Solo dining in Jongno: octopus set with pumpkin porridge, Bonghyejane

I was out at Jonggak this morning running errands, and between one thing and another lunchtime crept up on me 💦 There's a building right in front of Jonggak Station called Jongno Tower, and its basement is packed with restaurants that are great for office workers. Among them, I visited a recently opened Jonggak lunch spot: Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch 🍚🍛

Where is Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, and what are its hours?

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch is located at 51 Jongno, basement level 2, B206 & B207, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

• 📍 Location: 51 Jongno, B2, B206 & B207, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Weekdays 11:00-21:00 (break time 15:00-16:30) / Weekends 11:00-20:00 (break time 15:00-16:30)
• 🅿️ Parking: 90 minutes free at Jongno Tower underground parking

You can either come down from the Jongno Tower building to B2, or access it straight through the passage connected to Jonggak Station — the accessibility is great! And since Jongno parking fees are usually pricey, the 90-minute free parking makes it even more convenient if you're driving.

Which Bonghyejane dishes can one person order?

At Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, the whole octopus stir-fry and spicy baby octopus stir-fry can only be ordered starting from two servings, but the set meals and single dishes below can be ordered for one person ☝🏼 I went with the signature octopus stir-fry set!

The Hyeja feast table and Hyeja dish table are also menus that require two-person minimum orders. With so many dishes served, this is a place I'd recommend to anyone looking for a healthy, tasty Jongno restaurant!

Is eating alone at Jonggak Station awkward here?

This particular Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch is a great place to eat solo without any awkwardness at all. For one, there are tons of two-person tables and the spacing between them is decent! It's a comfortable place to visit for a no-pressure lunch.

What comes with the Bonghyejane octopus stir-fry set

The octopus stir-fry set comes with perilla mushroom soup, octopus stir-fry, pumpkin porridge, side dishes, and seaweed as standard. It came out looking neater than I expected, which I liked 😌

That said, women might find this filling enough, but men should probably add a side dish or an extra bowl of rice! Octopus goes really well with rice, so adding a bowl would make it a much heartier meal.

The main dish, octopus stir-fry, comes out moderately spicy with a hint of charred, smoky flavor woven through it. The octopus was plumper and meatier than I expected, which was nice.

Eating a heavily seasoned stir-fry dish for lunch often leaves your stomach feeling upset afterward, but this Jongno restaurant, Bonghyejane, keeps the seasoning at a home-cooked level overall, paired with healthy side dishes and porridge — a really good spot to visit when your body feels run down and needs some nourishing 🤓🍚❤️

The octopus was plump with a satisfying chew! Not mushy at all, which I appreciated.

How were the perilla mushroom soup and pumpkin porridge?

The perilla mushroom soup served alongside wasn't quite porridge-textured, but it was a moderately thick, delicious soup. I'd recently caught a cold and needed some nourishing, so eating this soup and feeling my body warm up was great.

This place, whose charm lies in its home-cooked-style seasoning, also serves pumpkin porridge as standard,

and it wasn't too sweet, so it went along nicely with the rice! The mild sweetness of the sweet pumpkin flavor was just right.

The perilla mushroom soup also had jorangi tteok (small rice cakes) in it, which gave it a nice texture.

Topping it all off with the seaweed that comes on the side makes for a satisfying finish, leaving you feeling like you nourished your body with good ingredients 🥘 If you're looking for a good Jonggak lunch spot, or a solo dining place near Jonggak, give Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch a visit!