Gangnam Chinese restaurant lunch with crab soup: Samsin Garosu-gil

Today I had a lunch date with a friend around Sinsa Station, and after hearing that Garosu-gil is absolutely hot right now, I made a reservation and went straight there haha.

Make a note of this right now!! 📍 I visited Samsin (三神), a fusion dining spot where you can enjoy Korean, Chinese, and Japanese dishes all on one table ✨

Samsin Garosu-gil location and parking

📍 Address: 46 Gangnam-daero 156-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (서울 강남구 강남대로156길 46) 🚘 Parking: Valet parking booth available (call ahead to use it)

Even before going in, the building exterior felt different. There was a goblin (Samsin) character sculpture attached to the tiled roof, plus stone lion statues at the entrance, so I thought, “Okay, this isn’t just any restaurant” 👀

Inside, the green marble tables and gold-colored spoon-and-chopstick settings made the atmosphere feel really upscale.

I read the restaurant introduction card and learned that a Korean cuisine chef from Michelin restaurants, a Chinese cuisine master with 30 years of experience, and an izakaya specialist chef cook together as one team. Maybe that’s why the Korean-Chinese-Japanese combination didn’t feel strange at all—it came together so naturally (´ᴗ`)♡

One wall was covered with signatures from past guests, and it made me think this must be a place lots of people visit haha.

Samsin Course A: what’s included and the price

We ordered Samsin Course A! It was ₩25,000 per person, and here’s what it included 👇

• 🦀 Sokcho snow crab soup
• 🥟 2-piece handmade dim sum sampler (xiaolongbao)
• 🍖 Tokyo tangsuyuk (Korean-style sweet-and-sour pork)
• 🍜 Choice of noodles (potato jajangmyeon / meat jjambbong)
• 🍨 Dessert

Sokcho snow crab soup

This soup came out first, and its delicate crab-colored hue alone had my expectations soaring. It was topped with a little pepper, and the snow crab meat was so nicely intact that every spoonful brought up strands of crab. The seasoning was mild, so it would be perfect for anyone who doesn’t like strongly flavored food.

Handmade dim sum sampler (xiaolongbao)

The moment we opened the steamer lid, the aroma of meat juices rose right up, and the two of us naturally went, “Ooh~.” The wrappers were thin but didn’t break.

When I gently tore one open with my chopsticks, the juices flowed out. It was packed with minced meat and vegetables, so each bite burst with both filling and juices. Dipping it in the tangy ginger vinegar cut through the richness too, which was really lovely 👍

Tokyo tangsuyuk

It arrived in a hot stone bowl, so the presentation was striking from the start. The key point was the pat of butter on top! As it slowly melted and mixed into the sauce, the savory flavor became so much richer.

The coating was crisp while the inside stayed moist, and the bell peppers, wood ear mushrooms, and bamboo shoots all had a lovely crunch, so I just kept reaching for more with my chopsticks.

Potato jajangmyeon

For our final noodle dish, we chose potato jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce), and I was a little surprised to find gold leaf on top ✨ The sauce was really thick, with big chunks of potato that gave it a definite bite.

The noodles were wonderfully springy and held the sauce evenly. The slightly sweet and salty balance was just right without being overpowering.

Dessert (yuzu pudding)

The final dessert was yuzu pudding! A bowlful of bright yellow yuzu marmalade shimmered around a soft, jiggly pudding nestled in the middle.

When I scooped up the pudding, the yuzu marmalade came streaming up with it, and it looked refreshing before I even tasted it ✨ One bite and the pudding was soft with a mild milky flavor, while the sweet-tart yuzu marmalade wrapped around it beautifully, clearing away the richness in my mouth. After the tangsuyuk and jajangmyeon, that freshness was such a welcome thing (´ᴗ`)♡ The dessert was substantial too, so I was completely happy with the end of the course!