Weekday dinner set with perilla kalguksu and bossam: Sindorim

Sindorim Sambaekga: Seoul / Sindorim

⏰ Daily 11:00-21:40 Break time 15:00-16:00 (except weekends and holidays) 🚗 2 hours free parking in the shopping complex

Kalguksu and bossam together near Sindorim Station

As the weather turned chilly I got a craving for hot kalguksu, and while searching I found a place near Sindorim that looked like a proven local favorite 🫶 The idea of enjoying kalguksu and bossam together made me rush right over. Coming out of Sindorim Exit 2 and walking straight toward the shopping complex where you can see Homeplus, it was easy to find on the first floor.

Even though I visited around 6:30 on a weekday evening, there were quite a lot of customers, so I figured this had to be a real local favorite. The crowd was mixed in age, with groups and solo diners alike. The place wasn't huge, but it was clean.

You could enjoy everything from bossam and jokbal to kalguksu, set menus and full meal options. Great for a drink or two, or for a proper meal! My friend and I came for a (relatively) light meal.

The basic banchan, self-serve bar, and persimmon kimchi

The side dishes were fairly simple, but there were tasty meat patties and even tastier kimchi, so I was very satisfied 👍 The kimchi in particular is made with a family recipe passed down through generations, using persimmon for a subtle sweetness and crisp texture — handmade fresh daily with persimmon kimchi. Eat plenty while you can 🩵

If the banchan runs low, there's a self-serve bar. By the way, ordering kalguksu also gets you access to barley rice bibimbap, but honestly the kalguksu alone filled me up so much that I never got around to trying it. (Thinking about it now, that's a real shame.)

The Kalguksu Bossam Set, swapped to perilla kalguksu

Kalguksu Bossam Set (changed to perilla kalguksu)

This set lets you enjoy kalguksu and bossam together, making it a perfect meal option. There's a plain kalguksu too, but I was craving the nutty perilla version so I swapped to perilla kalguksu.

Heads up, the kalguksu is quite hot — be careful. With perilla added, it's nutty and rich, and the broth was genuinely thick and satisfying, which made me really happy 💛 There used to be a perilla kalguksu place I loved near my house that closed down, which was a bit sad, so it was great to enjoy a rich, nutty perilla kalguksu again after a long time.

Piling the delicious geotjeori (fresh kimchi) on top of the noodles makes for an unbeatable combination. Confirmed: this is a solid kalguksu spot near Sindorim!

How we ate the bossam

Kalguksu alone would've felt a bit lacking, so make sure to enjoy the meat too 💛 It comes as a taster portion with the set menu, but the amount was still generous.

There were plenty of combinations to try — with dried radish strips, with napa cabbage kimchi plus dried radish, or dipped in salted shrimp. The tender bossam was lovable no matter how we ate it. But personally, geotjeori plus dried radish strips was the best combination 💛 The portion was more generous than expected, so we ate until we were stuffed — though I'll admit some kalguksu was left over. I want to eat the leftovers again right now.

My friend's order: the Bossam Set

Bossam Set

My friend ordered the Bossam Set, which definitely came with more meat and included rice and soup. It seems like a great option to come alone when you're craving bossam. It's also a perfect menu for lunch!

This is a healthy, cut-above bossam made with patented persimmon-fed pork belly and shoulder, using pork raised on Sangju persimmons 💛 Anyway, we ate a satisfying, well-rounded meal without going overboard (though honestly the portions were so big we did end up eating a bit too much).

When to visit Sindorim Sambaekga

There are candies ready on your way out, perfect for a palate cleanser 💚 A great place to enjoy bossam, jokbal, and kalguksu all in one spot (they have makguksu too, of course). Good for a drink alongside bossam or jokbal, or just for a proper meal on its own. Also recommended as a lunch spot for office workers near Sindorim!!