Rigatoni ragu and katsu platter at Dongnae bistro Sasaenghwal, Busan

A private space that makes life worth living ˗ˏˋ Sasaenghwal (사생활) ˎˊ˗

Sasaenghwal location, parking and opening hours

• Location: 78 Yeogo-ro 113beon-gil, Building A, 2nd floor, Dongnae-gu, Busan
• Parking: Dongyeong Private Parking Lot, 202 Yeogobuk-ro — 1 hour free, then ₩1,500 per additional 30 minutes
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 15:00–16:30)
• Reservations: Naver Reservation, phone (walk-ins welcome)
• Other: free corkage, review event, coffee coupon with Naver Reservation

I finally got up early for once craving brunch (well, I woke up at 10 haha) and headed to a Western-style restaurant called Sasaenghwal, right in front of Geumjeong Market near Dongnae Station. I did an opening run at 11am, and within 20-30 minutes the place was already filling up!

As you can see hahaha... this is somewhere I've already been enjoying for a while. I've ordered from here a lot for delivery at work too, and it was so satisfying that today I finally brought my husband to visit the actual restaurant for the first time! (full anticipation mode)

How to get to Sasaenghwal from Dongnae Station

You go through the entrance and it's on the 2nd floor! There's an entrance and display cabinet(?) full of Asian-inspired warmth. Lalala~ let's head on up~

Inside Sasaenghwal: the 2nd floor above Geumjeong Market

It's in front of a traditional market, but?? The interior is really stylish and sophisticated ⋆｡˚ Isn't the vibe just perfect??,,,,perfect for an evening date,, let's take a closer look!

The interior is centered on black, but with green touches scattered in between, and soft lighting wraps the whole space in warmth. Thanks to that, I got a really cozy feeling!

There's a table bar right in the middle too, which is great for group visits!! And there are window seats~ this spot felt like somewhere I'd want to sit close together with someone on an evening date, chatting quietly.

There's also seating for babies off to one side ⋆⁺ and if you want to focus on conversation or your meal, there are seats like the one in the photo on the right! Water is self-serve, and they bring you all your plates and utensils-!

Drinks at Sasaenghwal: the Saenghwal highball is the popular order

There's such a big drink selection too, it's perfect for a company dinner or gathering in Dongnae!

[Drink recommendations] They have wine, highballs, beer, and soju, so you can drink to your taste, and the Saenghwal Highball is said to be the most popular drink on the menu.

• Saenghwal Highball 1 (feat. sweet and tangy) — a signature highball blending apricot, grapefruit, and lemon
• Saenghwal Highball 2 (feat. sweet) — a blended cordial of lime, apple, and lemon

You order by QR code! (kiosk ordering is also available) While you wait, there's a simple card game so you don't get bored — isn't that so thoughtful~?? Thanks to that we were cracking up until the food came out hehe.

The taste is already a guarantee, and the vibe is just as sweet, so I jotted down a whole page ✏

What we ordered at Sasaenghwal and what it cost

There are so many menu items! They've clearly put a lot of research into harmonizing East and West ingredients, and there are a lot of signature dishes too!

• Rigatoni pasta with ragu sauce 17.9 🌶️
• Gamdong katsu 4-piece 19.9
• Cola 3.0

Ta-da- everything we ordered arrived. Just the look of it made my jaw drop >0< My first thought seeing the gamdong katsu was, this is seriously great value! Such a huge portion for the price (I love it)

Rigatoni pasta with ragu sauce, 17.9: the spicy kick is the point

Eek-! So fancy so fancy!! This is my absolute favorite dish at Sasaenghwal. I've always ordered it for delivery, but seeing it beautifully plated makes it look even more delicious (^. ̫ .^♡)੭

On top of the springy-cooked rigatoni pasta sits a huge pile of ragu sauce loaded with vegetables and meat, with mozzarella cheese scattered dreamily over it -! The mozzarella softens slightly as you mix it in, and eating the noodles + sauce + cheese together is chewy, magical deliciousness.

