1. Sikga (Eungam Daerim Market)

Sikga, in Eungam’s Daerim Market, where I’m already on my Nth visit!

It’s completely hidden in an alley, but there are always a lot of people there.
Today I was watching Poongyangjung on the YouTube channel Ddeunddeun, and seeing the celebrities eat Chinese food so deliciously made my mouth water, so I stopped by Sikga, my neighborhood Chinese food place, again.
The prices are really good too. It’s hard these days to find Chinese food with this kind of price and this kind of quality.
Jjamppong, ganjjajang, tangsuyuk — every menu item is good, but I think the mul-mandu (water dumplings) here are the best thing at Sikga.

Mandu (water dumplings) — Sikga’s real specialty — simple, delicate, and endlessly satisfying.

The tangsuyuk has no unpleasant smell and is light, and the sauce is nicely sweet.
Rich ganjjajang.
Spicy and refreshing jjamppong.
Maybe that’s why, at Sikga, people seem to order the noodle and rice dishes more than the cooked dishes.

And it really does seem like a restaurant that regulars stop by often.

Tangsuyuk — Crisp on the outside, clean-tasting inside, served with a tangy sweet-and-sour sauce.

Jjamppong — Deep red broth loaded with mussels and vegetables — spicy, briny, and comforting.

Jjajangmyeon set — Plain noodles waiting for that rich, dark sauce on the side.

📍 Sikga
Address: 24, Gajwa-ro 7-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul (1F)
Near: Eungam Daerim Market
Hours: 11:30 – 21:00 (break 15:00–17:00), closed Mon & Tue

2. Gaio Guksu (가이오국수) — Near Gusan Station

Gaio Guksu storefront — A neighborhood institution since 2009, worn in all the right ways.

Spicy chive noodles (얼큰 부추국수) — Piled high with chives and crispy seaweed, this bowl means business.

I ordered the spicy chive noodles (얼큰 부추국수) and the bibim guksu. The moment the noodles arrived, the generous pile of chives on top already had me sold visually. The broth is spicy, but not in a one-note, just-hot kind of way — it’s warm and clean-tasting, and the fragrance of the chives rounds it out nicely. It’s the kind of bowl where you find yourself alternating between a bite of noodles and a spoonful of broth without really meaning to.

The noodles slide down easily, and the portion is genuinely generous, loaded with bean sprouts and chives on top of the noodles themselves. The bibim guksu, meanwhile, is spicy in a different way — perfect for a hot day.

Bibim guksu — Spicy, glossy, and topped with a generous crown of seasoned seaweed.

I went in expecting a light, simple bowl and walked out completely full. Gaio Guksu has a full menu of noodle dishes, including janchi guksu and bibim guksu, but if it’s your first visit, I’d point you toward the spicy chive noodles especially if you’re a fan of chives and a good, sharp broth.

📍 Gaio Guksu
Address: 132, Yeonseo-ro, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul (1F), Gaio Guksu
Near: Gusan Station, Exit 2
Hours: 11:30 – 21:00 (break 15:00–15:30, last order 20:30), closed Sundays

3. Somoon-nan 153 Gimbap (소문난153김밥)

There was a gimbap restaurant I’d been curious about for a while.

Easy to walk past, easy to fall in love with once you’re inside.

There was a certain presence about it from the outside that I couldn’t quite explain, and since it only operates in the morning, I kept thinking I should go sometime.
After finishing my morning exercise, I stopped by at opening time, 7 o’clock.
Actually, looking at 153 Gimbap from the outside, the tent and lettering were so worn that the thought crossed my mind — is this place any good?

A quiet, spotless little dining room tucked behind a well-worn storefront.

But the inside was a complete turnaround. It was a neighborhood restaurant that was kept extremely clean.
In summer they also serve kongguksu.
So I ordered gimbap to go, and they rolled it fresh right there for me.
As soon as I got it, I was won over by the warmth, and I unwrapped the foil and ate it on the street.
The seasoning isn’t too strong, and the rice grains are nicely fluffy.

It’s the taste that reminds me of the gimbap my mom used to pack for me on picnic days when I was a kid.
I also tried the anchovy gimbap, and it’s spicy. It seems like it would be perfect for someone who likes spicy food.

Warm, freshly rolled, and packed with color — this is what a good morning gimbap looks like.

153 Gimbap, which only operates in the morning — if you like gimbap with that homemade taste, try stopping by.

📍 Somoon-nan 153 Gimbap (Jeungsan branch)
Address: 88, Jeungsanseo-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul
Hours: 7:00 AM – 14:30 (closes early once ingredients run out)
Closed Sundays

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