Meokgol Station Korean restaurant with a jeyuk set, ₩18,000: Sanchaega

Today I went out for weekend lunch with mom. My puppy Bbukong has been losing a bit of weight lately, and at times like this, I don't really crave spicy or heavy food — I just want warm Korean home-style rice haha.

So this time we visited Sanchaega. It's actually one of mom's regular spots, though this was the first time we went together. You know how it is when a place is where moms often meet up — you just know it's got to be good haha.

Where is Sanchaega, and how far is it from Meokgol Station?

Sanchaega is only about 70m on foot from Exit 5 of Meokgol Station. It's really close to the station, so it's easy to get to by public transit, and it's also easy to reach from the nearby bus stops.

There's also a parking space set up beside the building for those coming by car, so if you're driving, it's good to check ahead before you visit :)

Weekend lunch at Sanchaega: the room and the phone reservation

We visited during weekend lunch hours, and maybe because it was an in-between time, there were only about three other tables in the restaurant. Thanks to that, instead of a crowded vibe, we could eat at a relaxed pace hehe.

We'd called ahead to reserve, and when we arrived, the food had already been prepped to some extent!!! ☺️☺️ If you're hungry and hate waiting for food, I'd recommend calling ahead to book.

🍴What we ordered🍴 Gondre cauldron rice special set (₩18,000) × 2

What comes with the ₩18,000 gondre cauldron rice special set?

First up, hot doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew)! The flavor wasn't too strong, so it went well with the rice :)

Above all, the variety of banchan (side dishes) was really impressive — all kinds of namul (seasoned vegetables), dotorimuk (acorn jelly), kkwarigochu muchim (seasoned shishito peppers), and more, a whole table full of things that went great with rice!!!! And apparently the banchan here are refillable too.

The best dish of the day: Sanchaega's jeyuk (stir-fried pork)

And for me, the jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork) was the best thing we had that day!! The meat wasn't dry — it had a tender bite, and the lean meat and fat were mixed in just the right ratio, so it was soft and juicy ☺️☺️ I don't like it when there's too much fat, but I'm also not a fan of jeyuk that's all lean meat and dry — this was just the right balance!

The owner scoops the cauldron rice at your table

After a short wait, the owner comes out carrying the cauldron herself to scoop out the rice! When she lifts the lid, this savory rice smell rushes out, and it really feels like home-cooked rice haha. After scooping out all the rice, she pours in hot water to make sungnyung (scorched rice tea) too.

The gondre-bap (aster rice) had a subtle, savory flavor even on its own, but I added a little soy sauce and some namul and mixed it all together.

One whole grilled croaker per person

And the special set also came with a whole grilled croaker per person. Owner, are you sure there's anything left over for you???? For ₩18,000, we got cauldron rice, jeyuk, grilled croaker, and a bunch of namul side dishes — a pretty generous spread.

Finishing with sungnyung: why Sanchaega suits a meal with parents

The finale of cauldron rice is, of course, sungnyung. After the meal, spooning up warm sungnyung one scoop at a time gave my stomach that settled, comfortable feeling.

More than anything, at a time when I keep craving spicy, heavy food, this meal filled the craving I actually had — for a proper home-cooked-style meal for once! And the owner and staff were so kind that the whole meal felt really warm ㅠㅠ Eating here, I kind of got why mom comes so often haha. After a long time, I had a meal that was gentle on the stomach and filling, and Bbukong left very satisfied with this weekend lunch :)

• Hours: Daily 11:00 - 22:00
• Parking available
• Phone reservations possible