Seongsu-dong. Factories turn into cafes. Old alleys breathe new life. Here, too, there is kimbap. I went looking for good kimbap. This is the record
Matdeuri Banchan. Seongsu-dong 1-ga 706
It opens at five in the morning. A banchan shop. Side dishes. No kimbap sign. I open the door. The owner, a kind face, is there. Basic Matdeuri kimbap, three thousand won. Cheese kimbap, four thousand won. Good prices. I order kimbap. It comes quickly. Plain looking. Nothing special. I take a bite. Seasoning seeps between the rice grains. Pickled radish, egg, spinach. Simple ingredients, but the taste is deep. A taste that lingers. Open until eight in the evening, but they close early if ingredients run out. Closed on Sundays. I must return.
Location Info
- Name: Masdeuli
- Type: Side dish shop (Banchan-gage) that also sells kimbap
- Known for: Affordable, flavorful, classic kimbap in a side-dish store setting.
- Address: 706 Seongsu-dong 1-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (서울 성동구 성수동1가 706)
Haemil Kalguksu & Gimbap. Seongsu-dong 2-ga 315-61
Next is Haemil. A kalguksu house. Noodle soup. They also sell kimbap. Opens at ten in the morning, closes at eight-thirty in the evening. Closed on Sundays. Their kimbap’s distinction is the fluffy egg, rolled thick. It melts softly in my mouth. It’s good with kalguksu. The soup is ordinary. Nothing special. They also have squid kimbap. If you like spicy food, it’s worth trying. The squid isn’t very plentiful. Still, the egg-rolled kimbap is memorable.
Location Info
- Name: Haemil Kalguksu & Gimbap (해밀칼국수&김밥)
- Type: Kalguksu restaurant that also sells kimbap
- Known for: Kimbap with a generous amount of fluffy egg, squid kimbap.
- Address: 315-61 Seongsu-dong 2-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (서울 성동구 성수동2가 315-61)
Fullii Gimbap. Seongsu-dong 2-ga 284-62
I try a new place too: Fullii Gimbap. It’s called the Subway of kimbap. Open from ten in the morning until eight at night, with a break from three to five in the afternoon. Closed entirely on Fridays. Here, you choose everything. Starting with the rice: white, brown with oats, or black. You choose the vegetables. Toppings as you like. Add a few things, and one roll easily costs five thousand five hundred to six thousand won. I get the kimbap I want, made my way. Convenient. The taste is mine.
Location Info
- Name: Fullii Gimbap (풀리김밥)
- Type: Kimbap restaurant
- Known for: Customizable kimbap (choice of rice, vegetables, toppings).
- Address: 284-62 Seongsu-dong 2-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (서울 성동구 성수동2가 284-62)
Papacook Gimbap. Eungbong-dong 98
In Eungbong-dong, there’s Papacook. Run by a father of two daughters. Open from seven in the morning until seven in the evening. Closed on Mondays. Fridays, it opens at nine-thirty. Known by the locals. The kimbap is ordinary. The seasoning is right. But I keep reaching for it. No special flair, but true to the basics. Reason enough to return.
Location Info
- Name: Papacook Gimbap (파파쿡 김밥)
- Type: Kimbap restaurant
- Known for: Classic, well-seasoned kimbap; a local favorite.
- Address: 98 Eungbong-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (서울 성동구 응봉동 98)
- Official website: Not available
Okjeong Gimbap. Oksu-dong 314-10
In Oksu-dong, there is Okjeong Gimbap. Grandmother’s kimbap. If you like old shops—nopo—take note. More rice than in modern kimbap. Unrefined. Not polished. But it has the grandmother’s touch. That sensibility.
Location Info
- Name: Okjeong Gimbap (옥정김밥)
- Type: Kimbap restaurant (Nopo – old, long-running establishment)
- Known for: Traditional, grandmother-style kimbap with generous rice; a nostalgic feel.
- Address: 314-10 Oksu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (서울 성동구 옥수동 314-10)
One roll of kimbap. So much held within. People. Time. Honest taste. The kimbap of Seongdong-gu was like that. A small comfort on the road.