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Dining at unique restaurants, taking Insta-worthy photos at pretty cafés, chilling at Yeontral Park, shopping at a flea market – these are some ways people can spend a day in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul. If you are already familiar with Yeonnam-dong and are looking for new ways to explore the area, visit a gisa sikdang to feast at a reasonable price.
Look for restaurants that indicate “gisa sikdang” on their signboard. Their main menu consists of dwaeji bulgogi baekban (Korean set menu with pork bulgogi) and dongasu (pork cutlet).
Not sure what to order? The most popular menu at a gisa sikdang is dwaeji bulbaek and it only costs 7,000 won. With the order comes freshly cooked dwaeji bulgogi (pork bulgogi), lettuce, dipping sauce, soup, and side dishes. After you’ve scanned the table full of food, take a piece of lettuce for a wrap. Of course, make sure to wash your hands before eating!
From here, your hands will become quite busy trying to make the perfect ssam (Korean vegetable wrap). First, place the lettuce on your palm and using your chopsticks in the other hand, place a piece of meat on the lettuce. Do the same with leek, garlic, kimchi, and dipping sauce, layering them carefully. Use the lettuce to wrap the food and open your mouth wide to start munching away.
If you run out of side dishes or lettuce, help yourself to more at the self-bar. There’s no additional charge for taking extra food, but customers are advised to take only as needed to prevent leaving too many leftovers.
Helpful tip：
Words to know
・What is a gisa sikdang? Literally translated as “driver’s restaurant,” it refers to restaurants frequented by taxi and bus drivers due to convenience and affordable prices.
・What is bulbaek? Bulbaek is a set meal that consist of a bowl of rice, bulgogi, and side dishes. It is a shortened term of the words bulgogi and baekban (Korean set menu).
