Gimhae Korean restaurant: hearty haejangguk at Ppyeodae Itneun

Lately, when I get home after work, making a meal, eating it, and cleaning up has been sooo exhausting that I keep eating out. I definitely use less energy—I can just sit there, order, eat, and head home—so I think it is becoming a complete habit. 😂 I do try to eat something healthy when I dine out, but maybe because it has gotten a little chilly lately? I have been craving gamjatang (pork bone stew), haejangguk (hangover soup), and gukbap (rice soup) especially often.

That day I was craving haejangguk, so I finally tried Ppyeodae Itneun Haejangguk Gamjatang Yulha Branch (뼈대있는해장국감자탕 율하점), which is near my home and somewhere I had passed many times but never visited. I had only been to the Juchon branch, so I was curious whether the flavor would be different—and I brought my mom along too, since she often treats herself to pork bone soup!

I already knew from eating at Juchon that the gamjatang and haejangguk made by a Korean cuisine master would be good. 😁 Seeing how busy the Yulha branch always is, I figured the flavor had to be a safe bet too.

The spacious, airy Yulha Branch interior

Because it is a ground-floor building with windows all around, I already knew it would be roomy, but the high ceiling made it look even more spaciousss. It felt wonderfully open, with none of that cramped feeling.

There were people everywhere, so I could not get a full shotㅠ Even while we were finishing up and leaving, customers kept coming in without a break.

The Korean-style interior, decorated with roof tiles and wood, has an upscale feel. And those lights feel very young? Hmm... I cannot explain it. 😂 Anyway, they are stylish—that is what I mean.

Ppyeodae Itneun Haejangguk Yulha Branch has sotbap (rice cooked in an individual pot), too! My mom was happiest about that. 👏 Now haejangguk without sotbap would feel a little incomplete. Looks like I have no choice but to come to Ppyeodae Itneun Haejangguk~~

Gamjatang add-ins and the self-serve dessert bar

When you order gamjatang, the add-ins are un-lim-it-ed refills! Wait, though—at this Yulha branch, it is not only ramen noodles but also sujebi dough flakes and glass noodles, all unlimited...??! 👀 Next time, gamjatang for sure.

After we finished our meal, there was even slushie for dessert~~ Perfect! 👍

Our haejangguk and sotbap order

Ppyeodae Itneun Haejangguk also has a set called Daega Hansang, with haejangguk, pressed pork, seasoned skate, and marinated crab. It seems perfect when you want a big spread—whether for a group dinner, drinks, or simply trying a variety of dishes. Since it was dinner, we wanted to prevent ourselves from filling up on too many add-ins haha, and we were curious about the haejangguk, so we decided to try that instead~~!

🍲 What I ordered 🍚

• Bone-in haejangguk, 1 serving: ₩11,000
• Boneless haejangguk, 2 servings × ₩11,000
• Egg and gondre sotbap: ₩4,000
• Sotbap, 2 servings × ₩2,000
• Total: ₩41,000

A robot efficiently brought over the basic side dishes, individual plates, water, and more. All humans have to do is relax and eat—what a nice world we live in~

House-made kkakdugi cubed radish kimchi and geotjeori fresh kimchi, fresh onions and chili peppers, plus mustard sauce. There has been lots of talk about Chinese-made kimchi lately, but Ppyeodae Itneun Haejangguk makes its own, so I could eat up without worry. 😋

Bone-in and boneless haejangguk

We ordered both the bone-in and boneless versions, and the bone-in one was haha, stacked to an incredible height that would be hard to build yourself. 😅

It was overflowing with siraegi (dried radish greens), too. There was no way to eat it like that, so we first moved some to our individual plates and started separating the meat from the bones~ We lazy people were sooo happy to see a boneless pork bone soup option, but my mom is a real flavor connoisseur who says picking the meat off the bone is what makes it delicious haha.

A stone-pot rice costs only ₩1,000 more than regular steamed rice, so you should absolutely get it—then even if you are stuffed, there will be no regrets. 😁

While we are at it, let us enjoy freshly cooked rice and warm nurungji (scorched rice) for dessert. No digestive medicine needed.

Without even asking my mom, I just got her the egg and gondre sotbap haha. She needs lots of nutritious food, you know~~ It was tasty enough to stand on its own, but the portion was so big it may have been a bit much? It was packed with well-cooked gondre greens, too. 👍 But our stomachs are not that big, so this is one to have occasionally when we are really hungry!

When I stirred through the boneless haejangguk—wow, the whole earthenware bowl was filled with chunks of meat. The amount of meat was seriously insane. I thought there might be less than in the bone-in version, but it actually felt like more. 💦 And why were there so many siraegi greens too... I gave some of the meat to my husband, and because I love lots of vegetable bits, I cleaned up every last bit of the siraegi.

As expected, Ppyeodae Itneun Haejangguk was delicious~ Add plenty of perilla seed powder and it becomes nutty, deeply savory, spicy and warming; it helps with a hangover, feels restorative, and keeps you super full!

Now I understand why there were so many families dining out at Ppyeodae Itneun Haejangguk Yulha Branch. It was a great restaurant with flavors that would satisfy anyone. Haejangguk is perfect for a quick meal, but with every kind of add-in available as unlimited refills, I am definitely having gamjatang next time! 😆 The staff were kind, the restaurant was clean, and there is plenty of parking space in front of and behind the building, so I really recommend giving it a try!