Saemaeul (새마을식당) - Central Pinklao
Central Pinklao G Floor, G37, Borommaratchachonnani Rd, Arun Amarin, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok 10700
Putting a Korean barbecue chain inside a mall on the Thonburi side feels like a smart bet, since West Bank Bangkok has fewer big Korean grill names than Sukhumvit. The draw here is consistency rather than novelty. You know the yeontan bulgogi and the kimchi stew before you sit down, and the free mall parking removes the usual Bangkok headache. Reliable, not adventurous.
Korean barbecue chains tend to live or die on a couple of dishes, and this one has two. Yeontan bulgogi, marinated beef cooked over a charcoal-style grill, is the calling card. The other is a kimchi stew the chain markets as a seven-minute cook. Both come from Saemaul Sikdang, the franchise built by South Korean entrepreneur and celebrity chef Paik Jong-won under his company Theborn Korea.
The chain started in 2005. By 2023 it ran more than 100 locations across South Korea, with branches also operating in Japan, China, the United States, Australia, Vietnam, and Thailand. This Central Pinklao branch is one of the Thai outposts.
You will find it on the ground floor of Central Pinklao, in the Arun Amarin area of Bangkok Noi, on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya. The unit is G37. Doors open at 10AM and stay open until 10PM every day of the week, so it covers both a mall lunch and a late dinner without a mid-afternoon break.
Beyond the grilled meat, the format leans on shared eating. Groups are accommodated, table service is offered, and the kitchen handles both dine-in and takeaway. Beer and other alcohol are available, which suits the barbecue setup.
One genuinely practical point for drivers: the venue has a free parking lot. That matters more than it sounds. Central Pinklao draws heavy weekend traffic, and a guaranteed parking option attached to a sit-down Korean grill is the kind of detail that decides where a family actually ends up eating.