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Top 5 Restaurants for Kimchi Dishes
- Gapyeong’s ‘Jangeo Doknip’ — famous for scallion-kimchi eel hotpot
- Anguk’s ‘On6.5’ — kimchi in every dish
- ‘Seongsan Godeungeo Ssambap Kimchi-jjim’ — more than 50 years of know-how
- Anam’s ‘Yujayoo Kimchi Tteokbokki’ main branch — visited and endorsed by the TV show The Delicious Guys
- Seoul’s ‘Kim Buksun Big Pot House — Sinsa Main Branch’ — the kimchi stew that keeps you reaching for more rice
Kimchi is a non-negotiable staple on Korean dining tables. Its taste varies depending on the ingredients and how long it ferments. While it’s delicious on its own, kimchi also serves as the backbone for a surprising range of dishes. Lately, chefs have been pushing boundaries — crafting kimchi without napa cabbage or radish, or using unexpected ingredients to create totally new takes. Here are five spots testing the limits of what kimchi can do.
Gapyeong’s ‘Jangeo Doknip’ — famous for scallion-kimchi eel hotpot
‘Jangeo Doknip’ has been serving up charcoal-grilled eel for 23 years. It’s a favorite even among celebrities, and its signature dishes are the charcoal-grilled eel and the scallion-kimchi eel hotpot. The well-fermented scallion kimchi deepens the broth’s savory profile and pairs beautifully with the eel. Finish the meal with fried rice made from the remaining broth for a perfectly satisfying course-style experience.
More on SikSin: ‘Jangeo Doknip’
- ✔Location
Jangeo Doknip, 95 Darakjae-ro, Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province
- ✔Hours
Open daily 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM; break 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM; closed Mondays
- ✔Menu
Charcoal-grilled eel (whole) 36,000원 (≈ $27.00 USD), Scallion-kimchi eel hotpot (per person) 36,000원 (≈ $27.00 USD), Griddle eel set (per person) 26,000원 (≈ $19.50 USD)
Anguk’s ‘On6.5’ — kimchi in every dish
‘On6.5’, tucked near Anguk Station, is the kind of place you should book in advance. The kitchen experiments with dongchimi and gatkimchi to create inventive kimchi-forward dishes, and you can pair them with curated wines and Korean spirits. Every plate is reinvented by combining kimchi with offbeat ingredients like basil, cilantro, and asparagus. Their signature kimchi fries — fried kimchi crowned with dongchimi sour cream — deliver a refreshingly unexpected bite.
More on SikSin: ‘On6.5’
On6.5, 1F, 28 Bukchon-ro 1-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
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✔Hours
Weekdays 5:30 PM – 11:00 PM; weekends 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM
- ✔Menu
Abalone jang-kimchi kimbap 18,000원 (≈ $13.50 USD), Kimchi fries 21,000원 (≈ $15.75 USD), Pumpkin noodles 19,000원 (≈ $14.25 USD)
‘Seongsan Godeungeo Ssambap Kimchi-jjim’ — more than 50 years of know-how
‘Seongsan Godeungeo Ssambap Kimchi-jjim’ brings over 50 years of experience to the table. The owner hand-selects mackerel at the Seongsan Fishery Cooperative and cooks with carefully chosen ingredients. The plump mackerel stays moist while soaking up the seasoning, resulting in rich, satisfying flavor. The kimchi here strikes a perfect balance between crispness and tenderness and is packed with umami that hooks you immediately. Pair it with fresh leafy greens for a true ssambap experience.
More on SikSin: ‘Seongsan Godeungeo Ssambap Kimchi-jjim’
✔Location
Haemulmaeul, 122-5 Seopjikoji-ro 25beon-gil, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Province
✔Hours
Open daily 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
✔Menu
Mackerel ssambap (per person) 18,000원 (≈ $13.50 USD)
Anam’s ‘Yujayoo Kimchi Tteokbokki’ main branch — visited and endorsed by the TV show The Delicious Guys
Near Korea University, ‘Yujayoo Kimchi Tteokbokki’ is a student favorite for its bold kimchi tteokbokki. Toppings range from rose sauce and chicken to sundae (Korean blood sausage), and they use domestically made kimchi for a distinct flavor. The crowd-pleaser is the chicken pizza kimchi tteokbokki — think cheesy, spicy, and ideal for sharing after a night out.
More on SikSin: ‘Yujayoo Kimchi Tteokbokki’
2nd floor, 48 Goryeo-daero 24-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
Open daily 10:30 AM – 3:00 AM
- ✔Menu
Kimchi tteokbokki 13,500원 (≈ $10.13 USD), Seafood kimchi tteokbokki 19,000원 (≈ $14.25 USD), Webfoot octopus kimchi tteokbokki 18,500원 (≈ $13.88 USD)
Seoul’s ‘Kim Buksun Big Pot House — Sinsa Main Branch’ — the kimchi stew that keeps you reaching for more rice
At ‘Kim Buksun Big Pot House — Sinsa Main Branch’, they simmer rich broths in classic aluminum pots. While the menu features several dishes crafted for Korean palates, the standout is the pork kimchi stew — a national favorite that makes you reach for extra rice. The stew simmers with seven carefully selected ingredients and pork bone stock, yielding a deep, spicy, and savory profile studded with tender pork. Their vegetable-based chorantang, made from a select blend of seven ingredients, is another highlight and pairs beautifully with the spicy stew.
See more on SikSin: ‘Kim Buksun Big Pot House — Sinsa Main Branch’ ▶
Sinsa I-ville, 15 Apgujeong-ro 2-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Mon–Sat 10:30 AM – 9:30 PM / Closed Sundays
- ▲Price
Pork kimchi stew 11,000원 (≈ $8.25 USD), Chorantang hotpot 11,000원 (≈ $8.25 USD)
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