Gangneung hanjeongsik lunch for two, 40,000 won: Saimdang Bueok

The place that kicked off our Gangneung trip — Saimdang Bueok, a Korean restaurant near Ojukheon! Since we knew we'd be holed up in the hotel for the rest of the day, we figured we'd eat something hearty and Korean before checking in, and wow, good call. Filling soup and rice, plus all kinds of side dishes you can only get in Gangneung. The price and the spread were both great, so I have to write this up :)

Where is Saimdang Bueok, and what are the hours and parking?

Saimdang Bueok is at 6 Jukheon-gil85beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, and it's open daily 10:30–20:00 (last order 19:15). Group reservations are possible, and parking is available.

Saimdang Bueok is right near Ojukheon, so it's super convenient to stop by on your way around the sights. There's a wide parking lot right out front, which made things really easy if you're driving, and it's totally manageable for older relatives too!

Is Saimdang Bueok already full at 10:30 opening? Inside the restaurant

Inside, Saimdang Bueok is really lush and green, and it's decorated as neatly as any other hanjeongsik restaurant. We arrived pretty much right at opening, and the group seating was already packed with a big extended family — by the time we finished eating, the place was completely full.

Reserve for two and the side dishes are set out at your window table

Since I'd reserved a table for two beforehand, they had the side dishes all set up right on time at the nicest spot in the place. The big window looked out on green trees and a slightly rainy sky, which was lovely, and the variety of banchan (side dishes) were perfect for nibbling on before the main dishes arrived :)

Every table has a kiosk, so ordering is really convenient!

What two people ordered at Saimdang Bueok, and what it cost

• Saimdang set + miyeok-guk ₩19,000
• Saimdang set + Chodang sundubu ₩19,000
• Cola ₩2,000
• = ₩40,000

Japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) and steamed scallops come with the meal. My husband loves japchae and I love scallops, but these were fishier than I expected, so I didn't reach for them much.

Best dishes on the table: grilled fish and jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork)

The Saimdang set also comes with grilled fish and jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork), and honestly, the hot, savory grilled fish and the spicy jeyuk were exactly the kind of dishes that get your appetite going — total winners .. >_<

I ordered the set with miyeok-guk, and my husband ordered the one with sundubu, and both came out really neat and clean! We're both small eaters, so the portions were just right, haha.

The Saimdang set gave us a really generous lunch, and with so much to eat beyond the mains, it was genuinely an enjoyable meal.

Saimdang Bueok's miyeok-guk: clean tasting, seaweed and nothing else

I especially liked mixing a bit of rice into the hot miyeok-guk — it had nothing in it besides the seaweed, so the flavor was super clean. And since there were already so many side dishes, that simplicity worked really well together.

By the end of the meal, we were genuinely full and satisfied — a really solid lunch. We washed it all down with a can of cola, and since there are plenty of great coffee spots nearby, we stopped by one before heading back to the hotel to wrap up a pretty packed morning!