Itaewon bone stew with yukjeon cold noodles at midnight: Nuri Maeul

Late at night, dragging myself home after work, I passed by Itaewon Station and suddenly craved bone stew — so I stopped in. It was so good I had to post about it!!

Where is Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch? Right by Itaewon Station Exit 4

Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch is less than a minute's walk from Itaewon Station (Line 6) Exit 4. It's on the 2nd floor of a building right on the main road, so it was super easy to find.

Inside the restaurant: self-serve bar and tablet ordering

Climbing the stairs to the 2nd floor, the dining room was even more spacious and pleasant than it looked from outside. The tables were spaced generously and the wood-toned interior kept the vibe clean and comfortable. The open window seating also gave a nice airy, breezy feel!

On one side by the open windows there was a neatly kept self-serve bar with kimchi and pickled onions you could freely grab more of — I liked how clean it looked.

Each table had a tablet ordering system, so it was convenient to browse menu photos and take my time choosing!

The menu at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch and what we ordered

There was such a varied lineup of main and side dishes that it was hard to choose!! I went with the soy-braised bone stew (small) for its sweet-salty sauce and generous meat, plus I suddenly craved yukjeon so I added the yukjeon cold noodles too. You could pick from all sorts of detailed options, like a no-cucumber option — nice touch. I'm a cucumber lover so I kept it in!

Small soy-braised bone stew: how big is it and how does it taste?

Not long after ordering, it arrived piled high on a big hot plate — the sight alone made me gasp. Even as the small size, the portion was really generous, plenty for 2-3 people.

The meat clinging to the bones was thick and so tender that the flesh separated from the bone with just a touch of the chopsticks. The sweet, salty house soy sauce had soaked all the way through the meat — total rice thief territory.

The bouncy glass noodles soaked in sauce, chewy rice cakes and sujebi (hand-torn dough), plus crunchy cabbage and onion, made every bite fun to pick through. The glass noodles in particular, so well melded with the sauce, were addictive!! Not a harsh artificial flavor at all, just a savory taste that clung to the mouth, so I couldn't stop scooping haha. FYI, the soy-braised bone stew has a bit of heat too — even I, who's weak with spice, enjoyed it fine, about half as spicy as Shin Ramyun I'd say.

The free radish green broth and the yukjeon cold noodles finish

Ordering the bone stew at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch comes with a free hot, rich radish green hangover soup, and this was a treat on its own. Slow-simmered, deep and spicy-savory — one spoonful and my stomach felt instantly soothed; I bet it'd be great with a drink too.

And then the yukjeon cold noodles! Served neatly in a brass bowl with a thin layer of ice floating on top, piled generously with golden pan-fried yukjeon (beef pancake) as garnish. The noodles were chewy and the broth tangy-sweet with real depth — a perfect match to clean the palate after the sweet, salty bone stew. The yukjeon garnish especially exploded with savory flavor, I almost wanted to eat it on its own!! But the bone stew portion was so substantial I had to hold off for next time haha.

Open 24 hours: is it worth it for late-night or hangover food?

The portions were generous and the staff kind, so I had a genuinely pleasant time throughout the meal. Being open 24/7, it's a great spot to drop by anytime you need a late-night bite or a solid hangover meal. Next time I'm definitely going back to try the aged kimchi gamjatang.

If you're looking for a bone stew restaurant in Itaewon, a gamjatang restaurant in Itaewon, or a gamjatang spot in Yongsan, I'd definitely recommend giving this place a visit.