Samcheok Korean course restaurant by Han-seom Beach: Bomulseom

While traveling around Samcheok on the east coast, I was looking for somewhere I could eat with an ocean view right on the water over the weekend, and I ended up at Bomulseom, a well-known spot right in front of Han-seom Beach. There's even a public parking lot for the beach right out front, so parking was a breeze, and the interior had such a nice, moody vibe that it felt perfect for a date. Let me show you around.

Where is Samcheok Bomulseom, and where do you park?

Bomulseom, a great spot in Samcheok for an omakase-style date, has a fantastic ocean view from inside and sits right in front of Han-seom Beach.

The dishes come out in an omakase-style sequence, and since the menu changes a little bit day to day, I liked that today's menu is posted on a chalkboard out front so you can check it before visiting.

What are the ocean-view window seats like?

At Bomulseom, a great Samcheok spot for an omakase-style date, the ocean is so clearly visible from inside that your eyes naturally drift to the window.

With the ocean view through the floor-to-ceiling window, waiting for the food never feels stuffy at all — it's such a nice change of mood! On a clear day, you can eat with the blue sea right in front of you, which is why a lot of families stop by for meals during their travels.

What comes in the 25,000 won course?

The menu I ordered was ₩25,000 per person. Usually when people hear "omakase" they think of sashimi or sushi, but at Bomulseom, this Samcheok spot, a whole range of dishes came out in sequence, from Korean home-style food to seafood fried rice.

• Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew)
• Soy-marinated crab, plus rice for mixing with the crab
• Tofu kimchi pork stir-fry
• Kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake)
• Abalone-innard shrimp fried rice
• Bossam (boiled pork)

They brought out this whole variety of dishes.

Bossam and doenjang jjigae

They started us off with bossam and bossam kimchi, along with doenjang jjigae. The bossam pork was soft and moist, perfectly boiled, and paired with kimchi that was seasoned just right — wow! It wasn't just one standout dish; the whole course felt tidy and delicious like a proper Korean set meal, which made it really satisfying.

The moment I tasted the doenjang jjigae, I immediately said, "This place really knows Korean food." I usually don't even bother finishing the doenjang jjigae at set-meal restaurants, but this one was so well-seasoned and rich that I got excited for what was coming next.

Kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake)

A bite of crispy-outside-soft-inside kimchi jeon with the lettuce wrap and bossam that came alongside it! I've been on a diet lately, but if it tastes this good, it's zero calories — the kind of addictive flavor you can overeat with zero regrets.

Soy-marinated raw crab and crab-shell bibimbap

Next up was soy-marinated crab, which I'd been craving lately — it's shrimp and crab season, so it's been all over YouTube and I really wanted it. Usually when I go to crab restaurants the seasoning is so salty I end up eating mostly rice, but at Bomulseom, this great Samcheok spot for an omakase-style date, the crabs were big, well-filled with meat, and just salty enough to pair nicely with rice!

They even brought a base bowl of rice for mixing with the crab, so I mixed a whole bowl right in the shell and ate it together with the doenjang jjigae.

If you love soy-marinated crab, it's the kind of rice thief you could visit just for that dish alone.

Abalone-innard seafood fried rice and tofu kimchi pork

The last main dishes were the abalone-innard seafood fried rice and tofu kimchi pork stir-fry! The abalone-innard fried rice was one of the dishes I was most looking forward to. It felt like a mix of Korean and Western flavors, which makes it great for a date, and the seasoning is mild enough for kids, so it'd be great for a family meal too.

The abalone-innard sauce was incredibly rich and thick, and the abalone itself was cooked so moist that the umami was way beyond a regular seafood fried rice.

I'd already eaten plenty with the crab and crab-shell bibimbap before this, but it suited my taste so well I scraped the bowl clean!

The pork was good quality and tender too, so eating it as a tofu-kimchi-pork trio needs no explanation. Being able to eat everything from Korean dishes to seafood and meat to Western-style fried rice all in one sitting felt like great value compared to ordering dishes one by one, and I liked getting to try such a variety.

Is Samcheok Bomulseom worth going back to for a date?

For a reasonably priced ₩25,000 per person, the menu was varied and generous! It was such a pleasant meal that I think I'll stop by again on my next trip to Gangwon. If you're looking for a good restaurant in Samcheok or Donghae, Gangwon, I'd recommend checking out Bomulseom, a great spot for an omakase-style date.