Ulsan Korean restaurant: spicy pork stir-fry at Jeontong Sigol

The day my dad, my husband, and I decided to have lunch near Ulsan University’s back gate. We wondered what the three of us should eat, and since my dad is a Korean-food person—and my husband and I were craving a hearty meal of duruchigi (spicy pork stir-fry) and kimchi stew—we went with that. When I eat with my dad, a proper, comforting meal always wins over overthinking every little thing..

So we went to Jeontong Sigol Chueotang Ulsan Mugeo Branch (전통시골추어탕 울산무거점), an Ulsan favorite that solved all of that in one go. It specializes in chueotang (loach soup), but our picks that day were hot-plate spicy pork stir-fry and kimchi stew! After eating, my dad gave it a thumbs-up, saying, “For this price and this flavor, it would be really great for students too.”

Close to Ulsan University’s back gate

Jeontong Sigol Chueotang Ulsan Mugeo Branch is close to Ulsan University’s back gate. It is about a 7-minute walk from the gate, so it seemed like a handy spot for students looking for lunch near campus.

Getting there is not difficult either. From the back gate, walk straight for about 170 m between Seven Eleven and Cloud Coffee. If you are taking public transport, get off at Ulsan University’s back gate, walk straight to the officetel on the right, then go up the uphill road on the left for about 200 m until you see Kim Star Chicken. Turn right there and walk down about 50 m.

If you are visiting after hiking Munsusan, keep coming down between Buildings 103 and 102 of Mugeo Hyundai Apartments. At the Seven Eleven in front of Ulsan University’s back gate, turn left and go about 170 m uphill.

A quick parking note! There is room for up to two cars in front of the restaurant, but it is not especially spacious, so driving may be a little inconvenient. You can also use Ulsan University’s parking lot: it is ₩1,000 for the first 30 minutes, then ₩300 per 10 minutes after that. If you are coming for lunch near the back gate like we did, it would be more comfortable to plan parking ahead.

The true local-restaurant feeling of an older space

Some parts of the interior show its age, but rather than simply feeling old, it felt like proof that this place has looked after people’s daily meals here for a long time. There are so many pretty new restaurants these days, you know.

It had exactly the atmosphere of a true local favorite that neighborhood people know about and seek out.

Menu and order

Jeontong Sigol Chueotang Ulsan Mugeo Branch is also known for chueotang, but it had lots of different Korean dishes on the menu. I had heard that its hot-plate spicy pork stir-fry was already popular with Ulsan University students, and it was on every table, so we thought, this is something we have to order! We got two servings of spicy pork stir-fry and two servings of kimchi stew.

The side dishes were neat, familiar, home-style dishes that immediately made me think of a meal at home. They were not overly seasoned and were so good.

Hot-plate spicy pork stir-fry with ramen noodles

The spicy pork stir-fry is only ₩8,000 per serving. With prices these days, that is such a great deal for lunch!! And it is not just meat: it comes on a hot plate with ramen noodles too. Noodles are practically a must with duruchigi ㅠㅠ, so having them included as standard is such a thoughtful touch, isn’t it?

Seeing the pork stir-fry bubbling away on the hot plate instantly made me want rice. Eating the pork with its signature spicy seasoning really woke up my appetite! I especially loved that the hot plate kept it warm.

Pick up a piece, place it over rice, and add a little sauce—it seems like nothing special, but it is exactly the kind of flavor that makes a whole bowl of rice disappear in no time. And of course, we cannot leave out the ramen noodles. As the spicy pork sauce soaked in, the chewy noodles and spicy seasoning worked so well together, offering a different charm from rice.

Kimchi stew with sujebi and ramen noodles

We ordered two servings of the spicy kimchi stew, at ₩7,000 per serving. It comes with pork, sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes), and ramen noodles. With both sujebi and ramen in one kimchi stew, it felt very generously put together; one spoonful of broth was spicy and warming.

Kimchi stew is at its best with rice! Take a spoonful of rice, lightly soak it in the broth, and top it with a piece of pork—it feels like sitting in front of a pot of kimchi stew that Mom made at home. The sujebi gave us chewy bites between spoonfuls of broth, and with the ramen noodles too, it felt plentiful enough for the three of us to share.

A hearty Korean meal that Dad approved of

As the three of us ate, my dad looked at the food and prices and said, “For this amount of money and this flavor, it is good value!” He said that students would probably come here often because it is near Ulsan University’s back gate, and that it would be a great place to visit when they miss a home-cooked meal.

After trying it, I understood exactly what he meant. Rather than being flashy or exceptionally unusual, these were familiar, hearty Korean dishes that would not feel burdensome to eat every day.