Cheongna Lake Park lunch at Sammi-jip: pot lid squid-pork stir-fry

Today I'm bringing you a review of Sammi-jip (삼미집), a restaurant near Cheongna Lake Park that I visited with a friend on a weekday for lunch. I was looking for a Korean BBQ spot for lunch and stumbled on this place — it turned out better than expected, so I wanted to write it all down. I think this will be useful for anyone who works near Cheongna Lake Park or lives nearby, so I tried to note down the details carefully. If you're ever stuck on what to eat for a weekday lunch, hope this helps!

Where is Sammi-jip, and is there parking near Cheongna Lake Park?

• Location: 18 Cheongna-canal-ro 233beon-gil, Seo-gu, Incheon, South Korea, 1st floor
• Parking: parking space available in front of the restaurant

Sammi-jip is right near Cheongna Lake Park, so it was really easy to get to, and there's a dedicated parking space out front which made driving over convenient too. Living up to its reputation as a Cheongna Lake Park favorite, the place was pretty packed even on a weekday for lunch.

It seemed like a lot of office workers come in for lunch — groups of two and three sitting together, the whole place buzzing, which put us in a good mood too. Turnover was fast so we didn't have to wait long to get seated, and the staff were friendly, which made the whole meal pleasant.

What is on Sammi-jip's weekday lunch menu?

Sammi-jip is basically a Korean BBQ restaurant, but during lunch hours they serve meal specials like kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), budae jjigae (army stew), and duruchigi (spicy stir-fry) as set menus. It seems set up so you come for meat at dinner and a lighter meal at lunch — a really versatile spot even among the many Cheongna Lake Park restaurants.

It struck me as a place office workers could stop by without any hesitation for lunch. With such a varied menu, I could see myself eating here every day without getting bored. We went with the duruchigi this time, but now I want to try the kimchi jjigae or budae jjigae next visit. The prices are reasonable too, so it seems like a good spot to come back to often.

How clean is the dining room at Sammi-jip?

You could immediately tell that both the kitchen and the dining hall were kept spotless.

At Korean BBQ places, grease stains and lingering smells can sometimes be an issue, but there was none of that here — it was genuinely comfortable to eat in.

The tables were neatly set, and as we walked through the dining hall nothing looked messy or unkempt — it gave off the impression of a well-managed restaurant.

I think this cleanliness is part of why it's become one of the go-to Cheongna Lake Park restaurants. If you run low on side dishes, you can just grab more from the self-serve bar, so there's no need to feel awkward about asking.

The side dishes were neatly organized too, which gave me confidence about hygiene, and the layout made it easy to go back and forth for refills without any hassle.

They also have baby chairs on hand, so it's easy to bring kids along!

Pot lid squid and pork stir-fry: spicy, smoky, and worth 11,000 won

My friend and I ordered two servings of the pot lid squid and pork stir-fry (solttukkeong ojam duruchigi, ₩11,000).

There was a generous amount of squid and pork, so we ate our fill, and the sauce was nice and spicy — perfect with rice. It was hearty enough that I polished off a whole bowl of rice.

Since it comes served in a pot lid, it stayed warm the whole time, and it had that distinctive smoky char you get from a pot lid, giving it a different appeal from regular duruchigi. It also came with a fried egg on the side, which went nicely with the spicy stir-fry, softening it out a bit.

It was the kind of dish that was easy to chat over with a friend and polish off without even noticing. The heat wasn't overwhelming but had a deep spiciness that makes me think I'll be craving it again.

Is Sammi-jip worth it for a weekday lunch in Cheongna?

Overall, it was a really satisfying lunch thanks to the clean atmosphere and the hearty, spicy duruchigi. If you're looking for a good restaurant near Cheongna Lake Park — whether for an office lunch or a meat dinner — I'd definitely recommend Sammi-jip.

Having parking right out front made getting there easy too, which is worth keeping in mind when you're searching for places to eat near Cheongna Lake Park. Given how busy it was even on a weekday lunch, it already seems to be a well-known favorite in the neighborhood.

I was satisfied enough that I'm already thinking about coming back for the meat menu at dinner, and I'd love to try more dishes one by one to get to know this Cheongna Lake Park spot even better. The location is close to the park too, so it'd be a nice easy stop after a walk. If you're looking for a relaxed lunch spot near Cheongna Lake Park to grab with a friend, I recommend Sammi-jip!