Dowon-dong, Daegu gamjatang restaurant: ugeoji bone soup at Samsol

With the weather turning a bit chilly lately, I kept craving something hot and spicy in broth form.

I'm the type who loves a red, deep, savory bone soup, so this time I went to a new gamjatang place that just opened near my house. It's Samsol Gamjatang, located between Dowon-dong and Sangin-dong. It opened fresh on September 5, so I was curious and decided to check it out.

📍 Samsol Gamjatang / 205 Sanghwa-ro 1F, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, South Korea / ⏰ Daily 10:00 - 24:00 / 🕐 Last order 23:30 / 🚗 Parking available right in front / 📌 Groups, takeout, delivery, reservations, high chairs, easy payment available

Where is Samsol Gamjatang? Sanghwa intersection, walkable from Dowon-dong

Samsol Gamjatang sits right at Sanghwa intersection, with parking available directly in front of the restaurant. My place is in Dowon-dong, and before this I usually had to head out to Sangin-dong or Jincheon-dong for gamjatang or bone soup. Having a new spot open up this close to home was such a nice surprise.

Naver reservations are available too, and for groups of five or more, they'll set up the table in advance if you let them know ahead of time. It seemed like a solid choice for group gamjatang outings as well.

What's on the menu at Samsol Gamjatang?

As the name suggests, gamjatang and bone soup are the mains here. The three signature dishes are listed below.

• Ugeoji bone soup (with mugwort greens)
• Gamjatang
• Grilled bone (jikhwa ppyeogui)

There was also quite a variety of other dishes — Western-style pork cutlet, Korean beef tartare bibimbap, brisket seolleongtang, doganitang, and beef sashimi cold noodles. So it's not just great for gamjatang lovers; if someone in your group wants something else, there are still plenty of options.

They're also currently running an opening event — three servings of ugeoji bone soup to go for ₩25,000. That seems like a good price for taking it home to enjoy.

Table kiosk ordering and the self-serve side dish bar

Walking in, I noticed every table had its own ordering kiosk. No need to flag down staff — you can just browse the menu and order right from your seat.

When I visited, there were solo diners as well as people enjoying gamjatang with a drink. It's not the kind of gamjatang place where you feel like you need a big group — it felt easy to use whether you're eating alone or with a crowd.

The basic side dishes were kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi), kimchi, onion, and chili peppers.

If you want more sides, there's a self-serve bar toward the back of the restaurant where you can help yourself.

₩10,000 ugeoji bone soup: two chunks of pork spine in a savory broth

I ordered the ugeoji bone soup that day. With rice included, it's ₩10,000. It arrived bubbling away in an earthenware pot, and the portion looked pretty generous right off the bat.

There were two large chunks of spine bone inside, with plenty of well-braised mugwort greens tucked in between. I tend to prefer a red, spicy, rich broth over something plain like seolleongtang, so this one really suited my taste.

I gave the spine bone a light poke with my chopsticks, and the meat just fell right off. Thanks to the long braising, the meat was tender and soft.

Soft enough to eat a few days after a wisdom tooth extraction

I should mention that I'd had two wisdom teeth pulled just a few days before this visit, so I was avoiding anything tough or hard. But the mugwort greens were braised so soft that it was easier to eat than I expected.

Whole soybean-paste beans in the broth

I've had bone soup at plenty of other branches, but Samsol Gamjatang's version had a savoriness that felt a bit special. As I ate the broth, I kept biting into little bean-like bits, like in the photo — soybean paste soybeans, it looked like. They seemed to be bits of soybean mixed in from the doenjang (fermented soybean paste), and biting into them made the broth's savory flavor feel even deeper.

It's a red broth, but it's not just spicy — it's savory, sharp, and rich, which made it great to eat with rice. They also serve the spine meat with a wasabi soy sauce on the side for dipping. Dip the meat in the sauce, take a spoonful of broth in between, and you just keep reaching for more.

Open until midnight, so it works for a late-night meal

Being open until midnight is another point in Samsol Gamjatang's favor. With last order at 23:30, it seemed like a solid option if you're getting off work late or want a hearty meal as a late-night bite. Good for gamjatang with a drink, and just as good for a filling bowl of bone soup like I had!

Above all, as someone living in Dowon-dong, what made me happiest was having a great new gamjatang spot pop up so close to home. Now I can get gamjatang or bone soup nearby without heading all the way to Sangin-dong or Jincheon-dong, so I think I'll be back fairly often. Hot broth is exactly what you crave as the weather gets colder — if you're looking for a great gamjatang spot in Dalseo-gu, this one's worth a visit.