# Apgujeong Rodeo Korean restaurant: cockle pancake and spicy pork rib - By Daon (https://superchart.com/en/@stainless-bowl/) - Written Sep 7, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written as part of a sponsored store visit. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@stainless-bowl/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@stainless-bowl/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/index.md) ## In short THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch is a Korean restaurant near Apgujeong Rodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul, reinterpreting traditional Korean food with a modern touch. The seasonal cockle and water parsley pancake and cheese-topped spicy braised pork ribs, served with abalone and udon noodles, made a light-savory-meets-spicy combo that worked equally well as a meal or drinking food. With its tiled facade and private rooms, it suits both dates and group gatherings. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1F THE GIWA, 15 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (near Apgujeong Rodeo Station) - **Ordering**: Tablet at each table, with language selection support - **Seating**: Spacious seating layout, private rooms available - **Dishes ordered**: Seasonal cockle and water parsley pancake, spicy braised pork ribs (with abalone and udon noodles) *as written by the visitor on Sep 7, 2026* For anyone looking for a good Korean restaurant near Apgujeong Rodeo, let me introduce THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch, which I visited today. This Korean restaurant even appeared on the show Sixth Sense, so I'll share an honest review of the vibe and the menu combination. ![Signature photo of THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-01-yuo3x-1200.webp) ## Why I went looking for a Korean restaurant in Apgujeong with real atmosphere I'm an influencer who archives seasonal, atmospheric spaces year-round. On a day I had a meal appointment in Apgujeong, I decided to look for a Korean restaurant that stood out in both mood and food, not just an ordinary place to eat. This one caught my eye with its Korean-style tiled facade and refined interior. ## What's the atmosphere like at THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch? ![Tile-decorated exterior of THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-02-13c6s-966.webp) The storefront is decorated with roof-tile motifs and white porcelain objects displayed along the wall, so it caught my eye from far away. ![Storefront wall displaying white porcelain objects](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-03-1a30r-966.webp) ![Interior with hanji-like walls and indirect lighting](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-04-samhi-966.webp) Inside, soft indirect lighting, walls reminiscent of hanji (traditional Korean paper), and paintings blended together so well it felt almost like being in a gallery. ![Spaciously arranged seating inside THE GIWA](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-05-d5puv-966.webp) The seating is spaced out generously, and there are private rooms too, making it a solid Apgujeong Rodeo restaurant pick for dates as well as group gatherings. ## Menu lineup and tablet ordering ![Main hall with Korean tavern atmosphere](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-06-1cif4-966.webp) THE GIWA is a Korean restaurant that was even featured on Sixth Sense, starring Yoo Jae-suk, so I was looking forward to it before I even arrived. It turned out to be an Apgujeong Rodeo Korean restaurant that reinterprets traditional food with a modern sensibility, good for both a meal and a drinking session. ![Pancake menu displayed on the tablet](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-07-1jqxl-966.webp) ![Single-dish menu lineup on the tablet menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-08-1db31-966.webp) ![Menu screen showing bossam and suyuk](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-09-8bbpj-966.webp) ![Menu screen featuring braised pork ribs](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-10-1tlp0-966.webp) The menu ranges from pancakes like beef jeon, kimchi jeon, and potato julienne jeon, to filling dishes like beef sashimi, bossam (boiled pork wraps), suyuk (boiled sliced meat), and braised pork ribs. ![Tablet screen with hot pot menu items](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-11-y6h3i-966.webp) ![Fusion makgeolli menu with green tea and misugaru flavors](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-12-1ndof-966.webp) There are also soup and hot pot dishes good for sharing, like mushroom beef jeongol (hot pot) or soft tofu kimchi jeongol, plus unusual fusion makgeolli (rice wine) flavors like green tea, misugaru (roasted grain powder), and ube. Each table has a tablet where you can compare photos and prices while ordering, and it supports a language selection feature too, which looked convenient for visiting with non-Korean speakers. ![Ordering tablet set on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-13-nhztu-966.webp) We ended up picking the seasonal cockle and water parsley pancake and the spicy braised pork ribs, both of which let us taste the season. ## Seasonal cockle and water parsley pancake ![Seasonal cockle and water parsley pancake on a tray](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-14-15kyh-966.webp) It filled the round bamboo tray generously, with plump cockles piled high over green water parsley — a really appetizing sight. ![Plump cockles piled on top of water parsley](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-15-oq9el-966.webp) ![Golden-fried edge of the cockle pancake](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-16-1vefh-966.webp) The edges were fried golden and crispy, while the inside had that moist, chewy texture where the water parsley and batter came together. ![A piece of cockle and water parsley pancake lifted up](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-17-1et8a-966.webp) ![Cockle pancake dipped in soy sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-18-3vrqe-966.webp) The plump cockles had a springy bite, and the more you chewed, the more that gentle savory flavor came through, with the fragrant water parsley cutting through it cleanly. It was already tasty on its own, but dipping it into the tangy soy sauce that came alongside brought out a whole different, vivid flavor. It felt hearty enough as a meal, and it also worked well as an accompaniment to makgeolli or other drinks. ## How spicy is the spicy braised pork ribs, exactly? ![A pot of spicy braised pork ribs topped with cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-19-54oec-966.webp) Next came the spicy braised pork ribs, with cheese piled generously on top of the rich sauce. It's simmered bubbling away on a burner, so we could enjoy it warm all the way through. ![Spicy braised pork ribs simmering on the burner](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-20-1pqcx-966.webp) The ribs were so tender they seemed to have simmered for a long time, with the meat falling off easily, deeply soaked in savory sauce, and the spiciness building into a pleasant, tangy lingering heat the further you went. ![A pork rib with the meat falling off the bone](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-21-1pdh5-966.webp) Spice tolerance varies from person to person, but I'd put it at about one notch spicier than Shin Ramyun. More than anything, it wasn't just aggressive heat for the sake of it — the savoriness came through fully, so the spice level felt satisfying to me. ![Trimmed abalone served alongside the pork rib stew](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-22-1s3w4-966.webp) ![A piece of abalone dipped in the sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-23-1hxct-966.webp) A large abalone came along with it, already trimmed and easy to eat. It was well boiled, soft yet chewy, with a subtle ocean flavor that came through nicely, so eating it alongside the ribs felt a bit like enjoying a restorative dish. The radish, potato, and other side ingredients were also deeply seasoned, and the chewy udon noodles were a nice surprise too — they kept their bounce in the broth without going soft, making them great to eat over a long time along with the cheese. ![Udon noodles lifted out along with the cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon-24-a5sj0-966.webp) ## Final verdict: the pancake-and-stew combo Alternating between the fragrant, light cockle and water parsley pancake and the spicy braised pork ribs, the two different flavors complemented each other well — a combination that worked great both as a meal and as food to go with drinks. ## Where it is - THE GIWA Apgujeong Main Branch (더기와 압구정본점) - 15 Seolleung-ro 155-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 강남구 선릉로155길 15 1층 THE GIWA - 37.5254162, 127.0383554 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%8D%94%EA%B8%B0%EC%99%80%20%EC%95%95%EA%B5%AC%EC%A0%95%EB%B3%B8%EC%A0%90/@37.5254162,127.0383554,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@stainless-bowl/the-giwa-apgujeong-spicy-ribs-clam-jeon/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt