Sinsa Chinese restaurant, ₩50,000 for two and a split jajangmyeon

I had an appointment near Sinsa Station and was looking for good places to eat when I found out about Samsin, a Chinese restaurant that recently opened.

To cut to the chase, this is a place I really want to recommend strongly. It might be the most satisfying restaurant I've been to recently — the food was delicious and the service was excellent too.

The dim sum and the kimchi mandu toast in particular are still on my mind as I write this. If you're looking for a good Chinese restaurant near Sinsa Station, you should definitely try this one.

Where is Samsin Garosu-gil, and how do you get there from Sinsa Station?

Samsin Garosu-gil is at a comfortable walking distance from Sinsa Station exit 8 toward Garosu-gil.

When you arrive at the building, a stone statue by the entrance makes it easy to spot. Even before going up, the Chinese-style atmosphere got me excited for what was upstairs. The restaurant takes up both the 2nd and 3rd floors, so it's quite a sizable space.

Samsin is a fusion Chinese restaurant built on experience running Korean, Chinese, and Japanese restaurants, blending flavors from all three into one place. That's why the menu had so many unique dishes you don't usually see at a typical Chinese restaurant.

Inside Samsin Garosu-gil: dining room mood and private rooms

Inside, it's even more striking than the exterior. Centered on black and mint colors with an Asian atmosphere, even the tableware felt upscale enough that I almost felt like I was traveling in China.

Above all, the staff greeted us so warmly from the moment we walked in that the first impression was great.

Since we'd booked ahead, the table was neatly set up when we arrived. Besides regular hall seating, there are also private rooms, which seemed great not only for a Garosu-gil date but also for family dinners or gatherings.

Menu and prices: the four dishes two of us ordered

Looking at the menu, I really struggled to decide... From handmade dim sum to jajangmyeon and jjamppong, Tokyo-style sweet and sour pork, Peking chicken, and kimchi mandu toast, there were so many tempting options.

Given the fancy atmosphere, I expected the prices to be high, but they were surprisingly reasonable. The lunch course in particular starts at ₩25,000 per person, which seems like a good option for anyone looking for a course-meal restaurant near Sinsa Station.

Since we wanted to eat a lot of dim sum that day, we ordered handmade shrimp har gow, wedding siomai, crispy mustard leaf kimchi mandu toast, and yuni chili jajangmyeon.

The jjamppong and Tokyo-style sweet and sour pork looked really good too, and I agonized until the end, but choosing the mandu toast turned out to be the right call.

How do the wedding siomai and shrimp har gow taste?

The dim sum came out first, one by one.

The wedding siomai looked like a little pink lucky pouch — gorgeous just to look at. Filled with shrimp and meat, it was plump and savory, and really delicious.

The har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings) also had a chewy wrapper packed with shrimp, and you could really feel that plump texture with every bite.

Crispy mustard leaf kimchi shrimp toast: four pieces and what comes with it

And then, the star of the show — the kimchi mandu toast (menbosha). This one I strongly recommend.

It came out in four pieces, and the size alone surprised me. The shrimp between the slices of bread was plump and thick, while the bread outside was fried crispy — one bite in, and I already knew I'd have to order this again next time.

Eating it together with the gat-kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi) was the real kicker. The savory richness of the mandu toast meets the kimchi, which cuts the greasiness so you can keep eating.

It also came with gim-bugak (fried seaweed crisps), which were delicious too. It felt clearly different from the menbosha I've had at other Chinese restaurants, so it stuck with me even more.

Ganjjajang split into two bowls, plus free jjamppong broth

While we were debating between jajang or jjamppong, we asked the manager to recommend a popular dish.

He recommended the jajangmyeon and also let us try the jjamppong broth on the side. That already felt like a nice touch, but what surprised us even more was that the jajangmyeon itself came split into two bowls so we could both eat comfortably.

They even threw in an extra fried egg — I'd never seen a Chinese restaurant do that. The food was good, but the staff being this kind made the whole meal feel even better.

Mango sherbet, milk pudding and a 50,000 won bill for two

Writing a receipt review got us mango sherbet, and it wasn't just a throwaway complimentary dessert — it was rich and delicious, on par with a proper gelato or ice cream shop.

They also brought out milk pudding for us to try, and even though I felt like I was about to burst, it was so good I couldn't stop. I ended up so full that day I just skipped eating anything afterward.

And even after all that, the total came to about ₩50,000. Considering the food, the atmosphere, and the service, my satisfaction level was really high.

This is definitely a place I'll go back to. It's one of the most satisfying restaurants I've visited recently, so if you're ever near Sinsa Station, you should really try Samsin. In particular, don't miss the kimchi mandu toast.

Parking and reservations at Samsin Garosu-gil

You can book Samsin ahead through Naver Reservation or Catch Table. If you're visiting for a date, a family dinner, or want to use a private room, it's more convenient to reserve in advance.

Parking is valet at the ground floor of the building, ₩5,000 for 2 hours, with extra charges after that.

Next time I visit, I'll definitely order the kimchi mandu toast again and try the jjamppong and Tokyo-style sweet and sour pork I missed this time. If you want good dim sum and Chinese food, or you're looking for a Chinese restaurant near Sinsa Station with a great atmosphere, I really recommend Samsin.

• Location: walkable from Sinsa Station exit 8, 2nd and 3rd floors
• Hours: Sun–Thu 11:00–23:00 / Fri–Sat 11:00–24:00, break time applies
• Reservations: Naver Reservation, Catch Table available
• Parking: valet available / ₩5,000 per 2 hours