Seongsu Station army stew and ₩4,000 soju on a Friday: Songtan

After work I was craving something spicy and Korean, so I went to Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae (송탄진대광부대찌개), a place rumored to be a top budae jjigae (army stew) spot in Seongsu! It's good value and tasty, so I heard it's packed with office workers on weekday lunches. When I actually visited, the inside was really spacious, so no need to wait. I think I found a proper Seongsu gem!

Where is Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch?

It's within a 1-minute walk of Exit 1 of Seongsu Station, so it's easy to reach! On Seongsu's main streets I usually end up squeezing through crowds and ducking into alleys to find places, so finding somewhere this easily was a first for me, haha.

It's on the 2nd floor of the Yeokjeon Halmeoni Maekju building, and when you climb the stairs, you arrive at Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae, which already smells like a great restaurant!

Is there a wait at Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae by Seongsu Station?

There are lots of seats and the turnover is quick, so you can usually eat without waiting. The moment I walked in I thought, wow, it's this big? Even early on a Friday evening, the place was fairly full! With this many seats, it's big enough for office lunches in Seongsu or even company dinners. Since it's so large, the food comes out fast and tables turn over quickly, which I think is its biggest strength.

Looking around the interior, it's full of retro, old-days charm, so even on a first visit it doesn't feel unfamiliar, and I loved the comfortable atmosphere.

Menu and ordering: can you get a 1-person budae jjigae?

You order on the tablet at each table, and the signature menu is just one dish: budae jjigae. There's a 1-person budae jjigae, so if you're looking for a solo dining spot in Seongsu, take note! I saw one going out to another table, and it had just as many ingredients and looked hearty.

You can also add the Jindaegwang premium sausage separately, so ham lovers, keep that in mind haha.

₩4,000 soju in Seongsu: how much are drinks?

Soju is ₩4,000 and beer is ₩5,000. In the middle of crazy prices, I found a great-value place. If I worked near Seongsu, I think I'd suggest having company dinners here,,, Seongsu is such a hot spot that even at restaurants and bars, drinks are basically ₩7,000–8,000 as a baseline,, T_T

Naver receipt review event: a free add-on or drink

They're also running a Naver receipt review event! Write a review with a photo attached, after turning on notifications and saving the place, then show it to the staff and you can get one free item: a ramen add-on, alcohol or a drink! Can't miss a deal like this~

₩30,000 for two: what did we order?

We ordered the Jindaegwang budae jjigae for 2, a ramen add-on and a cider! It came to exactly ₩30,000, so ₩15,000 per person for the happiness of a filling meal!

Side dishes like fish cake and scallion kimchi, plus rice, are free refills at the self bar, so you can take as much as you want and never worry about running out :)

Within 5 minutes of ordering, they brought the pot, and while waiting for the timer I diligently read the instructions on how to eat it even more deliciously :)

How does the Jindaegwang budae jjigae taste?

The Jindaegwang budae jjigae for 2 (₩26,000) had lots of vegetables and a clean, spicy broth. As soon as the timer ended I opened the lid, and the spicy budae jjigae aroma I'd been craving hit my nose,,,

I've been to lots of budae jjigae places, and I'm not a fan of ones that just pile in ham, but Jindaegwang has plenty of vegetables like scallions and onions, so the vegetable stock comes through and the broth tastes much better.

Scoop it onto a soup plate and a full Korean meal is ready in no time! This is the Korean spread I wanted,,, I came after work and got proper healing. The budae jjigae isn't fussy or showy; it's clean and spicy with a rich broth, so it felt like home cooking and I was so satisfied the whole time :)

How are the ham and sausages in the army stew?

Honestly, the heart of budae jjigae is the sausage, right? Jindaegwang had about 4 kinds of ham, and it didn't taste like cheap sausage; it felt like it was made only with premium sausage. My boyfriend, who's serious about ham, tried it and said it was the real deal and ate happily :)

When should you add the ramen noodles?

I recommend eating with rice for about half, then when the broth reduces, adding stock and the ramen noodles and boiling just 2–3 minutes. Eat with rice for about half, and when the broth runs low, add stock and drop in the ramen!

As the broth reduces the flavor gets deeper, so it gets tastier the more you eat :)

Boil the ramen for just 2–3 minutes and you get chewy noodles fully soaked in the budae jjigae broth, so definitely eat it this way!

Is there free dessert?

When you finish, they have a slushie, coffee and yogurt ready as dessert. The owner has prepared everything down to dessert,, and the whole time I understood why it's famous as a Seongsu office-worker favorite. If you're looking for a Seongsu office lunch, company dinner, budae jjigae or Korean food spot, or a date course, I really recommend Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae!