Bardakim Seonsaeng, a Good Place for Dining Alone in Apgujeong

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Dining alone at first took a lot of courage, but as I’ve gone through working life, there have naturally been times when I had to eat lunch alone. Since I couldn’t always get by on convenience store food, I ended up eating alone at restaurants. These days, maybe because more people dine alone, there are definitely more places where the tables are arranged so that eating alone doesn’t feel awkward. One such place is probably a kimbap restaurant.

I think one of the good places for dining alone in Apgujeong is Bardakim Seonsaeng. I used to think it was expensive, but now that kimbap prices have gone up so much, Bardakim Seonsaeng doesn’t seem that expensive after all.

Bardakim Seonsaeng says it aims to serve good food made with the most honest ingredients so that everyone can enjoy it with peace of mind. Personally, I usually don’t eat the danmuji used in kimbap, but I do eat the danmuji at Bardakim Seonsaeng. The reason is that they use 5-free danmuji, made with fermented vinegar instead of five food additives, so it tastes clean and is healthier. I think the seaweed is the most important part of kimbap. I heard they use seaweed that is twice roasted and made only from raw seaweed grown in the clean waters off Namhae. And of course, they use HACCP-certified, antibiotic-free eggs from designated farms, only rice milled within 15 days, sesame oil extracted by low-temperature pressing from 100% whole sesame seeds, and Barun ham made with fresh domestic pork without added synthetic sodium nitrite. When you think about all that, it doesn’t really feel like the price of Bardakim Seonsaeng’s kimbap is expensive.

This is the country-of-origin sign at Bardakim Seonsaeng in Apgujeong, a place that’s good for dining alone. There are many domestic ingredients, but it seems impossible not to have some imported ones as well.

After ordering, you get a table and sit down, and they bring the food to you, but you have to get your water yourself. Getting your own water is honestly no big deal anymore.

Since Bardakim Seonsaeng in Apgujeong is a good place for dining alone, the tables are arranged as two-seaters. Tables are lined up along the corridor, and there are also three tables deeper inside. Even if you go alone to eat, it’s nice because you can sit down without feeling pressured.

Finally, the kimbap I ordered came out. All of Bardakim Seonsaeng’s kimbap are generally tasty, but I ordered the spicy myeolchu kimbap, one of the best sellers. It looks very generous, but if you look closely, there actually aren’t that many ingredients used in the kimbap. But why is it so good?

Personally, I like it when the vegetables in kimbap are sliced thinly, and that’s how the vegetables at Seonsaeng are. Even so, the texture is crisp and satisfying, so it must mean that although there are not many types, there is a lot packed in. And I think the clean feeling in your mouth after eating is good too. It feels like you’re lightly eating healthy food, so every once in a while I find myself craving Bardakim Seonsaeng’s kimbap.