Itaewon gamjatang restaurant piled with radish greens: Nuri Maeul

Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch (누리마을감자탕 이태원점), an Itaewon gamjatang spot where the meat was some of the most tender I've ever had.

When I want a hearty meal in Itaewon, gamjatang (pork bone and potato stew) is always one of the dishes I think of. This time I went to Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch — easy to reach from Itaewon Station, and above all, the meat was genuinely some of the most tender I've had.

How close is it to Itaewon Station?

Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch is on the 2nd floor at 176 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea, and it's about a 1-minute walk from Itaewon Station Exit 4 — really easy to find. It's open 24 hours, which is a big plus since you can drop by any time — late-night meals, hangover recovery after drinks, or even an early breakfast.

Inside the restaurant and seating

The restaurant was bigger and cleaner than I expected, which I liked. When you think of a gamjatang place, you might picture something small and a bit dated, but this spot had plenty of table space and felt comfortable even for a group.

Just how tender is the bone meat?

What struck me most that day was the meat! Honestly, among all the gamjatang I've eaten recently, this was up there with the most tender. As soon as the pot arrived, the first thing I noticed was how generously the bones were piled with meat — satisfying just to look at. But it got even better once I tasted it. Just a light touch with my chopsticks and the meat came right off — no need to work at it at all. Part of the fun of gamjatang is picking meat off the bone, but it's a bit of a letdown when the meat is tough or dry.

But at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch, the meat was so soft that I was happy from the very first bite. Dip a big piece into the sauce and you get the clean flavor of the meat itself along with the deep, seasoned punch that gamjatang is known for — I kept reaching for more.

The radish greens deserve a mention too

And something I genuinely enjoyed was the siraegi (dried radish greens). If you're a siraegi lover in your gamjatang, you'll probably relate — I care about it almost as much as the meat. It was thoroughly soaked in the broth, and eating it with rice was incredible.

What does the broth taste like?

Soaking the siraegi in the rich broth and eating it with a piece of meat was such a great combination. And since the broth keeps simmering and getting richer, it tastes different toward the end than at the start — that's part of the charm of gamjatang, I think. Nuri Maeul Gamjatang is known for simmering its broth for over 6 hours with a signature seasoning, and after tasting it, I understood why they emphasize the soup so much. It was spicy but not harshly so — deep and savory, with the meat, siraegi, and potatoes all fully soaked in flavor. And of course, gamjatang has to be eaten with rice.

A chopstick of siraegi over warm rice, a light dip in the broth, then a piece of tender meat on top — my bowl of rice disappeared fast. Soupy dishes like this really do call for rice, haha. The kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) served alongside paired well with the stew too. Between the hot, rich broth and the meat, you start craving something crisp and tangy, and a bite of kimchi resets your palate before pulling you right back to the gamjatang.

Other dishes and noodle add-ins

Beyond gamjatang, Nuri Maeul Gamjatang also serves ppyeodagwi haejangguk (bone hangover soup), ppyeojjim (steamed bones), aged kimchi dishes, and galbitang, so there's something for different tastes, and you can add ramen noodles, udon noodles, or sujebi (hand-torn dough) to your order. That makes it easy for a group to order one pot of gamjatang and customize it with add-ins.

Personally, the combination of tender meat, flavorful siraegi, and rich broth really won me over that day. The meat especially is something I keep thinking about. If you've ever had a gamjatang experience where the meat was so tough you basically just gnawed on the bone, you'll understand why I keep going on about the meat, haha.

The meat came off so easily that eating was effortless, and there was a generous amount of it too, which added to the satisfaction. I also really liked the Itaewon location — close to Itaewon Station Exit 4, it's a convenient meeting spot and it's easy to walk over to Itaewon's main street afterward. It sits right in the heart of Itaewon's commercial area, so it's a good spot to explore before or after eating. And above all, being open 24 hours is a huge advantage.

Open 24 hours: when is the best time to go?

It's great for when you're out late in Itaewon and suddenly crave hot soup, or when you want a proper hangover cure after drinks, or simply when you're craving gamjatang out of nowhere and can drop by regardless of the time. At night, some customers treat it almost like a bar hangout, and there can be a wait during late hours.

Personally, I don't think of gamjatang as just a way to fill up — I love the slow experience of picking meat off the bone in hot broth. This visit to Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch gave me exactly that satisfaction. The meat was some of the most tender I've had, the siraegi was full of broth flavor, and the soup was deep and rich enough to naturally pull me toward the rice.

Who will like this place?

• Anyone looking for a rich, generous bowl of gamjatang in Itaewon
• Fans of gamjatang with especially tender meat
• Fans of gamjatang loaded with siraegi (radish greens)
• Anyone near Itaewon Station looking for a restaurant open late

Next time I'd like to add some extra noodles to my gamjatang and go all the way to trying the fried rice at the end, haha. Bottom line: if you're looking for an Itaewon gamjatang spot with tender meat and great siraegi, Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch is the one. A place I'd want to come back to on a day I'm craving hot soup and a hearty meal.