Busan gukbap restaurant, friendly staff and plump dumplings: Geumsu

When the weather turns chilly, what's the first thing you crave? Piping hot gukbap (rice soup), of course! I recently got the chance to visit Geumsu Dwaeji Gukbap (금수돼지국밥), a newly opened gukbap place near Kyungsung University, and I left very satisfied. The staff were all so kind that I was in a good mood the whole meal!

Where is Geumsu Dwaeji Gukbap Gyeongseong-Pukyongdae Branch, and what about hours and parking?

Geumsu Dwaeji Gukbap Gyeongseong-Pukyongdae Branch is a gukbap specialist near Gyeongseongdaebugyeongdae Station. It's open from 10am to 2:30am, and last order is at 1:50am.

Since it's open until the early hours, it's a perfect spot to finish off a night of drinking! Unfortunately there's no parking lot, so I'd recommend taking public transport.

What's the atmosphere and service like?

The interior is fairly standard, but it's spacious and clean, a comfortable place to stop in for a bowl of pork soup. Above all, the staff are all so friendly.

With tablet ordering and a self-bar, you barely need to interact with staff, which is convenient. But they were kind when serving, and when I asked questions they answered so warmly. Top marks!

Menu and prices: what did we order?

This day we ordered three things: sundae gukbap (blood sausage rice soup) for ₩9,500, pork soup for ₩9,500, and dumplings for ₩6,000 :)

• Sundae gukbap ₩9,500
• Pork soup ₩9,500
• Dumplings ₩6,000

The jeongol (hot pot) looked delicious too and I wanted it, but it was late, so I held back with a single bowl of gukbap. Next time, the jeongol!

Side dishes and the self-bar

Geumsu Dwaeji Gukbap sets out basic side dishes to go with your gukbap first. Neat and tidy basics!

If you run out of side dishes while eating, just grab more yourself at the self-bar. I love places with a self-bar. Sometimes I feel bad calling staff over just to refill one side dish, but with a self-bar I can simply go get it myself! Just take only as much as you'll eat, a little at a time, you know?

I liked that this gukbap restaurant near Kyungsung University brought all the ordered dishes at once. Nobody has to start eating first; everyone can begin together, nicely!

Sundae gukbap: choose sundae + meat

The sundae gukbap here lets you choose sundae + meat, so you get both sundae and pork. It had lots of both, and I thought, "I should've ordered this!"

The sundae was super plump! I stole one piece, and maybe that's why it tasted even better. Next time I'll order the sundae gukbap too. It feels like getting sundae gukbap and pork soup in one!

How are the pork soup broth and meat?

What I ordered was the basic pork soup! I absolutely love pork soup, so I ordered it without even thinking. The broth is really rich and delicious. I'm on a diet and planned to have just a little broth, but it was so good that I ended up drinking plenty.

The pork soup was packed with really big pieces of meat. They were large and thick, yet with no gamey smell at all and not tough, so I enjoyed them :) I think I finished every bit!

Are the dumplings worth ordering with gukbap?

I ordered the dumplings (₩6,000) with no expectations, just because gukbap alone felt a bit empty, and they were totally delicious :) I was surprised by how many plump dumplings came out.

They were generously filled, so I could get full on these alone. Of course, eating them with gukbap is even more filling, and they go so well with the broth, a perfect match! If you're having gukbap, I recommend the dumplings too :)

Final verdict on this Kyungsung University gukbap

At Geumsu Dwaeji Gukbap Gyeongseong-Pukyongdae Branch, I enjoyed the pork soup, sundae gukbap and dumplings, and I was surprised by how kind the staff were from the moment I walked in. With friendliness that isn't over the top, it's an easy, comfortable meal near Kyungsung University :) Pork soup is the best, as always!