Jije pollack stew restaurant for a weekend hangover: Sokcho Halmae

Why Sokcho Halmae Dongtae-tang for a hangover in Jije, Pyeongtaek?

Sokcho Halmae Dongtae-tang Pyeongtaek Jije-dongsak Branch (속초할매동태탕 평택지제동삭점) is at 17 Mosan 1-gil, Unit 104, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, South Korea. It is open Monday to Saturday, 11:00–22:00 (break time 14:30–16:30), and closed every Sunday. My husband had been drinking the night before and was pulling a sad face about his stomach from the morning, so I decided today's hangover cure had to be a cool, spicy soup.

A newly opened pollack stew (dongtae-tang) place caught my eye nearby, so we headed straight there without a second thought. It's a perfect spot if you're having lunch in Dongsak-dong or looking for a meal near Jije Station.

How were the weekend lunch wait and parking?

A clean, brand-new spot with no wait to worry about

We arrived around 12 on a weekend, and it was clearly peak time, already bustling with people. As you'd expect from a new opening, the entrance was full of congratulatory wreaths and potted plants, so it felt like a festival.

The parking lot is nice and roomy, so there was no parking stress at all.

There are plenty of chairs in front of the shop for waiting guests, and a Catch Table device lets you register your place in line easily. Luckily we had made a reservation, so we were seated right away with no wait.

The interior is newly built and really clean, and the staff welcomed us kindly, which made it a perfect, hearty Dongsak-dong lunch.

Is one small pollack stew enough for three people?

Win over by the generous portion, intoxicated by the spicy kick

Three of us visited and ordered one small (so-ja) pollack stew. They told us the small size comes with two bowls of rice as standard.

But since there happened to be an unlimited rice promotion, the owner thoughtfully brought one more bowl of rice for free. You know how touched you get by these little gestures, right?

Receipt review event: free shrimp balls

There was also an event giving 4 shrimp balls for a Naver receipt review, so I quickly joined in and enjoyed them to the last bite~^^

The crispy, bouncy shrimp balls were a nice treat. The pollack stew that came out soon after looked overwhelming from the start.

Hangover broth with a whole pollack, roe and milt

The pollack stew has a big whole pollack in it, of course, plus shrimp, roe, milt and other extras, all added without holding back.

On top of that came fresh vegetables, bean sprouts, fragrant crown daisy (ssukgat), and tofu, so the broth couldn't help but be refreshing. After one spoonful of broth my husband went "Uh~" and said his stomach felt instantly relieved^^

It was sharp, deep and spicy, and I thought, yes, this is exactly the kind of place near Jije Station I was looking for.

Can you refill side dishes and rice yourself?

Rice-stealing side dishes and the joy of refills

I draped a piece of the pickled perilla leaf (kkaennip-ji) from the side dishes over my rice, and it was a true rice thief. The side dishes were all neat and tasty, so I kept reaching for more.

If you run out of side dishes, you can help yourself to more at the self-serve corner in the shop without feeling awkward, which was really convenient.

Rice is also available from the rice cooker at the self-serve corner, so even big eaters need not worry. A great Dongsak-dong lunch spot.

Verdict: Sokcho Halmae as a hangover cure

My husband, who was suffering from the night before, sweated buckets and cleaned out a bowl of rice in no time, so bringing him felt completely worth it. If you want a proper hangover meal with a cool, spicy broth, or like a hearty, filling place near Jije Station, do stop by Sokcho Halmae Dongtae-tang Pyeongtaek Jije-dongsak Branch this weekend! You might fall for the spicy broth and become a regular.