Girls' night out at a Sadang bar with a soju prize: Jindallae Silbi

My husband and I mostly cook at home to save on food costs, but sometimes when I meet friends, I go all out on eating out. Saving hard when you should, and spending happily when you should — I think that's the key to financial planning that doesn't burn you out :)

This week, without my husband, I went out for good food and drinks with 4 friends in Sadang 🍻 The place I visited was Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch.

Why five of us picked Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch for a girls' night

Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch is a cooked-food bar (요리주점) on the 2nd floor at 70 Dongjak-daero 7-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Sadang Station has tons of great restaurants and bars, and since this was a gathering of 5, I looked for a good group dinner bar in Sadang and ended up at Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch.

What is the atmosphere like at Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch?

Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch is a bit different from the clean, sleek bars you see everywhere these days. The retro atmosphere you feel the moment you walk in is what makes it charming!

It had that cozy, old-school 'silbi jip' (old-fashioned tavern) feel, which made it perfect for drinks with friends, and the little props scattered around were fun too. There were old advertisement posters, and Fin.K.L was even playing on the TV 🤣

What comes in the 15-dish samchon course for 39,000 won?

We visited as 5 women, and what we ordered that day was the 15-dish samchon course! The price is ₩39,000 per person.

Honestly, as someone doing newlywed-couple budgeting (?), when I first saw the price I thought, 'Isn't ₩39,000 per person a bit expensive for a bar?' 😂 But once the food started coming out one by one, my mind completely changed.

A whopping 15 dishes come out, and the variety is really impressive!

• Bossam (boiled pork wraps)
• Japchae (stir-fried glass noodles)
• Soy-marinated crab
• Cartilage & rice balls
• Abalone porridge
• Soft tofu
• Grilled ham

It was a portion that made you wonder, 'Can we really finish this?' The five of us dug in eagerly, but the food just wasn't shrinking... And while we were eating, the owner kept bringing out more, hahaha

Round two at Jindallae Silbi: sashimi platter and whole steamed squid

Round two!!! Sashimi platter, clam & whole steamed squid stew. Oh my, I was so surprised when I saw this. It was my first time eating whole squid prepared like that. It was seriously so tender and delicious 😍 You'd think that would be the end, right? Nope...

Grilled flounder, seafood chive pancake, pork cutlet. By this point, my friends were saying 'How much more is coming out...?' complaining they were so full, hahaha

The closing spicy fish stew, with free self-service rice and noodles

Finally, even spicy fish stew!! And rice and instant noodles are free, self-service :) It wasn't just a large variety — the food was consistently delicious across the board.

At first I thought ₩39,000 was a bit pricey, but after actually eating it, considering the 15-dish lineup and the portion sizes, it was a plenty satisfying price. When I eat out, I don't just look for the cheapest option — I look at whether the satisfaction I get is worth the price. In that sense, this samchon course was a pretty successful purchase 🤭

One thing to watch out for though! The portions are seriously, seriously huge. At first I figured of course 5 of us could finish it, but as the food kept coming, we got so full it was actually tough later on. I'd recommend visiting with several people and eating slowly with drinks! It would suit not just friend gatherings, but also anyone looking for a bar for groups of 10 or more, or a Sadang team dinner spot.

4th place in the dalgona draw: a free bottle of soju

Something surprisingly fun at Jindallae Silbi was the nostalgic dalgona-style game. It fit the retro atmosphere so well that we decided to give it a try, and I actually won 4th place! Lol. The prize was a free bottle of soju 🍶 Having these little events makes visiting with friends even more fun.

What five of us liked and what fell short

Here's what I felt were the strengths of Jindallae Silbi.

• Retro atmosphere
• Wide variety of food with the 15-dish samchon course
• Consistently delicious food
• Really generous portions
• Restroom inside the restaurant
• Even has the nostalgic dalgona game

There was exactly one downside! It was a Friday evening, so once it hit 7pm, it got really crowded! If you want to have a quiet conversation, that might be a bit disappointing, but for a lively drinking session with friends, the atmosphere was just right.

Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch: final verdict for group dinners

Overall, this was a really satisfying find near Sadang Station. Looking at the ₩39,000 per person price alone, it's not a cheap bar, but considering the 15-dish variety, generous portions, and taste, it was plenty satisfying spending. Enjoying good food with friends and having a great time is the best kind of spending ☺️

Since the portion was so much even for 5 women, next time I want to come back with my husband instead of friends! If you're looking for a bar with a retro vibe in Sadang, or a samchon-course spot where you can enjoy a wide variety of side dishes at once, I recommend Jindallae Silbi Sadang Branch 🍻