Gangnam Chinese restaurant lunch for two with jajangmyeon: Samsin

A Korean, Chinese, and Japanese fusion restaurant near Sinsa Station

Last week, I went out for Chinese food near Sinsa Station with my husband, who loves it. This time we visited Samsin Garosu-gil, with its unusual concept of bringing Korean, Chinese, and Japanese elements together on one table. We ordered a lunch course in the ₩20,000 range, and not only was the food lineup substantial, but the striking tableware and stylish space made the whole meal feel especially nice.

Exterior and accessibility

Samsin Garosu-gil is an easy walk from Exit 8 of Sinsa Station. Since it is so close to the station, it seemed conveniently located for a date or lunch appointment around Garosu-gil or Serosu-gil.

I visited because the concept of a fusion Chinese restaurant interpreting three genres—Korean, Chinese, and Japanese—within one dish sounded quite interesting.

There was a separate valet-parking booth, as well as parking spaces. However, since both parking and valet service cost extra, I would recommend public transportation rather than driving if possible. Even from the building entrance, it had a slightly different feel from an ordinary Chinese restaurant. There was also a waiting area right out front, so it looked like a good place to sit briefly even if there is a wait.

An interior with partitioned seating and private rooms

The restaurant occupies two floors, the second and third. The partitions screened off neighboring tables, so we could dine comfortably, and there were private rooms large enough for group gatherings or company dinners.

One particularly memorable thing about Samsin was the tableware. From the plates to the cutlery, napkins, and small decorative details, everything felt coordinated around one concept. You could tell they had put plenty of effort into the space as well as the food.

The restrooms were on the third floor inside the restaurant. They were separated by gender, which made them clean and easy to use.

What comes with Lunch Course A in the ₩20,000 range

Samsin Garosu-gil had a varied menu, including three set-course options with the lunch course.

There were many à la carte dishes whose names alone subtly mixed the boundaries between Korean, Chinese, and Japanese food. My husband is such a Chinese-food fan that, after some deliberation, we chose Lunch Course A to try a variety of dishes.

• Sokcho snow crab soup
• Handmade dim sum sampler
• Tokyo tangsuyuk (Korean-style sweet-and-sour fried pork)
• Choice of jajangmyeon or jjamppong
• Yuzu pudding

Before the meal began, we were also given one gonggal-ppang, a hollow fried bread, each as a welcome dish.

Considering that it was in the ₩20,000 range, the course was more substantial than I expected. We chose different noodle dishes—my husband ordered jjamppong and I ordered jajangmyeon—so we could taste both :)

How each lunch-course dish tasted

The gonggal-ppang came first. It was crisp and light on the outside, and as I ate, a subtle cinnamon aroma came through with a touch of sweetness. It was not intensely sweet—just lightly fragrant and sweet—so it was nice to nibble before the proper course began.

Warm, rich Sokcho snow crab soup

The first dish in Lunch Course A was the Sokcho snow crab soup. Finely shredded crab meat was dispersed through a pale, creamy broth, finished with a light sprinkle of pepper. My first spoonful felt wonderfully substantial. Its thick yet smooth texture and the crab's gentle savoriness made it feel like a comforting start to the meal. It was not overly seasoned, either, so it was great for waking up the appetite.

Handmade dim sum with juicy filling

Dim sum came next, served in a bamboo steamer, and the thin wrappers looked so nicely steamed and moist. The wrappers were not too thick, so the balance with the filling was good, and there was a fair amount of juice inside, making them succulent.

Tokyo tangsuyuk with citrus tang and butter

The dish I found most fun that day was the Tokyo tangsuyuk. It was entertaining to watch them pour the sauce directly over the tangsuyuk in a piping-hot stone pot. The sauce was sweet but also bright with acidity—so citrusy and fresh that I wondered, “Is there lemon in this?”

At the same time, a pat of butter added a nutty richness, letting us taste several different notes. It was clearly different from the old-school tangsuyuk we usually think of, so it is worth trying at least once if you normally enjoy tangsuyuk.

Choose one jajangmyeon and one jjamppong to share

For the course meal, you can choose either jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) or jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup). We ordered one of each and shared them. First, the jajangmyeon! The black bean sauce, generously filled with onion and large chunks of potato, caught my eye right away.

The sauce was neither excessively sweet nor greasy; it was delicious for its deep chunjang, fermented black bean paste, flavor and savoriness. This was not a place that only did fusion dishes well—their basic Chinese dishes were good, too.

The jjamppong had a vivid red broth, so at first I wondered whether it would be very spicy. But it was not as intense as it looked, and it was generously filled with meat, onion, and vegetables, all lending it a lovely depth of flavor.

While the jajangmyeon was rich and gently sweet, the jjamppong's pleasantly spicy broth cleared away some of the oily richness from the dishes we had eaten before it.

If two people visit like we did, I think choosing one of each and sharing is best, haha.

A refreshing finish with yuzu pudding

The final course dish was yuzu pudding. Yuzu sauce and peel sat over the smooth, chilled pudding, and the fresh aroma really burst through. I loved how the bright yuzu freshness swept away that coated feeling in my mouth.

When I visited, they were offering sherbet for Naver reviews as an opening event. Please keep in mind that event details may change later :)

Overall verdict

I visited Samsin Garosu-gil wondering what a Chinese restaurant combining Korean, Chinese, and Japanese food might be like. Once there, it felt more like familiar Chinese dishes made more interesting with small touches from elsewhere. Above all, Lunch Course A had a good flow: warm Sokcho snow crab soup, moist dim sum, and bright Tokyo tangsuyuk, followed by jajangmyeon and jjamppong, then yuzu pudding to finish. With the stylish interior and tableware as well as friendly service, my husband and I left after a very satisfying lunch. If you want a meal in a more atmospheric setting than an ordinary Chinese restaurant, or a Garosu-gil Chinese set course that lets you sample several dishes in small portions, consider Samsin's lunch course :)

Recommended for

• Anyone looking for an atmospheric Chinese restaurant around Sinsa Station or Garosu-gil
• Anyone seeking a Garosu-gil Chinese set course with several dishes in the ₩20,000 range
• Anyone who wants to try Korean-Chinese-Japanese fusion dishes rather than standard Chinese food
• Anyone looking for a Sinsa Station restaurant with rooms for dates, family meals, or gatherings