# Gyeongbokgung Korean restaurant: gamtae perilla oil rice at SABAL - By Ieum (https://superchart.com/en/@the-second-stop/) - Written Sep 1, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a complimentary meal was provided by the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@the-second-stop/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@the-second-stop/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/index.md) ## In short SABAL is a Korean restaurant in Jongno, Seoul, on the first floor of the Gyeonghuigung-ui-achim Complex 3 arcade, 278 m from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 7. Two sisters booked through Naver for a weekday lunch after 1 p.m. and shared chicken hemp seed salad (16,000 won), gamtae (dried green laver) perilla oil rice (17,000 won) and tangtang nakji (chopped octopus) rice with deodeok gochujang. Both the perilla oil rice wrapped in sheets of gamtae and the octopus rice with SABAL's own deodeok chili paste tasted clean and carefully made, and the arcade gives two hours of free parking, so driving to SABAL is easy too. ## Good to know - **Address**: 34 Sajik-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul — Gyeonghuigung-ui-achim Complex 3, Unit 142 (278 m from Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 7) - **Hours**: 11:30 - 20:50 - **Gamtae perilla oil rice**: 17,000 won - **Chicken hemp seed salad**: 16,000 won - **Parking**: Free in the Gyeonghuigung-ui-achim Complex 3 arcade lot, up to 2 hours - **Seating**: Table seating, terrace, solo seats / group table for 5 to 8 people - **Amenities**: Vegan menu, takeout, Wi-Fi, high chairs, reservations, wheelchair-accessible entrance and seating, accessible parking space - **Payment**: Local currency vouchers (mobile), Zero Pay - **Price reference**: ₩16,000 ≈ $12 · ₩17,000 ≈ $12.5 (2026-09-15) *as written by the visitor on Sep 1, 2026* ## 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. ![Entrance to SABAL, a Korean restaurant in the Gyeongheunggung-ui-achim complex 3 arcade](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-01-13oru-966.webp) 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. ![Exterior arcade walkway leading to SABAL near Gyeongbokgung Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-02-1gqyj-966.webp) ![Quiet, comfortable seating inside SABAL](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-03-1hnxr-966.webp) ## 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. ![Tea blended from barley tea, corn tea, and solomon's seal tea](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-04-4we5w-966.webp) ![Pumpkin porridge appetizer topped with nuts](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-05-1amt6-966.webp) ![SABAL's basic table setting](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-06-yjbz3-966.webp) ![SABAL's Korean menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-07-17u5v-966.webp) ## 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. ![Neatly arranged side dishes at SABAL](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-08-1ptrl-966.webp) The neat side dishes were laid out, and dishes plated with care arrived one after another. ![Korean dishes plated and served one after another at SABAL](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-09-12gq3-m-966.webp) ![Close-up of side dishes at SABAL](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-10-1smwc-966.webp) ![Full table setting at SABAL](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-11-iep53-m-966.webp) ![Table with the chicken hemp seed salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-12-1r6p8-966.webp) ### 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 — ![Salad with hemp seeds and fresh vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-13-cr9ej-m-966.webp) 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. ![Close-up of sous-vide chicken breast on the salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-14-sm5jv-966.webp) ### 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. ![A bowl of SABAL's signature gamtae perilla oil rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-15-4d5ad-966.webp) ![Close-up of bibimbap topped with gamtae and perilla oil](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-16-2mqk3-966.webp) 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. ![Perilla oil bibimbap loaded with ground perilla seed](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-17-13min-966.webp) ![Mixed gamtae perilla oil rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-18-jrbot-966.webp) ![A bite of perilla oil rice wrapped in gamtae](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-19-t5a2u-966.webp) 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. ![Mini noodles served as a set with the rice dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-20-1nyvb-966.webp) The mini noodles that came as a set! Slurp it up — the clean broth goes down so easily. ![Close-up of the mini noodles in clean broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-21-j04ki-966.webp) ### 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. ![SABAL's octopus tangtangi deodeok gochujang rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-22-1pd07-1200.webp) ![Bibimbap topped with blanched octopus, minari, and flying fish roe](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-23-cu24x-966.webp) 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. ![The table at SABAL after finishing the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap-24-194o6-966.webp) 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. ## Where it is - SABAL (사발) - 34 Sajik-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (경희궁의아침 3단지 142호) - 서울특별시 종로구 사직로8길 34 경희궁의아침 3단지 사발 142호 - 37.5735857, 126.9724791 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%82%AC%EB%B0%9C/@37.5735857,126.9724791,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@the-second-stop/sabal-gwanghwamun-nakji-gamtae-bibimbap/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt