Early lunch xiaolongbao double order at Samsin Garosu-gil, Gangnam

My boyfriend and I went to look at suits in Cheongdam-dong, then headed to Sinsa Station's Garosu-gil for a restaurant date!

I saw on Instagram that a new Chinese restaurant had opened near Sinsa Station! It's called Samsin, made by a famous Chinese chef like Hoodeokjuk's Park Eun-young, a Michelin-recognized Korean cuisine chef, and a veteran Japanese chef who's run famous izakayas — all together. The reviews said the fusion food was distinctive and delicious, so I had to check it out!

Having been there myself now, I can say the menu really is a combination you won't find anywhere else, and somehow it all works together beautifully! What stuck with me most was that nothing felt heavy or overly seasoned — everything sat easy on the stomach. This is definitely going on my list of places to revisit for dates.

Location and accessibility of Samsin Garosu-gil

Samsin Garosu-gil sits right on the main street of Garosu-gil where a lot of the well-known restaurants are, so it was easy to find! It had been a while since I'd visited Garosu-gil, and I could feel the area coming back to life 👀

Exterior

Samsin, a fusion Chinese restaurant in Garosu-gil! There was a distinctive charisma to the place even from outside. It's a restaurant that only recently opened, and we visited quite early — around 11:30am for lunch — but even then I could hear people saying there was already a crowd outside, so I was worried we wouldn't get a table.

We walked in determined to try the galbi-jjim jajangmyeon (braised short rib noodles in black bean sauce) and dim sum no matter what.

What was the interior like

Samsin is a two-story building. Walking in, the elegant atmosphere immediately made me feel like I'd stepped into China. Such a luxurious gold interior! And I heard the dragon figures were custom-made in-house. There were already quite a few celebrity signatures on display, which surprised me — this is a celebrity favorite spot 👀

This is the stairway up to the second floor! The little dragon motifs tucked here and there were surprisingly cute.

You could tell a lot of thought went into every detail of the interior, which made it fun just to look around. Various Chinese liquors were on display by the window, which reinforced the sense that this is no ordinary Chinese restaurant! With an atmosphere this good, it's a great pick for anyone looking for a solid Chinese restaurant in Garosu-gil — whether for a blind date, a regular date, or an important meeting.

Rooms and table layout

The curved table arrangement running through the center was especially striking — it almost had a dragon-like feel? Both sides of this floor are made up entirely of private rooms, and a lot of people seemed to be using them for company dinners or meetings. There were plenty of people my age there for lunch appointments, as well as a fair number of older guests.

We were seated at a table in the middle. Even the tableware had that high-end feel from the start!!

There was a note introducing Samsin, the Chinese restaurant in Garosu-gil, on the table. It said Samsin is a space that brings together the strengths and care of three cuisines — Korean, Chinese, and Japanese — on a single table. Veteran chefs from all three cuisines came together to refine familiar flavors and make unfamiliar combinations feel comfortable and approachable!

The menu and what we ordered

I was tempted by the course meal, but my boyfriend wanted to order à la carte, so we went that route.

• Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)
• Galbi-jjim jajangmyeon (braised short rib noodles in black bean sauce)
• Tebanaka meat jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup)

Even this order ended up representing Korea, China, and Japan. It was fun spotting these little fusion details throughout, the kind that really shows this is a fusion Chinese restaurant done with intention.

And of course, we couldn't skip the Zero Coke.

Xiaolongbao — one plate wasn't enough

The warm, juice-filled xiaolongbao came out first. Apparently they're hand-made fresh in-house every day, and I thought they'd make the perfect appetizer. They really were packed with broth inside — so moist, soft, and delicious. One bite in, I thought, 'okay, we need another plate of this,' and ordered a second one right away ☺️☺️

One more plate, please 〰️〰️

Then came the galbi-jjim jajangmyeon and the Tebanaka jjamppong! 🤎🧡

The signature galbi-jjim jajangmyeon

This is Samsin's signature dish, the galbi-jjim jajangmyeon. I'd seen it advertised outside the restaurant and knew I had to try it.

It's genuinely unique and so, so good — first off, the black bean sauce isn't greasy at all, it's clean and light. The sauce's own cleanness plus a bit of chili really pulls the flavor together. The noodles were thinner and chewier than at a typical Chinese restaurant, giving it a clean overall feel.

And most importantly — the braised rib meat. Have you ever felt like there just wasn't enough meat in your jajangmyeon? I certainly have, many times. Here, though, the amount of galbi-jjim meat just doesn't run out no matter how much you eat. And once I tried it, I was blown away by how tender it was. It's braised properly, like real galbi-jjim, so it just falls apart — and it goes incredibly well with the noodles. Honestly, even a big eater would end up completely full after this.

What does the Tebanaka jjamppong taste like?

The Tebanaka jjamppong is a fusion spicy seafood noodle soup made with a deep broth from chicken and beef, topped with fried chicken. If the galbi-jjim jajangmyeon is a Korean-Chinese combination, this one is Japanese-Chinese, right?

The fried chicken was crispy and delicious — crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. And most of all, the broth was genuinely clean. It had that comforting quality of Chinese food that doesn't leave your stomach feeling heavy.

Eating the fried chicken together with the noodles, with plenty of bok choy and onion mixed in, gave it a refreshing, clean flavor — it almost felt like a hangover cure. There was also tender beef, almost like chadolbaegi (thinly sliced beef brisket), mixed in, and I enjoyed every bite!

Honest final verdict

Samsin, the new hotspot Chinese restaurant near Sinsa Station in Garosu-gil. True to being made by seasoned masters, the fusion dishes came together harmoniously without feeling forced at all — genuinely excellent. The xiaolongbao, galbi-jjim jajangmyeon, and Tebanaka jjamppong we tried were all so, so good!

We kept saying 'let's come back here' multiple times while eating — this is a real find among Garosu-gil Chinese restaurants 🤎 With such a classy atmosphere, it would work well for family gatherings, blind dates, regular dates, business meetings, or company dinners.