Second-round pub in Guwol-dong, Incheon: chicken stew, peach highball

Tongkeun Sottukkeong Dakbokkeumtang Guwol Branch: hours and location

Tongkeun Sottukkeong Dakbokkeumtang Guwol Branch (통큰솥뚜껑닭볶음탕 구월점) is near Yesulhoegwan Station in Namdong-gu, Incheon. It is open 11:00–23:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00, last order at 22:00, and it is closed every Monday.

• Open 11:00–23:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• Last order 22:00
• Closed every Monday

Why I picked chicken stew for a second round in Guwol-dong

That evening I had a first round of dinner and a few drinks with a friend. Then, wondering where to go next, I suddenly craved a spicy, tangy broth to go with a drink, so we headed to Tongkeun Sottukkeong Dakbokkeumtang Guwol Branch near Yesulhoegwan Station.

Chicken stew is great as a hearty meal with rice, but honestly, nothing beats it as a late-night drinking snack that really settles the stomach.

I heard office workers in Guwol-dong line up here for lunch, but at night the lighting is soft and it feels like a perfect restaurant-slash-pub, so it was an excellent choice for a second round.

Atmosphere and seating

The place is very spacious, and the tables are set wide apart, so even people like us arriving for a second round can chat comfortably without being disturbed. There's also a roomy area further inside for bigger groups, so I think it's a great spot for after-work dinners or group gatherings too.

The moment we sat down, we saw a huge cast-iron cauldron lid set in the middle of the table. It was visually overwhelming and got me excited already.

Ordering the cauldron-lid chicken stew, with white kimchi and a peach highball

We ordered the main dish, the cauldron-lid chicken stew (dakbokkeumtang).

First we cooled our mouths and soothed our stomachs with the refreshing white kimchi (baek-kimchi) that came as the side dish.

For drinks we kept it light with a peach highball and a cider...

After a short wait, the stew, already cooked once over high heat in the kitchen, was poured onto the big cauldron lid like a waterfall. A mountain of big chicken pieces, whole potatoes and roughly cut green onions in bright red, rich sauce looked so amazing it could reset the appetite of people who had already eaten a full dinner.

Why wait 8 minutes for the cauldron-lid chicken stew?

Once everything is set up, the staff sets an 8-minute timer at the table. The stew has already been cooked once in the kitchen, but they told us it needs to bubble away on the cast-iron lid until the timer rings for the flavor to really come out, all the way into the meat.

Watching the numbers tick down and smelling the sweet, spicy, tangy aroma, those 8 minutes felt like 80.

Time just doesn't move...

How the broth and chicken tasted

When the 8-minute timer finally chimed, I carefully took a spoonful of the broth first.

It wasn't a forced, stabbing heat from capsaicin. Instead, a deep, rich tanginess from good-quality chili powder and lots of garlic wrapped my whole mouth.

The chicken was cooked so tender that the meat separated from the bone with just a light touch of my chopsticks.

The real fun: keep it simmering on low heat

The real charm here is that you don't turn off the heat. You keep it simmering on low and pick out the chicken bit by bit.

On the heat of the cast-iron lid, the broth slowly reduces, and the longer it boils, the deeper the seasoning soaks into the meat and the thicker the broth gets.

The savory depth just exploded as time went on. It felt like magic, getting tastier the longer it boiled. I mashed the fluffy, well-cooked potatoes into the thickened broth and ate them together, and the soju went down so easily. If you're looking for a lunch spot or a pub near Yesulhoegwan Station, there's no better snack than this.

Adding ramen noodles to the reduced broth

About halfway through the stew, I added one ramen noodle portion. I'd been having drinks with the chewy chicken and potatoes, but seeing the broth reduced to a concentrated essence, I couldn't hold back.

I dropped the springy ramen noodles into that rich, reduced broth and spicy sauce and simmered them briefly. It was a guaranteed winning combination.

The thickened sauce soaked into every strand of the noodles, and every slurp made me exclaim in delight. I'd come for a second round on a full stomach, yet I cleaned out the broth-soaked ramen in no time.

Is Tongkeun Sottukkeong Dakbokkeumtang Guwol Branch worth it for lunch and a second round?

From the exciting wait on the 8-minute timer, to the sauce that gets deeper as it reduces on low heat, to the ramen noodles that soaked up all that flavor and the savory fried rice, there wasn't a single weak spot. It's a truly great restaurant.

It's a sure hit for a hearty daytime lunch in Guwol-dong, and it's perfect for a second round in the evening with a drink and spicy broth, like we did. Next time I'll definitely come on an empty stomach for the first round and add even more kinds of add-ons to the stew for a proper feast.