Korean restaurant in Gangdong, Seoul: extra-spicy gukbap at Boseung Hoegwan

Where is it near Cheonho Station, and can you eat late?

After swimming, my meal timing was awkward, so I stopped by Boseung Hoegwan Cheonho Station Branch (보승회관 천호역점). It is about a one-minute walk from Exit 3 of Cheonho Station, and as it was open 24 hours daily, it was convenient for a post-workout meal.

The address is 1, 654 Olympic-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The information said that the ground-level parking lot and mechanical parking behind the building were available. It is near my home, so I had visited several times before; I return when I start craving the heat of the Jiok Gukbap.

What were the solo seats and interior like?

The interior was neat, with partitioned seats and bar-style seats that looked good for eating alone. I tend to get hot quickly when I eat hot soup, but the room was cool even in midsummer, so I ate comfortably. The soup in its ttukbaegi (earthenware bowl) stayed warm throughout the meal.

Each table was stocked with spoons and napkins.

How much is the set meal, and how do you choose your gukbap?

I could choose gukbap with sundae (Korean blood sausage), suyuk (boiled sliced pork), hangjeong suyuk (boiled pork jowl), offal, and more. The flavors were regular, spicy, Jiok spicy, and Jiok extra spicy; there were also pork bone hangover soup, osori gukbap, and hangover ramen.

This time, I ordered the sundae and hangjeong suyuk set meal, which comes with sundae and suyuk alongside gukbap. The base price was ₩16,000 per person and it was available for orders of two or more. Each person could choose their own gukbap, with an additional ₩1,000–₩2,000 depending on the selection.

How did I add side dishes and select gukbap options?

Once we sat down, the basic side dishes were set out.

When I pressed the staff-call button on the tablet, it showed items I could request additionally.

We added garlic, onion, chili pepper, and ssamjang (savory dipping paste). I like eating raw garlic, onion, and chili pepper with gukbap.

The hangjeong suyuk gukbap set meal that arrived first was ₩18,000. When ordering, there were options to leave out dadegi (spicy seasoning paste), perilla seed powder, and scallions; this time, I left out only the perilla seed powder. It came with the dadegi and scallions.

How spicy was the extra-spicy Jiok Gukbap?

The Jiok Gukbap suyuk set meal I chose was ₩17,000. Jiok Gukbap has two levels, spicy and extra spicy, and I ordered the extra-spicy level this time.

Even for me, someone who enjoys spicy food, it was quite hot. To my taste, it felt more savory-spicy and sharp than like the distinctive heat of capsaicin. I often crave spicy soup when I am stressed, and I have returned several times because of this flavor.

What were the sliced pork and sundae in the set meal like?

The set meal came with hangjeong suyuk and sundae. The portion we received when two people ordered the set meal was a good amount to eat alongside the gukbap.

The sliced pork and sundae were placed on a burner, so we could eat them warm. I do not usually like sundae, but I enjoyed the baeksundae (white sundae) here. I liked being able to choose a set meal for something alongside the gukbap when one bowl alone did not feel enough. I mixed rice into the gukbap for a filling meal.

When would I want to return?

I would return when my meal timing is awkward after exercise or when I am craving spicy gukbap. With a broad menu and side dishes and an interior I was happy with, I have often stopped in for gukbap near home since moving here. When I visited on a weekend afternoon before, some diners were having alcoholic drinks with their meals.

At the time of the original post, there was also a notice for a Night Time Summer Event, with soju sold for ₩1,900 from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day. The original post did not state an end date for the event.