SanChon Korean Temple Cooking

If you think about how much you would spend at an upscale restaurant for a 5 course meal, the price is nothing!

I was so stuffed and could not eat all the food. The dancing/ drumming performance is beautiful and the food, perfectly interesting.

I wish that all travelers will come here to experience Korean culture in a sustainable way.

Restaurant was easy to find from the main Isa-dong street. Curious decor provides great charm. Not the warmest of welcomes and the dishes came faster than I would have liked, the food however was fabulous. We enjoyed the set lunch for 33,000 won. Worth every penny. The waiting staff did warm up during the service. Well worth a return visit.

It is not easy to find but managed to find it eventually. The food they serve definitely can feed for 4 persons. The food is a little bland but a great experience.

The restaurant is well hidden from the crowd, a place full of plants, old teapots and glass jars.
The food is presented with care, making the guest feeling pampered and important, the tastes are unique and so are the perfumes.
Eating without shoes, sitting on a pillow on the floor or on a chair feeling the carpet under your feet gives a sense of "home" that is priceless.

Updated from previous review on 2016-10-10

Going to Sanchon was an amazing exeperience! the food is great and the ambiance is amazing. it's a must-go, specially for tourists to get a taste of Korean food and culture. Every night they have a cultural presentation, it's worth seeing it. make a reservation before going :)

This is a magical vegan restaurant that works as a ritual or an art piece: you don't choose your dishes, but go through the courses from beginning to end, served in a certain order dictated from above, receiving more and more dazzling gifts, in a continuous feeling of gratitude.
To say it was delicious would be an understatement. The lunch's full course (33,000 Won, including tea and rice wine) is so plentiful and each dish is different, intriguing, fulfilling.
I read on the menu sheet that every Thursday during dinner (which is more expensive) they also have a presentation of a tea ceremony at 8pm.
Can't wait to return!

p.s.1 - don't forget to take off your shoes and place them on one of the cabinets at the entrance
p.s.2 - even the toilet of Sanchon is a special place.... make sure you check it out :)


Updated from previous review on 2016-09-21

This place is a traditional Buddhist temple restaurant , the owner is a former buddhist monk who decided to share us with this wonderful cuisine . I had a perfect experience , the plenty of flavors I've never tasted , the calm and peaceful atmosphere and the gentle waiters just did it .
I highly recommend visiting this restaurant!

I was taken here by a Korean colleague and it was a fantastic experience. Dinner was delicious and there was beautiful traditional dancing being performed. Expensive but definitely one to visit!

We went there for dinner. Course with 16 dishes was plenty for four people and food was superb - I loved everything! It's awesome to get delicious food without garlic and onion as I cannot tolerate those.
The show was breathtaking and confusing, in the end everyone in the audience participated in it. If you're looking for a Korean experience more than just food, go here! But be prepared - the full course (the only thing they offer for dinner) is 45 thousand and dinner 35.

My lunch at Sanchon was an amazing culinary experience. A set full course, consisting of nineteen different varieties of delicious food, is served beautifully in an intimate and relaxing space. The geotjeori and the stew were particularly tasty.
While there is no entertainment provided at lunch time the price is significantly lower.
The menu provides English translation and a copy of their New York Times’ review. Some staff members speak English.

We went for the night performance which was entertaining. The location and decorations in the restaurant were quite breathtaking as well.

WITH THAT SAID, you don't get nearly enough food for the amount of money that you pay and the food was just Okay.

It was a good one-time experience but I won't be going back.

What a fabulous experience! The restaurant itself is beautiful and endlessly fascinating -- dozens of nooks and crannies to explore and enjoy, all with an indoor/outdoor feel and temple/antique collector gone wild look. The food is super abundant. I think the negative reviews were due to the fact that this is not comfort food -- far from it, but truly healthy, earthy, authentic Korean food, not adapted to Western palates. The help seems austere, but in fact, if you are friendly, the staff is also friendly, and if you are needful of anything, the staff will in fact accommodate. The evening show is also not to Western taste, but is authentic and wonderful. Note that this restaurant is very hard to find. The pine needle liquor is awesome.

We loved this restaurant for the food and for the ambience. As a shellfish allergic traveler it was nice for me to be able to enjoy kimchi for the first time, and my partner who had eaten the non-vegan versions said it was one of her favorites. This place felt special. They have a house made plum wine that I wish I could have taken with me.

I'm very disappointed by Sanchon. They raised their lunch price from 22,000 won to 33,000 won just because they're famous. Their food was neither fresh nor delicious. Only their environment and pine liquor pre-meal drink are worth checking out. The overall procedure and experience was too superficial.

If you're going for real delicious temple food, I highly recommend going to "Han Gwa Chae" instead, a nearby lo-fi and warm vegan buffet that is totally underrated.
Updated from previous review on Sunday August 11, 2013

I have no idea why a couple people panned the restaurant. This place was incredible. Be sure to go hungry as it's a pre-fix menu. There are two rounds of appetizers (about 20 items) and then the main course which consists of another 20 items. Thankfully, dessert was just one item plus tea (albeit, the third tea). The price is $33 per person (no tipping in Korea) and well worth it. The ambiance is fantastic too. Be prepared to sit on the heated floor to eat your meal (there are also standard table and chairs).

The food was an experience, but not so much of an enjoyable experience. If you go, go for the show (which by the way only lasts for half an hour).

I had a set dinner menu at this restaurant while they were having the traditional dance show. I did not even order, they just brought the huge amount of dishes included in the set menu. It is really expensive, but the overall experience was unique.

Food is very original temple food, and I don't think all the people like the food. It has extraordinary flavours and consistencies.

Restaurant is beautifully decorated traditional house, but it is quite hard to find. I think it's not totally correctly marked on the map. It is at the ultimate end of one of the Insadong's side streets.

DInner at Sanchon was more about the experience than the meal. As other reviewers have mentioned, it is expensive, but I think you are paying for the whole experience -- the dancers, all of the dishes, etc. I arrived pretty late on a Sunday night and they were eager to close up for the night, so my meal was somewhat rushed, but overall it was interesting. Not a place to go if you are really hungry and just want to get something to eat.