3-minute kalguksu timer at Sonjeong Bossam, a Guro bossam restaurant

I finally visited [Sonjeong Bossam Sindorim Branch], already super famous in Sindorim! 😌 This gabrisal (pork collar) bossam right here — I went in with huge expectations haha

Where is Sonjeong Bossam Sindorim Branch, and what are its hours?

Sonjeong Bossam Sindorim Branch is on the 1st floor of 16 Saemal-ro 16-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul. Hours are weekdays 11:00–23:00, weekends 11:00–22:00.

How long is the wait on a weekday evening?

I visited on a weekday evening and there were so many office workers who looked like they'd just come from work! As it got later, groups kept lining up for waiting. But the turnover is pretty fast, so the wait wasn't as long as I expected. (Honestly I'd wait as long as it takes for this bossam.)

Inside Sonjeong Bossam Sindorim Branch

[Sonjeong Bossam Sindorim Branch] is a place that serves a proper meal built on skill and care passed down through three generations! Their signature gabrisal bossam uses fresh meat prepared and boiled fresh every day — after tasting it, I can confirm it deserves to be the signature dish. 👍🏻

Menu board and the Naver review event

Join the Naver review event and get a free plate of fried mandu (dumplings)! Bossam plus kalguksu plus free mandu on top — you basically have to join. 🎃 Order the chive and squash jeon (pan-fried pancake) and get a free bottle of makgeolli (rice wine).

Every table has a 3-minute timer for boiling the kalguksu 😂 The sauces pair well with bossam — salted shrimp, seasoning sauce, garlic sauce and more are all set out, and I tried dipping the bossam in each one — they're all delicious!

What comes with the 42,000-won small gabri kimchi bossam set?

Order the small set and you get gabri kimchi bossam with golden cabbage, kimchi filling, and radish kimchi, plus a choice of: 1. Seafood kalguksu, or 2. Bibim makguksu After some back and forth, I went with the seafood kalguksu 😋 The portion was way more generous than I expected! Honestly, even three people could eat well off the small set ✨

The staff put the seafood straight into the pot themselves, keeping the noodles and chili paste aside, and boiled the seafood first!

How to boil the seafood kalguksu on the 3-minute table timer

Once the broth starts boiling, add the noodles and set the table timer to 3 minutes. After 3 minutes I tried the noodles — the broth had soaked in perfectly and it was so good 🤤

I added all the chili paste they gave me, and it wasn't as spicy as I expected — you could probably add it all from the start. A bite of bossam followed by a hot slurp of kalguksu — this combo, need I say more.

How did the gabrisal (pork collar) bossam taste?

It looked so appetizing from the start, and one bite in I was genuinely impressed. The meat was so soft and tender with zero dryness or toughness. No gamey smell either — clean, with a nice savory meat flavor that was tasty even eaten plain.

Add a bit of garlic and chili on top, then eat it together with radish kimchi or kimchi filling — that combo is just the best 🥹 It's been a while since I enjoyed bossam this much, and I found myself thinking I'd have to come back again while I was still eating. And the seafood kalguksu I paired it with was also spot on 👏🏻

Is Sonjeong Bossam worth a return trip to Sindorim?

The gabrisal bossam was so good that if I'm ever in Sindorim again, I'll definitely come back for more. 🥹 With the seafood kalguksu included too, the portion felt really generous for the price!

If you're looking for bossam in Sindorim, I'd recommend [Sonjeong Bossam Sindorim Branch] as a Sindorim favorite! It already seems well known around the neighborhood, but it was so good I almost wanted to keep it to myself. Honestly all I could say that day was "this is so good" ❤️ Next time I want to try the bibim makguksu too, along with the chive and squash jeon and a bottle of makgeolli. I definitely plan to go back! 😊