Gyeongbokgung Korean restaurant: gamtae perilla oil rice at SABAL

Where is SABAL? Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 7, Gyeonghuigung-ui-achim Complex 3

SABAL is a Korean restaurant 278m from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 7, on the first floor of the Gyeongheunggung-ui-achim (경희궁의아침) complex 3 officetel arcade. Open from 11:30am to 8:50pm.

I visited SABAL, a Korean restaurant near Gwanghwamun, for lunch. SABAL is popular for its relaxed atmosphere and neat menu right in the middle of downtown Gwanghwamun, and it's a favorite lunch spot for nearby office workers too. With its slightly quirky name, SABAL sits inside the first-floor arcade of Gyeongheunggung-ui-achim complex 3 at Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 7, so it's easy to reach by public transit.

And if you use the parking lot at the Gyeongheunggung-ui-achim complex 3 officetel arcade, you get up to 2 hours free, so it's convenient to drive there too.

Booking SABAL after 1 p.m. on a weekday, and what the dining room feels like

Inside SABAL, near Gwanghwapun's Gyeongheunggung-ui-achim, the space is quiet yet comfortable. Even right in the middle of downtown Gwanghwamun, it feels relaxed. The interior has a hint of tradition mixed with a modern touch, which makes you curious about the neat Korean dishes served there. Booking ahead makes for an even more relaxed meal — I'd recommend reserving in advance to eat leisurely. We went through Naver Reservation after 1pm on a weekday, once the office worker rush was over, and got seated right away.

The basic table setting was laid out —

a savory tea blended from barley tea, corn tea, and solomon's seal tea,

and pumpkin porridge topped with nuts! Sweet and smooth going down, it made a nice appetizer.

SABAL's menu: rice bowls, gukbap, noodles and dinner-only pork jowl

SABAL's menu, near Gwanghwamun's Gyeongheunggung-ui-achim, is impressively varied: rice dishes served with mini noodles, gukbap options like dak-gaejang (spicy chicken stew) and dak-gomtang (chicken soup), dak-guksu (chicken noodle soup), deulkkae-tang (perilla seed soup), black rice noodles, spinach noodles, dak-gaejang noodles, egg soup noodles, sundubu noodles, kids' noodles, chogye noodles, gamtae perilla oil bibim noodles, hwangtae bibim noodles, cold noodles, mixed noodles, salads, old-style tteokbokki, and even a dinner-menu grilled pork jowl served with chamnamul and napa cabbage salad.

With Korean dishes made from top-quality rice and somyeon, paired well with wine, highballs, and makgeolli, it seems like a great spot for a special time with family, friends, or coworkers.

The neat side dishes were laid out, and dishes plated with care arrived one after another.

Chicken hemp seed salad, 16,000 won: a light order with a generous portion

After overeating the day before, I wanted something light, so I ordered the chicken hemp seed salad for ₩16,000. I wanted a light meal, but the portion was actually big, and with all the nuts it was quite filling too. The savory, soft hemp seeds and crisp fresh vegetables —

and the sous-vide chicken breast, which I enjoyed even more after asking for extra sesame dressing! A good menu for getting your protein in, and I thought it would also work well as a shareable side dish alongside a soup or noodle order.

Gamtae perilla oil rice, 17,000 won: SABAL's signature, wrapped in dried green laver

My sister ordered the gamtae perilla oil rice. SABAL's signature dish, perilla oil rice, costs ₩17,000.

gamtae (dried laver seaweed) and perilla oil are the stars. Loaded generously with ground perilla seed too, it's a bibimbap with an excellent savory flavor.

Mix it all up, then wrap it in the perforated gamtae sheets to eat — it really shows how varied the flavors of Korean food can be. SABAL is truly a healthy, neat Korean restaurant.

The mini noodles that came as a set! Slurp it up — the clean broth goes down so easily.

Tangtang nakji rice: why SABAL's deodeok gochujang makes the dish

My sister, who loves octopus, ordered another of SABAL's signature dishes: the octopus tangtangi deodeok gochujang rice.

Blanched octopus, minari (water dropwort), sprouts, flying fish roe, chopped green onion, radish sprouts, egg garnish, and gim (seaweed) flakes, and for the most important part of any bibimbap — the sauce — SABAL uses its own special deodeok gochujang.

Mix it all together and take a bite! It really lived up to being a restaurant featured on Diner's Delight, and I was even more satisfied knowing the dish was made with health in mind too. SABAL has a range of healthy dishes that all generations can enjoy, and the plating is visually stunning too — a place that will stick in my memory. I've marked it down as a spot to revisit whenever I'm craving Korean food, whether for lunch or dinner.

If you're looking for a standout Korean restaurant near Gwanghwamun or Gyeongbokgung Station, with dishes that care about both health and flavor — SABAL! Well worth a visit.