Solo dining Chinese restaurant in Hongdae, Seoul: Surim Sikdang

Surim Sikdang, a Hongdae-area favorite, is a 5-minute walk from Sangsu Station Exit 2~ Its signature menu items are eggplant mandu (dumplings) and dandanmyeon (spicy sesame noodles), and it was also super easy to eat solo! Here's my honest review after trying it myself haha

Today I went to eat alone before heading to practice in Hongdae, wanting to fill up properly~ I love eggplant mandu and fried eggplant in general, and while searching around, Surim Sikdang immediately caught my eye. I rushed over and ate there, and it was so much more satisfying than I expected, so I'm going to lay it all out properly today lol

Where is Surim Sikdang?

Surim Sikdang is located at 1F, 19-19 Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea~ It's 480m from Sangsu Station Exit 2. The sign says 桓樹林식당, so don't get confused haha

It's open daily from 11am to 9pm. On weekdays there's a break time from 3pm to 5pm. On weekends and holidays, there's no break time. Last order is at 8pm, so keep that in mind~

You can park in the building lot or the alley. But from Friday to Sunday, the car entrance is a bit different. You need to come in through the Yongyong Seonsaeng Hongdae alley! The main road runs as a car-free street, so it can be confusing — check ahead of time~

What are Surim Sikdang's signature menu items?

Surim Sikdang is known for its creative menu that breaks the mold of typical Chinese food. The signature dish is definitely the eggplant mandu! Fresh eggplant is stuffed full with meat dumpling filling and fried fresh to order~ It costs ₩7,500.

The dandanmyeon uses paprika and peanut sauce for a nutty, savory flavor. The bibim dandanmyeon (mixed version) comes topped with minced meat crumbles, onsen egg, and char siu. Both are ₩10,000.

The shrimp wonton noodles use a pork bone broth with shrimp balls added, also ₩10,000. The beef noodle soup has a broth simmered from beef shank with spices~ They add wild garlic chives for a clean finish.

The eggplant rice bowl and mapo tofu rice bowl are also popular. The dongpo pork rice bowl is another favorite too — that one is ₩14,000. The rest of the rice bowls are in the ₩10,000s. As for drinks, cola and Sprite are ₩2,000, and the highball is ₩3,900~

What's the vibe like inside for solo dining?

I went in for a solo meal before heading to practice in Hongdae. The interior is clean, so I felt no pressure going alone at all :) There are bar-style seats, which are super convenient for solo diners, and there are separate table seats too.

The self-serve corner had pickled radish and jjajangmyeon-style pickled cabbage ready to go. Ordering was simple with the kiosk~

Each table had chopsticks and water already set out, along with tissues, soy sauce, and sauces prepped. But the menu is so varied that I felt a little sad I couldn't try everything ㅠㅠ Next time I'll definitely try the beef noodle soup!

How did the eggplant mandu and dandanmyeon actually taste?

Since I usually love fried eggplant and eggplant mandu, I picked that right away. Dandanmyeon is another favorite of mine, so I ordered that too. I even added a seasoned egg to get some protein in haha

When the eggplant mandu came out, I was genuinely shaking... it was the most substantial version I've ever had!

The eggplant was thick and packed full of meat inside. You get 5 pieces, and just that alone was enough to fill me up. It's delicious plain and crispy, and just as good dipped in sauce~

The dandanmyeon had chewy noodles and a rich broth. The kind of flavor that makes you keep spooning up the soup... you know that feeling right?! I ate it together with the bean sprouts inside.

The crunch and the chewiness together were totally great lol. Even though I was eating alone, I left feeling completely full and satisfied~

Summary information

Frequently asked questions

Is parking available at Surim Sikdang?

You can park in the building lot or the alley~ But from Friday to Sunday, the entrance route is different. It's good to check ahead before you go!

Is there a break time?

On weekdays there's a break time from 3pm to 5pm. On weekends and holidays, they say it operates continuously with no break time.

Is it good for solo dining?

There are bar-style seats, so it's a really comfortable layout for solo dining~ Ordering is via kiosk, so it felt pressure-free going alone.

What signature menu items do you recommend?

I definitely recommend trying the signature eggplant mandu! The dandanmyeon and bibim dandanmyeon also seem to be very popular~

Overall review

The eggplant mandu was genuinely more substantial than expected, which was really satisfying. The dandanmyeon broth was the kind of flavor I kept thinking about afterward. The only downside was that there are so many menu items I couldn't try them all in one visit ㅠㅠ Still, my intent to return is 100% lol

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a place to eat solo in Hongdae~ It'd also suit people looking for something different within Chinese food. Surim Sikdang, a Hongdae favorite, is a Chinese restaurant where the eggplant mandu and dandanmyeon are delicious, and it's easy to dine solo too~