Korean beef hot pot with sujebi in Hagik-dong: Dongchuwon, Incheon

There are days you really want to nourish your body properly — not with the usual menu, but with a hearty soup dish. That's when it helps to know a good Hagik-dong restaurant! Here's my review after visiting the already-famous Dongchuwon Bulgogi.

One pot of hanwoo boshin jeongol (Korean beef hot pot) had such a deep, rich broth I was impressed from the first spoonful, and the beef was so generous it filled up two of us easily. You're not really done until you finish with the self-made fried rice at the end — I highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for a good restaurant near Singi Market.

Dongchuwon Bulgogi, the Blue Ribbon-listed Hagik-dong restaurant

Where to park at Dongchuwon Bulgogi: only Seonjeong and the public lot are covered

If you're driving, check the sign right in front of the entrance. It states that parking fee support only applies at Seonjeong Parking Lot and the public parking lot — no other lots are covered. Just give your license plate number when you pay on your way out and the support is applied.

Since it was the weekend, I parked at Seonjeong Parking Lot, and because I went early in the morning there were plenty of spots.

📍Address 67 Hagikso-ro, 1st floor, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, South Korea ⏰Hours 11:00–21:30 (last order 20:30) 📢Details reservations, group seating, takeout, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, parking available (free 1hr 30min for cooking, 30min for eating)

Blue Ribbon stickers and the Korea Master Craftsman plaque at Dongchuwon Bulgogi

Beside the entrance hangs a Korea Master Craftsman plaque, and the glass door is lined with Blue Ribbon Survey stickers running from 2022 all the way to 2026. My expectations shot up before I'd even stepped inside.

Inside the dining hall: baby chairs and how it works for family gatherings

Inside, the hall is spacious and clean. Every table has a grill set up, and the tables are spaced generously, so it's comfortable to sit and eat. There's even a baby chair set up in one corner, making this a Hagik-dong restaurant you could bring the whole family to without worry.

Ordering hanwoo boshin jeongol with 2 bowls of rice

After checking Dongchuwon Bulgogi's menu and prices, I placed my order: hanwoo boshin jeongol and two bowls of rice, done!

Banchan and the self-serve bar: Yeosu Dolsan mustard leaf kimchi pickle is the standout

The banchan (side dishes) come out first, and each one is clearly made with care. The Yeosu Dolsan gat kimchi pickle (mustard leaf kimchi pickle) especially — this is totally my style! Its crunch really refreshes your palate, so good.

There's also a self-serve corner for extra banchan, so if you run out you can just help yourself. The self-bar is kept really clean too.

First look at the hanwoo boshin jeongol, a pot piled with perilla leaves

The hanwoo boshin jeongol at Dongchuwon Bulgogi, a Hagik-dong favorite! Perilla leaves are piled high on top of the pot, with ugeoji (dried napa cabbage leaves), scallions, enoki mushrooms, and red chili all adding color. Just the look of it makes you feel healthier already. And underneath, it's packed with Korean beef — even happier, haha.

They thoughtfully bring out extra refill broth first, and give you the sujebi (hand-torn noodles) separately so you can add them whenever you like. I enjoyed it without the sujebi first, then added them in for an even richer bowl — both stages were full of charm.

Korean beef appears as the hot pot boils: enough to fill two people

Once it starts bubbling, the perilla leaves wilt down and the beef underneath is revealed — so exciting! I picked up a big piece with my chopsticks, and the seasoned meat came away tender along the grain! The portion of meat is so generous it's filling even split between two.

The broth is deep and rich, with the subtle scent of perilla leaf spreading through it — the kind of flavor that keeps your spoon moving. One sip of the broth and I immediately understood why people recommend this Hagik-dong restaurant..!! Made me want to live in Hagik-dong.

Soak the perilla leaves and meat in the broth and eat them together with the ugeoji — that combination is unbeatable! Scoop and sip your way through it and the pot empties out fast.

Why you should add the sujebi noodles to the hot pot

Once the broth is boiling hard, add the sujebi and the broth thickens up for a whole different kind of charm! The chewy, well-cooked sujebi soaks up the rich broth — I would have regretted it if I'd skipped it.

Finishing with self-made fried rice, plus coffee and ice cream

You can't just leave after finishing the hot pot. I'd already eaten a whole bowl of rice, but the broth was so good I went ahead and ordered the self-made fried rice too. Rice, perilla leaves, and dried seaweed flakes come out in a bowl, and you stir-fry them yourself in the leftover broth.

As you stir it around, the rich broth soaks into every grain of rice and the perilla scent wafts up. Scrape the bottom clean and take one big spoonful — this is truly the final boss of hot pot. The kind of flavor that keeps your spoon going even when you're already full.

After paying, you can finish off with coffee and ice cream! Eating a hearty meal and then having ice cream really rounds out the meal perfectly, haha.