On Sunday, January 11, 2026, I visited Ok-dong Sikdang, which recently opened in the Songpa District. Thanks to my husband, a pork soup enthusiast who knows Chef Ok-dong Sikdang from ‘Black and White Chef 2’, we rushed out early Sunday morning as soon as we heard about the opening.
Difficulty of Same-Day Reservations and Long Waits
A little before the restaurant’s opening time of 11:30 AM, at 11:00 AM, I tried to make a reservation through the Catch Table app from my car. However, by 11:15 AM, I still hadn’t been able to reserve, and despite pressing the button as soon as waiting began, I received the 58th waiting number. Although they said 80 seats would be available at opening, I had to be aware that the waiting time could be longer depending on the on-site waiting situation.
Parking Information
A large parking lot is available across from the restaurant, and even if it’s full, there are many open spaces nearby, so parking was not a major issue.
By the time we arrived at the 11:30 AM opening, on-site Catch Table reservations were already closed. On-site waiting was prioritized after opening, and only about 3-4 teams using Catch Table were able to enter. My husband and I had a long way to go in the queue, so we returned to the parking lot. The estimated waiting time continued to be displayed as 180 minutes, so we even went to ‘Seoul Hotteok House’, which is 15 minutes away, to satisfy our hunger. We decided to wait until 2 PM to decide whether to go elsewhere, anxiously wondering if we would miss the break time.
Chef Ok-dong Sikdang, Winner of ‘Black and White Chef 2’
We were able to directly experience the skills of Chef Ok-dong Sikdang, who won the competition against Monk Seonjae in the ‘흑백요리사2: 뉴욕에 간 돼지곰탕’ episode. (Winning ingredient at the time: Gapyeong pine nuts)
Pork Soup After a 2 Hour and 30 Minute Wait
Surprisingly, at 2 PM, after a 2 hour and 30 minute wait, we received a notification via KakaoTalk. This was my second longest waiting record ever, and I had previously waited 3 hours and 30 minutes at the Busan Anmok main branch. Perhaps many teams canceled in the meantime, as we saw teams with waiting numbers from the 50s to the 70s entering all at once.
Menu and Ordering Method
Menu
- Pork Soup: 14,000 won
- Special Pork Soup: 19,000 won
- Kimchi Mandu: 7,000 won
- Daily Pork Soup (Limited to 200 servings)
Pork ribs and Korean beef grill menus could be ordered through the monitors installed at each table. The food was served relatively quickly.
Special Pork Soup
I ordered the special size because leftover food could be packaged, but I was disappointed that there was no container for the soup. (They only packaged the leftover mandu.) It seemed difficult to get a clear answer to my inquiry due to the busy store situation.
Kimchi Mandu
4 dumplings were served, and the kimchi flavor was not too strong; the taste was good.
Chili Paste
It looks like a chili paste seasoning, but it’s called ‘gochuji’. We were advised to put a little on the meat rather than mixing it directly into the soup.
Kimchi
It was served in small jars at the self-bar, and it tasted like it was made the day before rather than the same day.
I ate the chili paste and kimchi on top of the meat. The meat was very tender, and as expected for the special size, the portion was generous. The soup was not bland, perhaps slightly salty at first taste, but it had a clean flavor with plenty of extracted meat taste. The rice was served 토렴 (to-ryeom – rice soaked in broth).
Korean Beef Showcase and ‘Black and White Chef 2’ Stamp Rally
The prices of the Korean beef displayed in the showcase in front of the counter were breathtaking. This visit was the first stop in our ‘Black and White Chef Season 2’ stamp rally. It is expected that reservations at restaurants featured on the show will become even more difficult for a while.
If I have the chance, I would like to visit the restaurants of other contestants. In particular, I really want to taste the food of Chef Choi Kang-rok, whom I cheered for, as it felt humble, sincere, and honest about his food. (Neo Restaurant is closed)
Which chef’s restaurant would you like to visit, neighbors?
Have a good night! Stay healthy♡
Ok-dong Sikdang Songpa District
Gyeonggi Province Hanam 1st Floor, Gamjeon-ro 17
#Ok-dong Sikdang Songpa District #Ok-dong Sikdang #Pork Soup #Songpa District Ok-dong Sikdang
