Dowon-dong, Daegu gamjatang spot: small pot fills two at Samsol

When the weather turns a bit chilly or you just crave a hearty soup, where do you all go? I bet a lot of you have wandered around looking for a great gamjatang (pork bone stew) place in Dalseo-gu, only to be let down by the same old flavor every time! Well, I finally found a truly rich, brand-new gamjatang spot.

I visited Samsol Gamjatang (샘솔감자탕) in Dowon-dong, the very place whose tender meat has even Sangin-dong gamjatang fans making the trip. It's also a great spot for a relaxed solo meal on the way home from work, and they say even people who heard about it from nearby Jincheon-dong become regulars after one bite! What makes it so hot? Let me show you right away.

Samsol Gamjatang Main Branch: location, hours and parking

Samsol Gamjatang Main Branch is at 205 Sanghwa-ro, Dalseo-gu, Daegu (1st floor), on the crossroads toward Daedong Market. It's right next to Pungguk Myeon (풍국면).

It is open daily 10:00–24:00, with last order at 23:30. Parking is available in front of the restaurant and along the roadside.

What are the dining room and self-serve bar like at Samsol Gamjatang?

Samsol Gamjatang Main Branch has a baby high chair, and above the water purifier there's a corner where you grab sauces and tableware yourself. It's newly opened, so the interior is clean, and there are plenty of tables for two.

There's a baby high chair too! Such a thoughtful touch.

On the left above the water purifier are sauce containers you can serve yourself. On the right they had tongs, scissors, forks, spare bowls and sauce dishes, all ready to take!

If you go left from the counter, there's a big open space! And lots of tables for two, perfect for eating alone!! You can order from a tablet or QR code at every table, which is so convenient!

It's newly opened so it feels clean, and the green interior gives a fresh, cool feeling.

The inside is pleasant, and the spacing between tables is not cramped but just right. There was no dust on the floor, and it all looked neat.

It's glass, so you can see right outside! You can even eat while soaking up the sun! haha Samsol Gamjatang uses its space well, so once you step inside it has far more tables than it looks from the outside.

Samsol Gamjatang menu

• Bone haejangguk (뼈해장국, bone hangover soup)
• Seolleongtang (설렁탕, ox bone soup)
• Dogani-tang (도가니탕, ox knee cartilage soup)
• Yukhoe bibimbap (육회비빔밥, beef tartare bibimbap)
• Pork cutlet (돈가스)
• Beef jeon naengmyeon (육전냉면, cold noodles with beef pancake)
• Gamjatang (감자탕, pork bone stew)
• Grilled bones (뼈구이)

How good are the kimchi and kkakdugi at the self-serve bar?

At the Samsol Gamjatang self-serve corner you can help yourself to napa cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), doenjang (soybean paste), chili peppers, onion and more. The cabbage kimchi and kkakdugi were honestly the best.

This is the doenjang and the chili peppers. The peppers weren't really hot, just slightly spicy. Every ingredient, even the doenjang, seemed well looked after.

The kkakdugi was pleasantly tangy and tasty, and would go great with gamjatang. They say radish helps digestion, so it seems perfect with a meaty soup! I tend to avoid food made with Chinese ingredients, and this tasted homemade! ^.^ The kkakdugi was so good that I went back for more several times.

The cabbage kimchi was really delicious too. If it suits my taste, I'm sure it will suit others! A place is only a great restaurant if its kimchi is good, and I fully credit this as a top Dowon-dong haejangguk spot. They really have a hand for it.

Is a small gamjatang enough for two women?

Two adult women ordered the small gamjatang at Samsol Gamjatang, and the portion was so big we might not have managed the fried rice at the end. They said leftovers can be packed to go.

I really love pork neck bone stew, gamjatang and haejangguk, and I was touched when the server passing by offered on her own that we could take leftovers if it was too much. I was so full.

The pot was piled with savory siraegi (dried radish greens), plus fresh green onion, perilla leaves, chewy enoki mushrooms and well-cooked potatoes, so many vegetables, generously. As you'd expect from a top Dalseo-gu gamjatang spot, you could see at a glance how abundant even the basic ingredients were.

Plenty of perilla seed powder: the broth and heat control

What caught my eye most in the Samsol Gamjatang stew was the perilla powder heaped on top! Once it bubbled and I tasted the broth, the perilla powder blended with the rich stock and brought out a nutty depth that was just art.

You can also adjust the flame at the table. The pot heats up quickly, so I kept it on the lowest heat while it boiled.

The broth is so deep and rich that I immediately understood why people looking for Dowon-dong haejangguk and Sangin-dong gamjatang fans come all the way here. Topping the meat from the big bones together with the siraegi that has soaked up the seasoning is so filling that it's more than enough to enjoy alone.

How much meat is on the gamjatang pork bones?

Each joint of the big bones in the Samsol Gamjatang stew had thick, moist, tender meat. It came off in strands with just a touch of chopsticks, and the amount of meat was overwhelming.

These days some places have lots of bones but hardly any meat to pick off, which is disappointing, but Samsol Gamjatang was really different.

They ladle broth over the meat so it cooks through! haha My mouth watered at the look of it. And there was no gamey or funky smell at all; the deeply soaked seasoning and meaty aroma blended nutty and rich in the mouth, which impressed me. It wasn't dry in the slightest, but tender and chewy, and eating it with the vegetables and siraegi seemed to amplify the meat's rich flavor even more.

I pulled out a piece of meat with the tongs and it was so big and meaty, so satisfied! I'd recommend the bone haejangguk too for a solo meal in Dowon-dong.

The bones are big but not hollow; they have lots of meat on them. It was simmered long, so the meat was soft and tender. Mild with no gamey smell, and the tender meat gets more savory the more you chew, so I enjoyed it in awe right to the last piece without getting tired of it. For anyone who wants to feel the combination of hearty, quality meat and rich broth, it was the best moment to really understand why this place has a reputation for gamjatang in Dalseo-gu!

Siraegi and potatoes: don't forget the scissors

The amount of siraegi in the Samsol Gamjatang stew is no joke. It's simmered long so it's not tough but soft. It's long, so I grabbed scissors from the self-serve bar to cut it; please be sure to bring scissors! It soaked up the vegetable broth and was so delicious.

The potatoes, essential in gamjatang, were simmered until just about to fall apart! hahaha The texture was soft and they'd soaked up the broth well. Mixing the broth and potatoes into rice is absolute heaven.

Is Samsol Gamjatang good for solo meals and office lunches?

At lunch, many customers came to Samsol Gamjatang Main Branch alone for a single serving of bone haejangguk. Looking at the next table, lots of men were dining solo. haha I recommend it as a Dowon-dong solo meal for office workers and men alike.

In the evening, people looking for gamjatang from Sangin-dong and Dalseo-gu come in, and I bet many enjoy drinks here too. With reasonable prices and hearty dishes, it feels right for these high-inflation times. If I visit alone next time and take out, the bone haejangguk seems like a perfectly good choice, and ordering delivery at home would also be filling and hearty enough for a solid meal.

Samsol Gamjatang: honest verdict

• Recommended if you're looking for a meaty Dowon-dong haejangguk spot
• Great value for a solo meal in Dowon-dong
• Recommended for anyone looking for a gamjatang with big portions
• Good for friends and family in small groups, in a clean space with good value!
• Also recommended as home delivery; they get lots of delivery orders!
• 100% I'll come back