Spicy sundaeguk and potato pancake at Sillim restaurant Sinjuokmi

What do you usually eat for a brunch on your day off?! I mostly go for gukbap (soup with rice) haha, so when I heard Sinjuokmi, a rising gukbap franchise, opened a branch in Sillim, I went straight there.

Where is Sinjuokmi Sillim Station branch, and where can you park?

It's a 5-minute walk from Sillim Station Exit 6, and also close to the Sillimbyeolbitgeori bus stop. There are a few parking spots in front of the store, but if they're full you'll need to use a nearby paid lot.

Facilities at Sinjuokmi Sillim Station branch

• Group seating
• Separate men's/women's restrooms
• Wheelchair accessible
• Takeout available
• Waiting area
• Parking in front (nearby lots if full)
• Sillim Public Parking Lot No.3, ₩3,000/hour
• Yerim Building, ₩7,200/hour
• Review event

Finding the Sinjuokmi storefront in Sillim

The exterior looked pretty impressive, like a big traditional Korean restaurant. The brand started back in '99, so,,, it's 28 years old this year!

Inside Sinjuokmi: solo seats and tables for two

Inside, there are plenty of 4-person tables ready, and there are also 2-person tables, so solo dining felt comfortable without any awkward glances.

There were also aprons on the wall next to the self-serve corner. I forgot to ask whether they have baby chairs, oops.

The self-serve corner and T-order tablet at Sinjuokmi

At the self-serve corner there were basic side dishes, seasoning sauce, garlic, and salted shrimp, ready to be refilled anytime you run out. Just take only as much as you'll actually eat.

All orders are placed through the T-order tablet at each table, and payment is after you eat. Interestingly, they gave us heotgae (Japanese raisin tree) tea. As someone who always carries around some puffiness, I was very happy about that,,

What we ordered at Sinjuokmi and what it cost

• Special spicy sundaeguk (meat only) ₩11,000
• + Suyuk set add-on ₩3,800
• Potato jeon ₩9,900

That day I wanted a gukbap with a rich meat broth, so I ordered meat-only. I also added the potato jeon since I've been really into it lately. The price was cheaper than I expected. Being able to choose sundae-only or meat-only like this is such a nice option, haha.

The side dishes that come with every Sinjuokmi meal

The basic side dishes were kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), musaengchae (spicy radish salad), raw onion, and ssamjang (dipping sauce). I honestly think you can tell if a gukbap place is good just by looking at the kimchi. Personally the musaengchae was so good I wanted to mix it into rice with sesame oil.

How does the special spicy sundaeguk (meat only) taste?

The spicy sundaeguk came out first. It arrived actually bubbling and boiling, which already looked delicious. It was packed with all kinds of meat and offal, so it felt really hearty — no gamey smell at all, just tender and delicious. It was spicy but not in an aggressive way, so it hit exactly my taste, haha.

The 3,800-won suyuk set add-on and the potato pancake

Next was the suyuk set I added. Lung and liver aren't included in the gukbap, but they came with the suyuk set, so we could enjoy it even more fully. It had a different charm from the offal in the soup — really chewy, and I kept reaching for more.

Lastly, the potato jeon came out. Since it takes time to cook, I expected it to take longer than the gukbap, but it actually came out faster than I thought. It stayed crispy while cooking evenly all the way through, so every bite was crispy — you know that feeling?! There weren't any overly oily parts either, so it wasn't greasy at all. Personally that soy sauce was so good I kept dipping the meat in it too, haha.

The Sillim branch exclusive coupon at Sinjuokmi

Turns out there's a coupon that only works at the Sinjuokmi Sillim branch. Free suyuk set on your 5th visit, and assorted sundae on your 10th — that seems like a pretty solid deal. I grabbed one since I plan to come back often!

Final thoughts on Sinjuokmi Sillim Station branch

I almost ordered soju for real