Gwanak Korean restaurant for braised pollock and barley rice: Sangdo Neulbori

While deciding what to eat around Bongcheon Station, we settled on a hearty Korean meal and visited Sangdo Neulbori Bongcheon Station Branch (상도늘보리 봉천역점), known for braised pollock nearby! From braised pollock to webfoot octopus on a hot plate, barley rice, and cockle bibimbap, there was such a wide range of Korean dishes that it seemed great for a family meal too.

Close to Bongcheon Station and parking

Sangdo Neulbori Bongcheon Station Branch is just one to two minutes from Exit 5 of Bongcheon Station, so it is very easy to get to. Parking for around four cars is available beside and in front of the restaurant, so it would be a good idea to call before visiting.

The exterior and spacious interior

This is the exterior of Sangdo Neulbori Bongcheon Station Branch. We visited in the early evening on a weekday and luckily managed to park in front of the restaurant. As we ate and rush hour approached, more and more people came in for meals, so I recommend asking ahead if you need parking.

The restaurant was more spacious and comfortable than expected, with plenty of room between tables. I saw lots of families too, and it is a nice space for a meal out or a gathering.

Sangdo Neulbori Bongcheon Station Branch provides three kinds of vegetables for mixing into rice and savory sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) for free. The fresh vegetables and sungnyung were lovely alongside the barley rice.

The older I get, the more I seem to love this kind of savory sungnyung. Evenings have been getting a little chilly lately, and a warm bowl of sungnyung is pure love! ❣️

The menu, from braised pollock to barley rice

• Braised pollock: small ₩26,000 / medium ₩38,000 / large ₩50,000 / special ₩62,000
• Braised pollock with dried radish greens: small ₩31,000 / medium ₩43,000 / large ₩55,000 / special ₩67,000
• Braised pollock with abalone: small ₩36,000 / medium ₩52,000 / large ₩68,000
• Chive webfoot octopus on a hot plate ₩14,000 per person / chive webfoot octopus and pork belly on a hot plate ₩16,000 per person
• Okkumi hot plate: 2 portions ₩30,000 / 3 portions ₩45,000 / 4 portions ₩60,000
• Barley bibimbap ₩10,000 / cockle bibimbap ₩11,000 / Sangdo Neulbori traditional barley rice ₩10,000
• Seasoned bandengi fish sashimi ₩23,000 / seasoned cockles ₩25,000 / buckwheat pancake roll ₩10,000 / tteokgalbi steak ₩12,000

A full meal of braised pollock with dried radish greens and traditional barley rice

We ordered the premium braised pollock with dried radish greens, small, for ₩31,000 and Sangdo Neulbori traditional barley rice for ₩10,000.

We ordered the braised pollock with dried radish greens for two and Neulbori traditional bibimbap, and the side dishes and bibimbap arrived first.

A neat spread of side dishes arrived, including seasoned bean sprouts, roasted seaweed, peppers, seaweed soup, and watery kimchi. They went especially well with a sauce-based dish like the braised pollock.

We started by trying a little of the side dishes, then steamed egg and doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew) arrived right away. With the barley rice and assorted seasonal vegetables too, this is the sort of menu parents would enjoy. It is a lineup of Korean dishes that is always delicious, with lots of fun in choosing according to your taste.

Mixing vegetables into the barley rice

Sangdo Neulbori traditional bibimbap came with barley rice and five kinds of vegetables like this. It also included doenjang-jjigae and steamed egg, making it easy to enjoy alongside the braised pollock.

I added the seasonal vegetables over the barley rice, then added gochujang (red chili paste) and fragrant sesame oil. If you need more vegetables, you can add the three complimentary kinds for mixing into rice.

We are the bibimbap people, so let’s mix it up nicely! Sangdo Neulbori bibimbap is just right for a healthy, filling meal. It is known for barley rice, so make sure to order it!

Braised pollock with dried radish greens soaked in sauce

Finally, the main dish of tonight’s dinner, premium braised pollock with dried radish greens, arrived. There were two of us, so we ordered the small size; you can order according to the number of people.

The special sauce comes with pollock and dried radish greens, and the greens had soaked up a really generous amount of sauce. The braised-pollock sauce went so well with the barley rice that I was glad we ordered them together.

The braised pollock uses pollock dried in Sokcho’s sea breeze, so it was chewy yet tender—a true rice thief. If you are looking for a delicious Korean restaurant near Bongcheon Station, or great braised pollock and barley rice, I recommend Sangdo Neulbori Bongcheon Station Branch!