Sinsa Korean BBQ date with herring roe and free minari yukhoe: Sansol

I came to Sansol Sinsa Main Branch (산솔 신사본점) for some Sinsa pork belly. From the outside it already feels like eating on a countryside wooden porch. Right in the middle of Gangnam, I love a look like this :)

Where is Sansol Sinsa Main Branch, and what about parking and hours?

Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is close to Exit 4 of Sinsa Station, under 10 minutes on foot. There is parking, but not a lot of it, so I think it is best to come by public transport if you can.

• Mon–Fri: 11:00 to 23:00
• Sat, Sun: 12:00 to 22:00
• Break time: 2:30 PM–3:30 PM

A spacious wood-paneled restaurant

If you come to Sansol Sinsa Main Branch for Sinsa pork belly, you will find the place very large, with roomy tables, so even a bigger group can eat comfortably.

The whole interior is done in wood, which feels cozy and clean. I think it suits the restaurant's name well :)

Is the discounted San Assortment (2–3 people, 500g) enough for two?

Sansol Sinsa Main Branch has plenty of à la carte items too, but we ordered the discounted San Assortment (2–3 people, 500g). There were two of us and it was more than enough, haha. Fine for two, but for three it might feel a little short?

What's in the discounted San Assortment

• Aged pork belly
• Aged flower neck (kkotmoksal)
• Aged kkodeulsal (chewy pork cut)

Because the meat is aged rather than served as plain fresh cuts, it felt juicier and chewier.

Maybe because it is aged, it looks like it has already had a first sear? I don't know much about meat, but the quality is obvious at a glance. Pork belly is usually good anywhere you go, but the meat here looks delicious even before grilling, haha.

What banchan and sauces come at Sansol Sinsa Main Branch?

The banchan (side dishes) and sauces here are crazy good. It felt like they were made in-house, not bought in. The vegetables are very fresh with a great crunch, and the sauces are the real highlight. They balance out the meat, which could otherwise get greasy :)

11 banchan and sauces

• Highland geotjeori (fresh-tossed kimchi)
• Pickled chili peppers
• Pickled young radish
• Minari scallion salad
• Aged kimchi (mugeunji)
• Sansol pa-yukjang (scallion sauce)
• Yuzu radish salad

• Maldon salt
• Wild garlic leaf wasabi
• Herring roe (cheongeo-al-jeot)
• Barley ssamjang

The herring roe is the kick

Four sauces come out, and the herring roe is totally the kick. Eaten with the meat it pops in your mouth, and it is clean-tasting, a perfect match, haha.

Free minari yukhoe from the opening event

Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is giving out minari (water dropwort) yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) as a free opening event! I don't know until when, so if you are planning to go, go soon. It was my first time having minari with yukhoe, and they go together quite well, and the seasoning on this is delicious too, haha.

Does Sansol Sinsa Main Branch grill the meat for you?

Yes, the staff grill the pork belly for you. They grill it neatly and just right, with no fat splattering, so it is perfectly ready to eat and so convenient.

It is easy to chat while you wait, haha. The atmosphere is nice, and eating meat grilled at a relaxed pace like this is really comfortable.

Why the meat smell doesn't stick to your clothes

I really love that there is no smell. Usually after a BBQ restaurant my clothes smell for days, but at Sansol Sinsa Main Branch the smell doesn't cling to your clothes, which is really great.

Maybe because of the downdraft duct, there was no smoke at all, and no smell even after leaving. I have been to a lot of BBQ restaurants, but this is the first one I think with no smoke and no lingering smell.

They set out the finished meat like this

Once the meat is fully grilled they place it like this, so we just eat, haha.

Is it good for a Sinsa pork belly date?

Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is great for company dinners or family meals, but I think it is good for couples' dates too. Not having to grill it yourself is easy and the taste is a given, and the lack of smell makes it good for a date.

Recommended combos: wasabi and aged kimchi, pa-yukjang, herring roe

All the banchan at Sansol Sinsa Main Branch pair well with the meat, so you can eat it many different ways. Most of them cut the greasiness of the meat, so whichever I ate it with was good.

Personally, my three favorites were the wasabi sauce with aged kimchi, the scallion sauce, and the herring roe combo, those last two together with the meat.

When you're craving Sinsa pork belly?

I think Sansol Sinsa Main Branch is worth a visit. Banchan at BBQ places are usually all the same, but here the banchan are really delicious, and the meat tastes great too :)

The staff were also friendly, so eating there felt easy, and they responded well whenever we asked for things.

Finishing fresh with a candy, haha

After a tasty meal we finish with a candy, haha. It was my first pork belly in a while and I was very satisfied. Sansol Sinsa Main Branch: happy with the taste, the cleanliness and the service!! If you are in Sinsa or work around here, I think it is a good choice when you are craving pork belly!!