Junggye-dong pork bone soup with a sundae plate: Somunnan Gamjatang

Why Somunnan Gamjatang in Junggye-dong for spicy pork bone soup?

Somunnan Gamjatang·Ppyeohaejangguk

I was craving a spicy, piping-hot broth, so I went to Somunnan Gamjatang·Ppyeohaejangguk in Junggye-dong. I wanted something really filling that day, so I ordered pork bone soup, and since I also wanted sundae (Korean blood sausage), I added a sundae plate too. When I got to the front of the shop, I could spot it right away thanks to the big red sign that read Somunnan Gamjatang·Ppyeohaejangguk.

1F, 694 Deungneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Somunnan Gamjatang

Open 24 hours

Open 24 hours, plus the Sanggye branch

There was a notice posted near the entrance. The place I visited is the Junggye main branch, and it said the shop runs 24 hours. A phone number was listed alongside it, and next to it was information about the directly-run Sanggye branch. It said you can taste the exact same flavors as the main branch there, and that the owner and the operations manager take turns staying on site. The Sanggye branch is located near the back gate of Byeoksan Apartments. Seeing this notice up made it clear this is a place popular enough to run not just a main branch but a second location too.

I came for the pork bone soup, but since they also had sundae — which I personally love — I immediately ordered that too.

How is the broth and the meat in the pork bone soup?

The pork bone soup I'd been waiting for arrived. It came out boiling hot in a stone pot, and the broth already looked spicy just from the color. It was topped with a generous amount of green onion, and there were plenty of bones in it too.

It was too hot at first, so after letting it cool a bit I picked the meat off the bones, and the meat clinging to the bones was meatier than I expected. I picked it apart with my chopsticks and it came off smoothly, easy to eat. Eating the meat with rice and then taking a spoonful of the broth, I thought — yeah, food like this really has to be eaten piping hot to taste its best. The broth was spicy and rich, which went really well with the rice.

When I eat pork bone soup, the meat matters, but it's really the broth that keeps me eating — and that day, mixing rice right into the broth made the meal really filling. Haejangguk (hangover soup) is great for breakfast or lunch too, but it's especially the dish you crave the day after drinking. With a spicy broth loaded with meat, I thought this would be perfect whenever you need to shake off a hangover.

How much sundae comes on one plate?

The plate came generously piled with sundae, so it wasn't just a couple of tasting pieces — you could really eat your fill. The filling inside the sundae was packed full and it looked appetizing too. I like dipping sundae in salt, so I tried that, and it made for a light, clean bite. The kimchi and diced radish kimchi served alongside also paired nicely with the sundae.

Is Somunnan Gamjatang worth a visit?

Trying Somunnan Gamjatang·Ppyeohaejangguk in person that day, the broth was spicy and piping hot, so it went great with rice, and the meat on the bones was meaty enough to be filling. On top of that, eating the sundae plate together left me completely full by the end.

Personally, with places like this that serve haejangguk, I don't look for a fancy atmosphere — I go when I want a hearty bowl of rice with delicious broth. Especially on a day like this when I was craving something spicy, the pork bone soup was exactly right. Ordering the sundae alongside it turned out to be a good call too. If I come back again, I'd probably order the same combo of pork bone soup and sundae. And since it's open 24 hours, I'd also like to drop by sometime late at night when a sudden craving for haejangguk hits.

If you're in Junggye-dong looking for something with hot broth, or if you're a fan of pork bone soup, this place is worth a visit. Eating it myself that day, the spicy broth with plenty of meat was filling, and with the sundae on the side, I left having had a hearty meal after a while.