Mapo gimbap restaurant: thick yubu gimbap at Samhyeongje Gimbap

While out on a work errand in Sangam-dong, I stopped by Samhyeongje Gimbap, Sangam branch (삼형제김밥 상암점) for a simple but filling lunch. I chose three kinds of yubu gimbap (fried tofu seaweed rice rolls), and each roll was thick and substantial.

Where is Samhyeongje Gimbap, Sangam branch?

The shop is in Nuritkum Mall, in the basement of Nuritkum Square opposite Sangam MBC. I went there to sort out lunch with gimbap near where I was working.

After taking the escalator down to the basement, I found several restaurants. I headed to Samhyeongje Gimbap for gimbap.

What are the hours and ordering system?

At the time of the original post, the hours were 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturdays. The shop was listed as closed every Sunday.

The shop said its fried tofu is stir-fried in a cauldron for about two hours, mixed with sweetly braised burdock root, and rolled in seaweed from Wando. It also says company group orders and corporate breakfast delivery are available. Pre-made gimbap was set out on trays, and I chose and packed it myself.

Payment was self-service as well. Cards were paid at the kiosk, while cash customers took their own change. There was also a single-serving miso soybean-paste soup to dissolve in hot water.

What gimbap and side dishes are available?

The menu board listed the original yubu gimbap along with several yubu gimbap rolls with different fillings.

There were yubu gimbap options with seasoned dried squid, imitation crab, cheese, tuna, spicy green chili, wasabi tuna, kimchi, assorted fillings, kimchi tuna, spicy odeng (fish cake), and crami salad. The mini gimbap came in yubu, ham yubu, cheese-and-ham yubu, and tuna yubu varieties, and the shop also sold tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), odeng, and drinks.

I chose the original yubu gimbap, crami salad yubu gimbap, and spicy odeng yubu gimbap.

Is there a place to eat packed gimbap right away?

I had initially planned to buy the gimbap and leave, but I was hungry, so I decided to eat a quick meal at the table next to the shop.

Even with only three rolls, the package felt quite heavy. Stickers on the crami and spicy odeng rolls made them easy to tell apart from the original yubu gimbap.

How did the three yubu gimbap rolls taste?

What is in the original yubu gimbap?

I started with the original yubu gimbap, the basic option. Because the roll was thick, it felt filling for lunch.

It contained fried tofu, burdock root, danmuji (pickled radish), carrot, and egg. The crisp fried tofu, sweet burdock, and crunchy, refreshing danmuji came together with a savory flavor.

What does the crami salad yubu gimbap taste like?

The crami salad yubu gimbap contained crami, carrot, danmuji, egg, burdock root, fried tofu, and ham. The crami mayo gave it a refreshing taste.

How spicy was the spicy odeng yubu gimbap?

The spicy odeng yubu gimbap had a little rice around the edge and plenty of fish cake in the middle. At first I did not think it was very spicy, but the heat built as I chewed.

How much food were three gimbap rolls?

After tasting the three kinds at the table, I took the remaining gimbap home.

When I put it on a plate at home, each piece of gimbap felt as large as futomaki.

Three people ate the leftover gimbap with one serving of ramen and were still full enough to leave a little. For me, it was a generous amount: enough to eat some outside and share the rest at home. It was an easy-to-choose but filling lunch.