Solo seat perilla oil makguksu & buckwheat pancake: Sammiri Makguksu

With the weather finally cooling off, I've been craving something nutty and autumnal rather than another bowl of cold naengmyeon, haha. So I looked around Sinsa Station, where I go pretty often, for something nutty and satisfying — and found a place famous for perilla oil makguksu. This is Sammiri Makguksu, a Sinsa-dong makguksu spot that's great for eating alone near Sinsa Station!

Sammiri Makguksu's location and hours

The address is 48-39 Gangnam-daero 95-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, and it's open daily from 11:00 to 20:00. As for why it's called Sammiri (삼미리) — after long research, the owner found that 1.3mm was the ideal noodle thickness to pair with the seasoning and broth, so they named the restaurant Sammiri Makguksu!

Can you eat alone here?

The interior has a clean wood-toned atmosphere, with group tables as well as a solo seat by the window where you can eat while looking outside — making this a solid Sinsa Station spot for solo dining.

Sammiri Makguksu's menu and prices

• Perilla oil makguksu ₩12,000
• Sesame oil bibim makguksu ₩12,000
• Spicy mul-makguksu ₩12,000
• Dongchimi makguksu ₩12,000
• Large portion of any makguksu ₩16,000
• Buckwheat pancake ₩9,000
• Crispy fried mandu ₩8,000, half plate ₩4,000

This Sinsa-dong makguksu restaurant sells a variety of makguksu plus sides like buckwheat pancake and fried mandu. If I'd come just a few days earlier, when it was hotter, I would've gone straight for the spicy mul-makguksu without a second thought — but with the weather cooling and a craving for something nutty, I ordered what I consider the signature menu: perilla oil makguksu. I also ordered a buckwheat pancake to go with it!

The basic side dish

The side dish was simply pickled radish, and the soy sauce seemed to be provided because I ordered the buckwheat pancake. The pickled radish was tangy — great for nibbling on to whet your appetite before the food arrives.

How was the perilla oil makguksu?

From the moment the perilla oil makguksu arrived, the nutty perilla oil aroma was fantastic. Perilla oil pooled beneath the noodles, and the noodles were generously topped with sesame seeds and seaweed — it looked incredibly appetizing!

The owner brought it over and told me to mix it well, so I mixed thoroughly to make sure the perilla oil pooled beneath soaked into every strand of noodle. Honestly, the nutty smell kept hitting me the whole time before I could even take a bite, which was kind of torturous — but for the sake of a tastier bowl, I mixed and mixed some more, haha.

I took a bite first... and 'this is delicious!' was clear from just the first chopstick-full. Luxurious, nutty perilla oil, plus even nuttier sesame seeds, and the umami of the seaweed! On top of that, the noodles themselves were nutty and chewy in a really appealing way — a fantastic combination of ingredients. Eating it alongside the tangy pickled radish added a crunchy texture and sour note that made the perilla oil makguksu even more delicious.

How was the buckwheat pancake?

And the buckwheat pancake, which I really love! Other people might go for the fried mandu, but I have to get the buckwheat pancake, haha. Seeing the filling spilling out of the pancake, I felt like I'd ordered exactly right.

The filling inside was spicy and crunchy, giving it a texture and flavor the makguksu didn't have, and the buckwheat pancake wrapper itself was so chewy and nutty! I found myself wishing I could try just the wrapper on its own without the filling, haha.

You're meant to eat the buckwheat pancake with the soy sauce — rather than just dipping it in, it's also good with the scallions in the sauce. And the pickled radish, which paired so well with the makguksu, also went great with the pancake thanks to its distinctive tangy, refreshing flavor.

Would I go back?

The spicy, crunchy, chewy buckwheat pancake was delicious, but since this is a dedicated makguksu restaurant, the perilla oil makguksu was really the star! The nutty aftertaste lingered so much that I ended up picking up every last sesame seed until the very end, haha. I used to travel all the way to Yongin for good makguksu, but now I realize I don't need to anymore — this Sinsa-dong makguksu spot has it covered!