Cold chicken noodles at SABAL, a Korean restaurant in Jongno, Seoul

Bringing you a review of SABAL, the Korean restaurant we visited as a Gyeongbokgung Station date course with my boyfriend one weekday evening!

Where is SABAL, and is there parking? Gyeonghuigung-ui Achim Complex 3, 2 hours free

SABAL is a Korean restaurant in the retail arcade of the Gyeonghuigung-ui Achim Complex 3 officetel, between Gyeongbokgung Station and Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno. I'd had my eye on it for a while, so I made a reservation for a weekday evening.

Since it was a weekday evening, we got seated right away with no wait, which was great, and the building's basement parking lot offers 2 hours free — worth knowing if you're driving!

Is SABAL a good Korean restaurant for a date night?

The moment we walked into SABAL, I was struck by how modern the atmosphere felt for a Korean restaurant. The tile interior has a roof-tile texture, the lighting is soft, and being evening time, it was quiet and calm — perfect for a date.

The place isn't huge, but the tables are nicely divided by potted plants, so we could talk comfortably over the meal without worrying about the next table.

SABAL's table setting and the complimentary pumpkin porridge

As soon as we sat down, the basic setting arrived — kimchi, rakkyo (pickled scallions), and pickles — along with a complimentary pumpkin porridge that turned out to be a nice surprise. The finely blended porridge came topped with cinnamon powder and sliced almonds, sweet enough to whet the appetite. And instead of plain water, they serve grain tea — a nice detail.

What do the hongcho-gyenaengguksu cold chicken noodles taste like?

We ordered hongcho-gyenaengguksu and gamtae deulgireumbap. We'd considered a chicken noodle dish too, but that day we were craving something tangy, so we went with the hongcho-gyenaengguksu! The tangy-sweet broth had shredded chicken and chewy noodles — not overpowering, but great at waking up the palate.

It's the kind of dish that's perfect on a hot day, but it worked surprisingly well even now that the weather's cooled down.

And the gamtae deulgireumbap (seaweed rice with perilla oil) exceeded expectations. There wasn't a single strong seasoning in it, yet I couldn't stop spooning it up — that's exactly what that phrase means, I guess.

The chogye noodle broth was so good I finished the whole thing, ha.

Gamtae deulgireumbap at SABAL: mild, but you keep reaching for more

The rice came out together with warm noodles.

The nutty perilla oil aroma spreads gently, and with chewy mushrooms, pickled radish, chives, and egg garnish mixed in, it's a mild flavor that you still keep going back for. Wrapping a bite of rice in gamtae (dried laver), the mild rice suddenly bursts with the savory, salty flavor unique to the seaweed — a different kind of appeal from the strong flavors we're used to these days.

Maybe because the seasoning wasn't heavy, it was oddly addictive — even full, I found myself emptying nearly the whole bowl without meaning to, haha. Mild but you keep thinking about it — now I get what that means.

Overall, none of the side dishes were heavily seasoned either, so nothing clashed with the mains — it all blended together naturally. The staff were friendly too, so for the price it felt like a fancier Korean restaurant experience. Being a weekday evening, the turnover was relaxed and we never felt rushed, which was another satisfying point.

Where to go after dinner: a Gyeongbokgung Station date course

After eating a hearty meal, we headed to a fortune-telling café near Gyeongbokgung Station and asked about a bunch of things we'd been worried about lately. Eating well and then going for a relaxed fortune-telling session with a full stomach turned out to be a surprisingly good date course. Hearing all that advice lightened my mood, and I came home feeling good!

SABAL prices and seating at a glance

The price range is about ₩16,000–17,000 per dish, so it's not a big burden as a date course, and they have a range of seating from 4-person tables down to 2-person spots, good for couples or family gatherings alike. Toddler chairs are available too, so visiting with kids seems fine, and there's outdoor terrace seating for nice weather — I'd like to try that next time.

If you're looking for a Korean meal that's clean and mild but keeps drawing you back rather than the usual heavy flavors, I'd recommend SABAL — especially if you're a bit worn out from overly strong tastes. Next time I definitely want to try the tangtang octopus with deodeok gochujang rice and the mini tteokbokki.

• Name: SABAL
• Address: 142, Gyeonghuigung-ui Achim Complex 3, 34 Sajik-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:30–20:50 (break time 12:50–17:00, last order 14:10 / 20:10)
• Parking: 2 hours free in the building's officetel/retail parking lot