Doenjang jjageuli over rice, Gangnam Station lunch: 1992 Deopbap

I was trying to figure out what to eat for lunch near Gangnam Station, and this time I ended up at 1992 Deopbap & Jjageuli Gangnam Main Branch (1992 덮밥&짜글이 강남본점)! There are tons of restaurants around Gangnam, but it's still surprisingly hard to find somewhere for a hearty Korean lunch.

Where is 1992 Deopbap & Jjageuli Gangnam Main Branch, and what are its hours?

• Address: 6 Gangnam-daero 84-gil, 1F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Location: about a 2-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 3
• Hours: Weekdays 10:30–23:00 / Weekends 10:30–22:00
• Last order: Weekdays 22:20 / Weekends 21:20
• Takeout, delivery, reservations available / kiosk ordering

Especially after eating a lot of stuff outside lately, there are days when rice with a soupy dish sounds better than pasta or Western food — and this was exactly that kind of day, so I went for doenjang jjageuli. If you're looking for a good Korean food spot near Gangnam Station, this one's worth a try.

Rice bowl or jjageuli: which to order at 1992 Deopbap?

As the name suggests, 1992 Deopbap & Jjageuli Gangnam Main Branch serves rice bowls (deopbap) and thick stews (jjageuli). There are simple rice-bowl options as well as warm stew-and-rice combos, so it seemed like a good spot for a Gangnam Station lunch.

That day I really wanted something soupy and Korean, so I picked the doenjang jjageuli without a second thought haha.

Inside 1992 Deopbap: is it comfortable for solo diners?

I took some photos of the interior too. Being near Gangnam Station, it definitely felt like the kind of place that gets busy at lunchtime! The menu itself is easy to enjoy alone, so it seemed like a solid choice for anyone looking for a solo-dining spot near Gangnam Station.

It had the kind of atmosphere that works well when you have plans in Gangnam and just want a comfortable meal, not something fancy.

How is doenjang jjageuli different from doenjang jjigae?

And finally, the doenjang jjageuli I ordered

I guess Koreans really do get hungry the moment doenjang (fermented soybean paste) smell hits haha. As soon as it landed on the table, that warm, nutty smell had me thinking about rice right away. It's simmered a bit thicker than regular doenjang jjigae, so the name 'jjageuli' really fits, and it was the kind of style that goes well eaten together with rice.

The broth isn't too watery — it's more on the side of pairing well with rice, mixed together. If you like that style, I think you'll be satisfied. Because of that distinctly nutty, salty doenjang flavor, it worked much better eaten with rice than sipped on its own.

I usually prefer piling the solid bits onto rice rather than just eating the broth when I have stew, and doenjang jjageuli is basically built for eating that way, so I liked it. One bite, then rice, then another bite of jjageuli, and it just kept going haha. These days a meal in Gangnam can get pretty pricey, so when you're craving Korean food near Gangnam Station that feels more like home cooking than something flashy, this is the kind of place that comes to mind.

Why doenjang jjageuli suited lunch better than dinner

Office workers especially have to pick a lunch menu every single day, and after cycling through spicy pork, pork cutlet, and gukbap (soup rice) over and over, something like doenjang jjageuli that feels like home cooking is a nice change. Personally, I felt it suited a Gangnam Station lunch more than dinner.

It's not awkward to eat alone, and it also seemed fine for coming with a friend or coworker, each picking your own deopbap or jjageuli.

If you're craving Korean food near Gangnam Station but don't want anything too fancy, and just want a filling meal of rice with a warm soupy dish, this is a Gangnam Station spot worth stopping by. I had the doenjang jjageuli this time, and yeah, doenjang plus rice is a combo that's hard to mess up haha. It was a day I craved something nutty and homey instead of an intense restaurant meal, so it tasted even better.