Gangseo Korean restaurant with abalone seaweed soup: Mikodam

Lots of you are probably looking for good restaurants or Korean food around Balsan Station lately, right? I found a spot for a clean, beautifully presented Korean set meal! It is just right for a family meal or for hosting special guests. I visited Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch (미꼬담 마곡발산점), a great Korean set-meal restaurant near Balsan Station :)

Mikodam Magok-Balsan Branch location and parking

Mikodam Balsan is on the first floor of a large building, so it was really easy to find. There is a parking tower right beside it, so visitors driving do not need to worry :) Best of all, parking is free for 3 hours, so we could eat and then take our time looking around the neighborhood!

Mikodam Balsan exterior

The neat, polished entrance really caught my eye. I also liked the easy-to-spot “Mikodam” sign, even from a distance. It felt like a Balsan Station Korean set-meal restaurant that puts care into things right from the entrance.

A comfortable atmosphere for group gatherings

Inside, the restaurant felt cozy and comfortable. I loved that the tables were nicely spaced apart. Pretty plants placed in the middle of the restaurant added a fresh touch, too. There is also group seating, so I thought it would be great for a company dinner near Balsan Station or a family gathering.

There was a self-service bar on one side with chilled sikhye (sweet rice drink), maesil tea (plum tea), and roasted corn snacks. It was perfect for freshening up before or after the meal! I loved this little thoughtful touch :)

A varied Korean menu ordered by kiosk

Ordering was easy through the kiosk installed at each table. There were so many menu choices! From abalone seaweed soup and cockle bibimbap to yukjeon (pan-fried beef) and LA galbi, I spent ages deciding what to eat, haha. It was also really convenient to see the refillable side-dish menu at a glance.

We ordered the Hearty Table Two-Person Set. I was so excited!

The menu had detailed descriptions of the seaweed, cockles, rice, and mackerel. It made me trust the food even more because you could tell they use carefully selected ingredients :) A Balsan Station Korean set meal made with fresh ingredients—my mouth was already watering!

A notice at the counter included parking information and a birthday-event seaweed soup service! If you visit within one week before or after your birthday, you can receive it for free, so birthday people should definitely keep that in mind :) There is also a rolled-egg event for taking part in a Naver review, so do join in!

Neat, refillable side dishes

The neat basic side dishes, just as important as the mains, were excellent too. Japchae, seasoned vegetables, salad, kimchi, and more were all cleanly prepared and delicious. The stir-fried spicy pork in particular was sweet and spicy—the ultimate rice thief! And they can be refilled for free! I was touched by the care that went into every side dish, haha.

Abalone seaweed soup in the Hearty Table Two-Person Set

I wanted something warm first, so I tried the abalone seaweed soup. It had two large whole abalones in it! The broth was incredibly rich, with a deep, refreshing flavor that warmed my whole body. The chewy abalone texture was truly amazing, too. I personally love seaweed soup so much that I almost had two bowls, haha. The broth was seriously fantastic. It was the kind of flavor that kept drawing me back :)

Crisp, moist grilled mackerel and vinegared cockle bibimbap

Next came the grilled mackerel—crisp outside, tender inside! Its beautifully golden look instantly made me hungry. It was crispy on the outside, moist inside, and seasoned just right. There was no fishy taste at all, so even my friend who is not great with fish ate it really happily, haha.

It was delicious over warm rice, but I especially loved wrapping it in gim (roasted seaweed) and dipping it in soy sauce! The salty seaweed and mackerel were a perfect match ㅠㅠ It had that dangerously good flavor that lets you finish a whole bowl of rice in no time :) Absolutely!

Then the vinegared cockle bibimbap arrived, and the sweet-tangy seasoning paired wonderfully with the plump cockles. I thought this would be just perfect as a drinking snack, haha. The vegetables were fresh too, and their crunch made it even more fun to eat.

Light yukjeon served with shredded scallions

Finally, the savory yukjeon! The thin pan-fried beef was soft and pleasantly light. Eating it with the shredded scallions served alongside meant we could enjoy it cleanly without any heaviness :) Truly, every single dish here was delicious—nothing was missing!

• Guests receive 3 hours of free parking when using the restaurant!
• Visit within one week before or after your birthday for a seaweed soup service.
• Roasted corn snacks, sikhye, and maesil tea are unlimited refills.
• High chairs are available!
• If you are looking for a great Korean set-meal restaurant near Balsan Station, I totally recommend Mikodam! You will be impressed by the generous table of food made with fresh ingredients.
• With its neat, polished atmosphere, it is excellent for dates, family meals, and company dinners.