Korean restaurant in Jongno, Seoul for bibimbap and noodles: SABAL

I visited SABAL (사발), a lovely Gwanghwamun restaurant where you can enjoy clean-tasting Korean food with a polished atmosphere. ✨

SABAL Gwanghwamun was a Korean restaurant near Gwanghwamun Station that suited all sorts of occasions: anniversaries, birthday parties, dates, family meals, wedding-invitation gatherings, and even a comfortable solo meal.

It is near the Sejong Center and Gyeongbokgung Station, so it also seemed like a nice Korean restaurant to stop by after a performance or a visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Getting to SABAL Gwanghwamun and parking

SABAL Gwanghwamun is inside the first-floor shopping arcade of Gyeonghuigungui Achim Complex 3, directly opposite the front gate of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at Gyeongbokgung Station. There is one entrance from the shopping-arcade corridor and another from outside the building, so you can enter from either side.

• About 278 m from Exit 7 of Gyeongbokgung Station
• About 5 minutes from Exit 1 of Gwanghwamun Station
• About a 4-minute walk from the Sejong Center
• Search “SABAL” in T Map or Kakao Navi
• Parking is available at Gyeonghuigungui Achim Complex 3
• All vehicles receive 1 hour free; spend ₩20,000 or more per person for an additional free hour
• For additional parking, parking-discount vouchers can be purchased at the restaurant
• Paid corkage is available

A botanical interior and terrace

SABAL Gwanghwamun is made up of four spaces in all: the kitchen, two indoor dining rooms, and an outdoor terrace.

The cooking area is separated across the corridor in particular, so hardly any food smells or noise carried over. That made it comfortable and easy to focus on our meal and conversation.

Fresh potted plants were placed throughout the restaurant and terrace, making it feel like a cozy botanical garden. Soft, sophisticated music was playing too, giving it the mood of a pretty café or restaurant.

It was a Gwanghwamun restaurant that would be great for a stylish Korean meal with a beer or glass of wine on the side.

The outdoor terrace seats looked nice for a leisurely meal, since there were not many passersby. Perhaps that is why the guests were so varied, from couples on dates and families to solo diners, groups of older guests, and international visitors.

The Korean dishes I ordered at SABAL

• Chopped octopus and deodeok gochujang rice + mini noodles
• Gamtae perilla-oil bibimbap + mini noodles
• SABAL mini tteokbokki

Nutty grain tea and the basic sides

When I sat down and drank the water, it had an especially nutty flavor from the start. It turned out to be grain tea brewed with Solomon’s seal, barley, and corn.

The basic sides were also neatly arranged. The warm pumpkin porridge served before the meal was gently sweet and a lovely appetite opener. The rakkyo pickles, tossed with mayonnaise and whole-grain mustard sauce, were crisp and tangy—a nice side dish.

Chopped octopus and deodeok gochujang rice

The chopped octopus and deodeok gochujang rice comes with tender parboiled octopus piled generously with water parsley, sprouts, flying-fish roe, scallions, radish sprouts, egg strips, and crumbled seaweed, then mixed with a house deodeok gochujang sauce. The bibimbap came in a large bowl, just like the restaurant’s name, haha.

The menu marked it as level 2 for spiciness, but it was not very spicy. Octopus fried rice can often be intense and hot, whereas SABAL’s had just the right amount of kick, which I liked.

The octopus was tender too, and the popping texture of the flying-fish roe went well with all the vegetables, giving the ingredients a great balance.

Gamtae perilla-oil bibimbap

I would recommend the gamtae perilla-oil bibimbap to anyone who likes clean, nutty flavors. The fragrant perilla oil and the subtle ocean aroma of gamtae seaweed made it especially appealing.

This bibimbap is lightly seasoned with soy sauce, so it is not overpowering. I think it would make a good family-meal choice with parents or children. It was clean and easy to eat, and also a nice dish to share on a date.

Mini anchovy noodles served as a set

The mini anchovy noodles that came with the rice set had pleasantly chewy noodles, while the broth had a deep anchovy savoriness. Taking a sip of warm anchovy broth between bites of bibimbap refreshed the palate so well—it was a perfect pairing. The broth could be refilled too, so I happily had another serving.

SABAL mini tteokbokki

SABAL mini tteokbokki is a small serving that lets you try SABAL’s old-fashioned tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). It is a soupy, level-3 spicy dish on the menu, with a savory depth from kelp and fish cakes.

The soft rice cakes worked beautifully with the slightly sweet yet spicy sauce. Most SABAL dishes lean mild, so the tteokbokki was the most assertive one. It was spicier than the octopus bibimbap. Haha. Adding that spice between the bibimbap dishes balanced the meal nicely, and since it arrived in an earthenware pot, it stayed warm to the last bite.

Reservation recommendation and visit tips

High chairs and aprons are available, and there may be a wait. I visited with a 5:30 p.m. reservation, and by around 6:30 it quickly became full. It is also a busy Korean restaurant in Gwanghwamun at lunch, so I think reserving ahead would be more convenient.

SABAL noodle dishes featured on TV

• 2026.05.18 Today N, episode 2718: chogye noodles and gamtae perilla-oil noodles
• 2022.08.05 Live Today, episode 3108: chogye noodles
• 2021.06.18 Live Today, episode 2848: chogye noodles
• 2017.07.10 Live Today, episode 1912: red-vinegar chogye noodles
• 2016.07.06 Wednesday Food Talk, episode 73: chicken noodles and red-vinegar chicken cold noodles
• 2012.01.07 Find Delicious TV, episode 507: royal-court noodles and oyster noodles

SABAL is a Gwanghwamun favorite for gatherings and dates, where you can enjoy gentle, neatly prepared Korean dishes such as bibimbap and noodles that sit easily in a fresh botanical-garden mood! 🎵 ◠‿◠