SABOTAGE: Gwangju’s Newest Dongmyeong-dong Establishment

Quickly Asserting Itself as One of Korea’s Best Brunch Spots

Reviewed by Wilson Melbostad.

I am an American dude who casually possesses an aggressive penchant for brunch. Expressed differently, if a hypothetical sorcerer cast a spell on you and the only antidote was a phone call with an hombre with an uncompromising gastronomical respect for brunch, lord have mercy, I should hope you have me on speed dial. Despite these highly rational and totally acceptable desires for good “brek,” I had actually long given up on the prospects of really throwing down with a reliable brunch in Gwangju. The brunch gods briefly sent blessings in 2016 with the surfacing of Mcleod, a Dongmyeong-dong diner headed by Jin Seong-pyo (covered by the Gwangju News in August 2017). Yet, as often can happen in the industry, the restaurant was a little too ahead of its time. Gwangju struggled to pull its tongue away from the Jeolla classics, and Mcleod ultimately closed its doors in 2018.

However, Jin Seong-pyo, undeterred by previous failings and channeling a Steve Jobs-ish understanding on what his customers really wanted, struck gold with his latest contribution to the Dongmyeong-dong scene: Sabotage. Where there was once darkness, there is now light. Packing a revamped finger-licking brunch lineup, Sabotage flaunts motifs straight out of your mom-and-dad’s sock hop American diner with an eye towards the neighborhood’s youth movement via bumping rap music and well-placed rebellious art on display. When I asked about starting up another restaurant post-Mcleod, Jin responded, “I was actually quite nervous about rolling out a menu that had largely failed previously, but I worked really hard to learn from previous mistakes and hope that Sabotage can become a representative brunch restaurant in Gwangju.” Truth be told, the restaurant seems to be well on its way to achieving such status and becoming a long-term staple in the City of Light. Since opening at the beginning of 2021, Sabotage boasts huge crowds on weekends and weekdays alike, with folks coming from near and far to get a taste of the spellbinding carte du jour.

While the special ambiance certainly sets the stage for a unique dining experience, it is beyond question the food has been the driving force in keeping customers coming back again and again in droves. As Jin admits, brunch is not terribly difficult to learn at first; kids can hop onto YouTube and learn how to slap together some eggs and toast in no time at all. However, mastering the classics of eggs Benedict, French toast, or hash browns is not for the fainthearted. Case in point, many brunch places in Hannam-dong and other bourgeois neighborhoods of Seoul have resorted to winning over their customers with flowery and photogenic dishes that look like they were built by the landscaper from the Tuileries. Despite the dishes procuring gaggles of Instagram likes, most of these establishments fail to deliver the hearty portions and punch in taste that for decades have inspired hungover Americans to forego those extra hours of sleep on a Sunday morning just to participate in the brunch-boogie down. Meanwhile, Sabotage greets your hunger with a leviathan of sensational food and, with extraordinarily reasonable prices, does so without breaking the bank. In addition to the classics, Sabotage also throws in delightful curveballs such as rich and thick coffee milkshakes or even champagne for those who venture over with the dinner-time crowd.

So, what now? After getting your bottom down to Dongmyeong-dong to have some eggs-benny and help curve Korea’s National Happiness Index, it is our responsibility as members of the community to keep the good times rolling and continue to support establishments such as Sabotage that push the limits of Gwangju’s culinary arts. When asked if he had a particular message for the citizens of Gwangju, Jin provided a succinct but important message: “When you see a new restaurant, new food, new culture, or new people, please welcome them with an open mind. In doing so, you’ll be supporting innovation, and we’ll all be able to experience more wonderful places as a result.”

SABOTAGE (사보타지)

Address: Donggyecheon-ro 95-beon-gil 12, Dong-gu, Gwangju 광주 동구 동계천로 95번길 12
Operating Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. (last order: 9 p.m.)
Phone: 062-227-1101
Instagram: @sabotage.archive

Photographs by Wilson Melbostad.

The Reviewer
Wilson Melbostad is an attorney originally hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite being currently located in Seoul, Wilson’s heart and stomach remain in Gwangju, as the city represents the location of not only his wife but, perhaps more importantly, his wife’s parents’ seafood restaurant. Instagram: @willmelbo