miyeokguk (seaweed soup with perilla seeds), orange butterfly salad, sora chohoe naengchae (cold whelk salad), ssukgat yeonkkot jeon (crown daisy and lotus root pancake), spring forsythia-shaped fritters, dallae batnabi japchae (wild chive glass noodle salad), and yaksun bossam (medicinal-herb boiled pork wraps).

The orange butterfly salad had a tangy orange dressing with plenty of fresh vegetables — a great appetizer, and also refreshing to pair with the meat dishes in between bites.

Sora chohoe naengchae had konjac jelly dyed with baeknyeoncho, crunchy lotus root and cucumber, and chewy whelk, all brightened with a tangy tangerine sauce for a clean, refreshing combination.

Ssukgat yeonkkot jeon is a fragrant crown daisy pancake with lotus root in the center. Eaten warm, the aroma of the crown daisy and the texture of the lotus root worked really well together.

The spring forsythia fritter was made from fried buckwheat noodles shaped to look like forsythia flowers — stunning and curious just to look at. The shrimp inside was plump too, and it paired well with the accompanying sauce.

Dallae batnabi japchae was seasoned just right, with a variety of garnishes giving it a mix of textures.

The yaksun bossam was delicious wrapped in the mukeunji (aged kimchi) served alongside, adding extra depth of flavor. Even though the slices were fairly thick, the pork was so tender that I think both older family members and kids would enjoy it without any trouble.

The deulkkae miyeokguk had a rich, nutty flavor from the perilla seeds and was nice to sip warm between courses.

The mains: masil tteokgalbi and yeongyang beoseot galbijjim

Even by this point I was already pretty full given how generous the portions were, but the real meal was just starting. 😉 Out came the mains — masil tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) and yeongyang beoseot galbijjim (nutritious mushroom braised short ribs).

The masil tteokgalbi came with a hidden induction warmer built into the table so it stayed warm the whole time, while the yeongyang beoseot galbijjim simmered away on a mini brazier.

I was told the masil tteokgalbi is made in-house, and one bite confirmed it — juicy and moist. Paired with the onions served alongside and rice, it disappeared fast.

The yeongyang beoseot galbijjim was loaded with a variety of mushrooms and generous short ribs. It had that classic sweet-savory galbijjim flavor, and since it was packed with mushrooms — one of my favorites — I liked it even more.

Cherry blossom rice and spring dallae doenjang jeongol

Next came cherry blossom rice, spring dallae doenjang jeongol (wild chive soybean paste stew), and a side of seasonal namul (seasoned vegetables).

The cherry blossom rice used hongguk-mi (red yeast rice) — healthy and pretty to look at, cooked in a cauldron pot. The green peas on top made a cute accent once served into individual bowls. Since it was cooked in a pot, after scooping out the rice they added water to make nurungji (scorched rice) to finish with at the end.

The spring dallae doenjang jeongol was packed with ingredients, with a deep doenjang flavor strong enough that you could see whole soybeans in it. Even so it wasn't heavy or muddy — clean enough to pair really well with rice.

Side dishes included garlic scapes, chwinamul muchim (seasoned aster greens), sukju namul (mung bean sprouts), stir-fried anchovies, and napa cabbage kimchi. By this point I was truly full, but you know how it is with Korean food — even when you're stuffed, your hand keeps reaching for the banchan, haha. Every side was neat and easy to eat, so I kept picking at them little by little.

We finished the meal with a sweet-and-tangy cheonggyul cha (green tangerine tea).

How was it as a family gathering spot?

The weekday lunch C-course was genuinely generous, from the porridge through the variety of dishes, tteokgalbi and galbijjim, cauldron rice and doenjang jeongol, all the way to dessert. Every dish was plated neatly and reflected the season, which made it fun just to look at.

What I liked most about Sutgarak Bansang Masil is that beyond the food, it has private rooms and its own parking lot. Finding a good spot near Nowon Station for a group meal — a parent's birthday or a family gathering — isn't always easy, but here you can handle the meal and the venue in one place.

Since it's a place that's stayed in the same spot for so long, it was a walk down memory lane for my mom, and since it was my first time, a fun discovery for me too. If you're planning something a bit more formal — a meeting between families or a family gathering near Nowon — Sutgarak Bansang Masil's neat hanjeongsik course is worth considering.