My favorite bite,,,★ Every mouthful is packed with rich umami flavor,, you really need to pile the sauce onto each piece of pasta~!! However they made this sauce,, at first you get a soft, rich flavor, and toward the end there's a subtle tomato freshness and deep meaty depth too♥

And the great thing about this dish is that it's made spicy! 🌶️🌶️ With so much meat packed into the ragu sauce, you might expect to get sick of it, right? But there's a constant spicy kick, so you never get tired of it and it stays delicious to the last bite ꜀( ꜆^ෆ . ෆ^)꜆

If you love ragu sauce, you have to try this. The thick rigatoni noodles are fun to chew, and the sauce has such deep flavor that it pairs perfectly with the pasta!! I scraped the plate clean..haha. I wanted to put a scoop of mozzarella on every single bite,, boss, how much would extra cheese be,,,

Gamdong katsu 4-piece, 19.9: tenderloin, pork loin, cheese katsu, Scotch egg

This was my first time ordering the gamdong katsu, and the portion size shocked me 0.0 This much food for this price...? I thought. Since I work out, I always try to get protein at every meal, and gym-goers really need to order this. Best-value protein around.

Order the gamdong katsu and you get tenderloin, pork loin, cheese katsu, and a Scotch egg ₍ᵔ˶◜ʚ̴̶̷ ̫ ʚ̴̶̷◝˶ᵔ₎ I'm familiar with the other items, but the Scotch egg still surprised me. A Scotch egg is a British dish where a boiled egg is wrapped in sausage meat (minced meat), coated in breadcrumbs, and then fried or baked — such a rich touch for a brunch dish,,,♥

There are two sauces served with the katsu! One is tonkatsu sauce, and the other I think is a salsa sauce. They told me putting the salsa on the Scotch egg is delicious. The owner explained each item one by one,, so kind)

When I eat katsu I always check whether the breading is stuck properly to the meat, and this one was really firmly attached-! It was properly fried. The tenderloin is completely soft with a subtle meaty aroma, and the pork loin has a nuttier flavor. Both are extremely crispy on the outside but juicy inside, so they're easy to chew and not too heavy. Eek-

I alternated between the sauce and wasabi and enjoyed every bite. Oh right! The salad that comes with it is delicious too!! I think it's a yuzu dressing — eating it alongside the meat was so refreshing.

Oh my god, my beloved cheese katsu,, I love cheese so much that I always order it whenever I go to a katsu restaurant, and there it was in the gamdong katsu too~ Inside the crispy-fried katsu, the nutty cheese melts dreamily, giving you a rich flavor together with the meat. They must use good-quality cheese, because it's so wonderfully stretchy. I think kids would love this too.

Just look at this beautiful sight,, the breading is perfectly attached here too, and the egg is cooked to perfection, right? The black pepper sprinkled on top is the kick, so make sure to eat it together.

The minced meat fried together with it was also full of flavor. All the meats at Sasaenghwal are tender, so even elderly diners can enjoy them easily.

Following the owner's suggestion, I tried it with the slightly tangy salsa, and sure enough,, you can tell how much thought went into that pairing. Eating them together adds the salsa's tanginess to the nutty flavor of the meat and egg, making it clean and never one-note!!!!

And the salsa sauce also has onion and various vegetables in it. So eating it with the Scotch egg gave a nice texture too?? My husband said it's even better eaten together with the salad, and he really dug in hahaha. I brought him along and I'm glad he enjoyed it so much.

Is Sasaenghwal worth a visit in Dongnae?

These two dishes go so well together, definitely try them :) They'd pair nicely with a highball or wine too. Corkage is free, so bring your own drink of choice or ask the owner for a recommendation for an even better time!

With brunch restaurants or places that serve alcohol, I always check whether the menu is varied and whether the atmosphere makes me want to stay a while, and Sasaenghwal checked both boxes! I'd only ever ordered delivery before, but visiting in person, it turned out way more stylish and pleasant than the exterior suggested, making me want to keep coming back. The owner was so kind and welcoming too, which made it even more comfortable. Next time I really want to try their signature Sigol Pasta. It's been a while since I found a restaurant where I want to try every single item on the menu. Thanks for a great meal and a good rest!