Samcheongdong Sujebi — Restaurant in Seoul

Nowadays, I try to cram in a couple of Michelin restaurants into my trips, more when I travel alone. This is due to extra costs for all and not everyone thinks Michelin Star Restaurants and Bib Gourmands are that great. But after this experience, my traveling companions are asking why I did not include more Bib Gourmands into our itinerary. 🥴

Arrived at 11.30am and there was already a queue of about 25-30 ahead of us! We waited about 30 mins and were allowed in earlier because we accepted seating in a Korean style tatami dining room where you seat cross legged, dining from a low table. Bad mistake.

The restaurant has two dining halls. Both are big enough to accommodate at least 30 tables each, packed like sardines. You can imagine the popularity and all they sell is what we call Mee Hoon Kway!

But the broth. Oh that is something out of this world. It is full of umami and seafood sweetness. You actually can see baby clams in it. Tastes like the sea came into your pot. We ordered one portion each and it came in one big pot. The dough was slightly chewy in a good way.

We also order spicy octopus which was also extremely good. The chives pancake was quite normal but on par.

Total cost came up to be 74000 won which is reasonable. From a food taste and value for money, this is so far the best Bib Gourmands in Seoul for me. After you taste this Mee Hoon Kway, all others, especially in Singapore and even those in Malaysia pales...

We came to this restaurant as we have heard great reviews on social media, the food is decent no complaint about that but the service is terrible. This is particular pointing to the male owner/manager that stands by the door to direct seating. The worst service I have seen worldwide. He seems to dislike children. We are a big group when he saw us lining outside he greeted us with the bad attitude and nasty look. As he seated us he forcefully pressed my stroller with a sleeping baby inside forcing me to stand still which was not necessarily because we were not planning to move anyways. And as we sat down we had a small portable sleeping machine playing inside the stroller, he came and asked to shut down because he hears it and think it’s noisy but it actually wasn’t cuz the air con was way louder. Throughout the meal this man was not friendly at al, he has his eagle eyes on our children all the time. We rushed through our food and left as it was very uncomfortable. Every other staff was good other than this man. What a shame, if you have little children in your group I don’t...

After three years, with the President moving back to the Blue House, 삼청동 feels noticeably calmer and tourist numbers are back to a comfortable level. I had been avoiding the area because of the heavy traffic and crowds, but I finally returned—and for me, this spot is all about one thing: 수제비.

I don’t eat 수제비 anywhere else, and this restaurant has been my go-to for decades. Despite the years, it continues to attract loyal customers, which speaks to its consistency and charm. My must-order combination is always the same: the signature 수제비, spicy 쭈꾸미, and a crispy 감자전. Their 김치 and house-made 다데기 pair perfectly with the meal, rounding everything out with just the right balance of spice and flavor.

One tip for first-timers: although their posted opening time is 11 a.m., they actually open the doors around 10:40. I arrived at 10:40, and by the time the clock hit 11, the place was already completely full.

It’s a true neighborhood classic—comfort food done right, with flavors that keep you coming back no matter how much...