Jonggak Korean dinner: mild octopus & pork stir-fry sets, Bonghyejane

If you're craving a hearty Korean meal near Jonggak Station, this Jonggak spot is a good one: Bonghyejane Jubang (봉혜자네주방) Jongno Tower branch.

📍 51 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Jongno Tower B2, units B206 and B207 ⏰ 11:00-21:00

Where is Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch?

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch is on the second basement floor of Jongno Tower, which connects to Jonggak Station. Wander around B2 and you'll find it.

There was a branch I wanted to try, so after work I called my boyfriend over to Gwanghwamun... and it was closed!! Sorry, oppa 😭 He'd come all that way without having eaten, so I hunted for a Korean restaurant in Jonggak for him. After some searching, we ended up at Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch on B2 of Jongno Tower!

Since it's in Jongno Tower, it's easy to reach from Jonggak Station, and the menu has plenty of choices, from octopus stir-fry to bossam (boiled pork wraps), beef bulgogi and soft tofu stew, so it seemed great for dinner. (I bet office workers nearby flood in at lunch.)

Bonghyejane Jubang exterior and seating

I found this Bonghyejane specialty restaurant after circling B2 of Jongno Tower!

The tables come in 2-person and 4-person sizes. There were quite a few people, but it still felt roomy.

Lots of people had come for an after-work dinner, just like us.

Bonghyejane Jubang menu, prices and spice levels

The menu had various set meals (jeongsik) such as the charcoal beef bulgogi set, bossam set and pork stir-fry set, plus à la carte dishes like spicy seafood soft tofu stew and the 1988 hamburg steak. I also spotted perilla oil buckwheat noodles, spicy chewy noodles with flat dumplings, and zucchini pancake.

I assumed oppa would obviously order the pork cutlet, but he got the beef bulgogi, haha! What I chose was the octopus stir-fry set, ₩16,000 with rice included.

You can choose the spice level for every menu item. We accidentally... both picked mild, heh. It said mild is about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, but personally it felt less spicy than Shin Ramyun.

• Octopus stir-fry set ₩16,000
• Pork stir-fry set ₩15,000
• Total ₩31,000 (for 2)

What does the pork stir-fry set look like?

The pork stir-fry set comes with spicy stir-fried pork (jeyuk bokkeum) and several sides, such as seaweed and sweet braised soybeans. Ta-da, here's oppa's pork stir-fry set.

It's jeyuk bokkeum *^^* Looks like a big portion. It was stir-fried with cabbage, chives, zucchini and more.

How was the mild octopus stir-fry set?

With the octopus stir-fry set, you can put the stir-fry over the rice or mix it all together.

I coolly poured it over and mixed just a little before scooping it up.

The bowl is big, perfect for mixing. As if to say "go ahead and mix it," the rice already had lettuce and seaweed in it.

The octopus was plump and chewy, and the sauce went nicely with rice. Since it was the mild level, it was a little bland, but I guess it's good for the body, whatever. I recommend the regular spice level!

What I liked: both the octopus stir-fry set and the pork stir-fry set have a charcoal aroma! It felt like a charcoal-grilled set meal, which was great.

The sets come with mushroom perilla soup and pumpkin porridge

Bonghyejane Jubang's sets come with mushroom perilla soup. When ordering I'd been torn about adding a perilla soup, so finding out the set includes mushroom perilla soup was great!

Having the octopus stir-fry with the mushroom perilla soup, the nutty broth softens the spiciness. It was a slightly thick perilla soup, and it was also very mild and healthy-tasting.

Since it's a set meal, the sides vary, and personally I loved the sticky, sweet pumpkin porridge. It was really sweet, as if sugar had been added... and delicious even though it was cold.

Verdict: a Jonggak Korean restaurant for friends who can't handle spice

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch lets you choose mild or not spicy at all, so it seems a good place even if someone in your group doesn't like spicy food. Being inside Jongno Tower, close to Jonggak Station, is the biggest plus!

It seems like a good Jonggak Korean restaurant for a lunch meetup in the Jonggak area, or for days you crave Korean food. It's not far from Gwanghwamun, so I want to try it for lunch next time.