Folding-door hall bossam set at Cheongun, a Dangsan Korean restaurant

Where is Cheongun Bossam Dangsan Branch, and how far from Dangsan Station?

Cheongun Bossam Dangsan Branch is a bossam restaurant about 200m from Exit 13 of Dangsan Station. Since you can enjoy hearty bossam and kalguksu together in one sitting, it seemed like a great spot to set as a meeting place. There's a big sign on the corner of the building's 1st floor, so even first-timers wouldn't have any trouble finding it.

Out front, standing signboards line up with photos and descriptions of the main menu items laid out intuitively, so it was easy to check the menu before even walking in.

Inside the folding-door hall: seat spacing and atmosphere

Stepping inside Cheongun Bossam Dangsan Branch, the calm, clean wood-tone tables gave a tidy impression. The spacing between seats wasn't cramped either, so it was comfortable to dine with our group.

One wall of the restaurant in particular is made up of folding doors, and when the weather's nice they're thrown wide open, so it never feels stuffy — it has a real sense of openness.

What comes with the small pork belly bossam set

We ordered Cheongun Bossam Dangsan Branch's signature pork belly bossam set in the small size — besides the standard pork belly bossam, you could also pay ₩6,000 extra to switch to pork jowl bossam. There's a big menu board on the wall, and you can browse in detail on the order pad at the table too.

On top of that, ordering bossam lets you pick a free menu item — either tray-style mak guksu or clam kalguksu — and for ₩5,000 more you could order spicy noodles topped with octopus or with beef intestine instead. We rounded things out by also ordering rice balls and a cider.

Once we ordered, they brought out water in a retro Del Monte-style bottle.

Four basic side dishes and the self-serve refill bar

Four basic side dishes were set out quickly. Lightly seasoned bean sprouts, savory-salty stir-fried fish cake, well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi, and appetite-boosting pickled onion in gochujang — a great lineup to go with either the bossam or the kalguksu.

If you run low while eating, there's no need to feel awkward — you can just head to the self-serve bar set up in one corner of the restaurant and refill as much as you like. There were also aprons hanging neatly around the self-serve bar, so if you're worried about soup splashes, it's worth grabbing one before you start eating.

The ordered pork belly bossam, clam kalguksu, and rice balls filled the big table without a single gap — everything looked generous and delicious.

Clam kalguksu simmered at the table on an induction burner

The clam kalguksu at Cheongun Bossam Dangsan Branch doesn't come fully cooked from the kitchen — instead, the hot pot is placed on an induction burner in the middle of the table. They gave us an hourglass too, which made it easy to keep track of the time.

We gently loosened the noodles with tongs so they wouldn't clump while waiting for it to boil. Zucchini, crown daisy, sliced chili, and a generous layer of clams at the bottom all came together, sending up a refreshing aroma even before it started boiling.

How the pork belly bossam tastes with the house-made radish kimchi

While the kalguksu simmered away, we started on the main event, the pork belly bossam. Cheongun says they boil the pork fresh every morning in vigorously boiling water, and you could tell just by looking at the plate — the meat had a real sheen and looked packed with moisture.

Rather than being all lean, dry meat, this cut had chewy skin attached at the edge, giving it an extra layer of savoriness.

The real charm of this Dangsan bossam spot comes through in the pairing with the kimchi made in-house — the radish kimchi, coated in a deep red seasoning, had a crisp, lively crunch, and wasn't overly sweet, with a delicious spicy kick.

It's tasty enough with just the radish kimchi, but it gets even better paired with the spicy sauce, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), and salted shrimp that come alongside. Lay a thick slice of pork belly on a piece of the provided salted cabbage, then top it with spicy radish kimchi, a bit of sharp garlic, chili, ssamjang, and a touch of salted shrimp, wrap it up into a big bite, and the umami just explodes in your mouth.

There was also lettuce, so it was fun to alternate between lettuce wraps and cabbage wraps.

Tuna rice balls you mix yourself at the table

We figured we'd need some rice, so we added the rice balls, and they exceeded expectations — a wide bowl held fluffy rice topped generously with seaweed flakes, finely chopped pickled radish, and plenty of tuna, all drizzled with a really generous amount of mayo sauce.

With the plastic gloves they provided, you mix everything together well, then shape it into bite-sized round balls to finish.

The crunch of the pickled radish meeting the savory tuna-mayo is a combination that can't go wrong. Top a rice ball with a moist piece of bossam pork and some spicy radish kimchi and eat it in one bite — the balance of rice and meat lands perfectly, and it fills you right up.

How the clam kalguksu noodles turned out once fully cooked

While we were enjoying the bossam and rice balls, the clam kalguksu finished cooking at just the right time.

The noodles didn't snap apart — they had a springy, chewy texture that clung to the palate, making for a really satisfying bite.

Slurping up the noodles and topping them with a piece of the basic napa cabbage kimchi made for an absolutely delicious bite.