Seoul Korean restaurant: Yeopgi-spicy kimchi stew and egg, Bapjangin

I stopped by Gojeo (Express Bus Terminal), and since it was dinner time I wanted a hearty rice meal. That's how I ended up at this Korean spot, Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch (밥장인 고속터미널점).

Where is Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch?

Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch is at B1 Unit 20 of Seoul Express Bus Terminal, right in front of Shinsegae Factory on the Gyeongbu Line side. It's open daily 10:00-22:00, with last order at 21:10.

Come to the Gyeongbu Line side and look for Shinsegae Factory. It's right in front.

Before going in, I stared at these red menu items drooling like Pavlov's dog... haha. Koreans really do run on rice power!

It looks like quite a few celebrities have been here, so my expectations for the taste went even higher, haha.

Is it even allowed for the English version of the word "bap" (rice) to be this cute?

Is Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch good for eating alone?

Bapjangin has dedicated solo seats, so you can eat comfortably on your own. You order at a kiosk, and joining the Naver review event gets you a soft drink.

When I walked in, the owner quickly showed me to a seat, and there was a solo seat free, so I sat right down. I overheard what he told a solo customer who came in later: no solo seats were left, so he guided them to a 4-person table and said they might be seated with another solo guest if one came in. Ordering at the kiosk is easy, and they're running a Naver review event, so you can get a soft drink if you join!

There are quite a lot of seats, from solo seats to 4-person tables. Outside the busy lunch and dinner rushes you could probably walk right in, and during the rush the turnover seemed like it would be good.

How are the tableware and side dishes served?

Once you sit down at Bapjangin, staff bring water, side dishes and individually wrapped tableware. You can get more side dishes yourself at the self-serve zone.

Personally, I loved that the tableware isn't just sitting at each seat but comes individually wrapped (?) and is brought to you after you sit. Restaurants at Gojeo are used by countless people, and if the tableware is stuck in a table drawer or lying on the table, lots of people touch it, which I think isn't great for hygiene... haha.

I also liked that you can fetch more side dishes yourself at the self-serve zone. I'm a person who loves restaurants with self-serve sides... I can get more of what I want and skip what I don't, haha.

Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch menu

The menu at Bapjangin is split mainly into stews and stir-fries.

• Stews: jjageuri (thick, spicy stew) / kimchi stew / sundubu kimchi stew (soft tofu) / brisket doenjang stew (soybean paste) / brisket gochujang stew (chili paste)
• Stir-fries: bulgogi / spicy stir-fried squid / iron-plate bulgogi / tofu kimchi

How was the solo steamed egg set with kimchi stew at Yeopgi Tteokbokki spiciness?

After some deliberation, I picked the kimchi stew in the "solo steamed egg set" at Yeopgi Tteokbokki-level spiciness (a popular Korean tteokbokki chain's heat level)!

The water bottle here was a bit unusual, hahaha.

Seaweed flakes at every seat and nicely sticky rice

Every seat at Bapjangin has a tub of seaweed flakes (gimjaban), so you can sprinkle on as much as you like. The rice has just the right stickiness too, and as someone who cares a lot about rice in Korean food, I was completely satisfied.

I sprinkled seaweed flakes on the rice, took a bite with the steamed egg, then ate the spicy kimchi stew, and it was the perfect match! Hehe (I liked that I could have as much seaweed as I wanted 👍). Above all, as someone who takes rice seriously in Korean food... this isn't just plain white rice. Some places have dull rice with grains falling apart, but this was tasty, nicely sticky rice, so I was totally satisfied.

Kimchi stew with flavor from the ingredients

Bapjangin's kimchi stew has plenty of meat, vegetables and kimchi, so you can tell the broth's flavor comes from the ingredients rather than from seasoning additives 👍. The kimchi was crunchy and fresh, which was just my style.

For a clean-tasting kimchi stew, I think moderately fermented (?) kimchi like this works better than heavily fermented kimchi...! Best of all, the meat had no gamey smell, so I ate several pieces. (I normally don't eat red meat.)

Pudding-soft steamed egg

The steamed egg in the solo steamed egg set is soft like pudding and went perfectly with the spicy kimchi stew. I would have regretted not getting the egg set.

This steamed egg... is totally pudding-soft... and such a perfect match with the spicy kimchi stew... 💛 As someone who eats 6 eggs a day and loves eggs to bits, I totally recommend this steamed egg!

Verdict: a rice meal on the Gyeongbu Line side at Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch

There are so many places to eat at Gojeo, but when you want a hearty rice meal on the Gyeongbu Line side, Bapjangin is a good pick. The flavor was clean, the rice was good and the side dishes were great, so I ate very happily. Next time I take a Gyeongbu Line bus, I'll stop by again 😝