Gimcheon Korean restaurant with 8 side dishes: Sonamu Sikdang in Apo

It's gotten pretty cool out, maybe because Chuseok is coming up. Fortunate or not, my car's AC finally broke down after surviving all summer, so I went to the service center. While waiting forever for the repair, I got hungry and wanted a hearty meal, so I headed to Sonamu Sikdang, a lunch spot I love in Gimcheon.

Where is Sonamu Sikdang in Apo-eup, and is there parking?

Sonamu Sikdang Gimcheon Main Branch is at 8-21 Hanji 1-gil, Apo-eup, Gimcheon-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and you can park at the public parking lot right next door. It's open Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00-20:00 with a break time from 15:00-17:00, and closed every Tuesday.

Since my in-laws live in Gimcheon, friends often ask me for restaurant recommendations, and if you like grilled bulgogi and a proper Korean spread, this place is a guaranteed win. I was hungry, so I went straight in.

Sonamu Sikdang menu, prices and the two-serving minimum

At Sonamu Sikdang, every menu item starts at a minimum of 2 servings! The popular dishes are ojam bulgogi (squid and pork bulgogi) and grilled bulgogi, but the side menu items are so good you shouldn't skip them either.

We ordered the charcoal-grilled black pork for ₩13,000 (2 servings), grilled deodeok (mountain bellflower root) for ₩10,000, and freshly-fried buchujeon (chive pancake) for ₩6,000. The rice is Suhyangmi, which stands out for its aroma and glossy shine, so make sure to order one bowl per person — no need to order the doenjang jjigae separately since it comes free.

How many side dishes does Sonamu Sikdang serve?

Look at all those side dishes arranged in a circle! Fried burdock root, spicy radish salad, white kimchi, mung bean sprouts, broccoli, egg, gkwarigochu (shishito-style peppers), and pickled onions — this generous spread is why my mouth is happy every time I come to this Gimcheon lunch spot. Even after giving us plenty already, they kept refilling any side dish we ran low on.

What Sonamu Sikdang feels like at weekday lunch

We arrived right at opening, so tables were still open, but by lunchtime, even on a weekday, office workers, golf groups, and locals all seemed to arrive like they'd planned to meet there for lunch. Despite the crowd, the staff kept pace, and since everything is cooked over charcoal briquettes, the food came out fast — the black pork grill, deodeok, and buchujeon arrived one after another shortly after we ordered.

Grilled sow pork for two, ₩13,000

The plate overflows with charcoal-grilled black pork, cooked to order right over the briquette fire, which makes it even tastier. Onions and scallions are just a garnish — it's really packed with delicious meat. So glossy and shiny, and perfect with the fragrant Suhyangmi rice — yum!

Grilled deodeok root, ₩10,000

My friend, who said she'd never eaten grilled deodeok prepared this way when we ordered, ended up eating only the deodeok throughout the meal. Making it at home involves a lot of work — prepping the deodeok, coating it in sauce, and grilling it — but at Sonamu Sikdang you get a full plate for ₩10,000. It also makes a great side for drinks.

Buchujeon (chive pancake), ₩6,000

The thin, crispy buchujeon is another side dish I recommend — we ate it with the spicy radish salad that came as a side. It's also great topped with the meat. Hard to believe a ₩6,000 side dish could be this good quality. And buchujeon really tastes best torn into pieces by hand.

Can two people finish the whole Sonamu Sikdang spread?

Even ordering just the main dishes gives you plenty with all the side dishes, but with the deodeok and buchujeon added on top of this well-made spread, we finished it all before we even felt full. We both laughed for a while looking at the empty plates.

After such a hearty meal, finish it off with a cool, refreshing plum drink to settle your stomach. Another successful visit to Sonamu Sikdang, my go-to Gimcheon lunch spot! If you love a filling Korean meal, you have to visit this place. It's also conveniently located for those coming from Gumi or Gimcheon — worth the drive.