Yeouido lunch set meals at Wine Joomak Chacha, a Seoul wine bar

Another peaceful Yeouido lunch, as always. The weather was lovely, so I walked from the office to Yeouido Station for food. It is a 15-minute walk, but the autumn weather made it pleasantly not hot.

Lunch near Yeouido Station at Wine Joomak Chacha

Wine Joomak Chacha is in a super-convenient spot, less than three minutes from Yeouido Station. I had come here for a company dinner before, but it also has lunch dishes, so I came back. Haha.

Haha... I arrived at 11:30 and thought I was early, but it is such a popular place that I waited about 20 minutes before getting in. Still, considering my queue number, I got in pretty quickly!

Wines placed all around, as you would expect from a wine bar. To someone who knows nothing about wine, they all just looked delicious.

Even with lots of seating inside, it was completely full. As expected of a popular Yeouido bar...

Did you know? Wine is free at Wine Joomak Chacha Yeouido Station Branch. Did you know? Salary-slave workers cannot drink at weekday lunch.

Anyway, you can order at the kiosk! I ordered the boiled pork belly set; my companion, predictably, chose the spicy pork ssambap set; and we also got chilled chicken tenderloin salad to share!

Boiled pork belly and spicy pork ssambap set meals

Not long after ordering, the two set meals and chilled chicken tenderloin salad arrived. I was hungry after waiting to get in, so I was very, very happy that they came out right away.

Spicy pork ssambap set with a fried egg

First up, the spicy pork ssambap set my companion ordered. It came as a neat individual tray, and the nicely browned fried egg sitting on top of the rice brought a little moment of joy as soon as it arrived. Mine did not have one, though.

The stir-fried pork came in a ttukbaegi (earthenware pot), with a generous amount of meat and a nicely spicy-sweet seasoning. The ultimate rice thief.

It was delicious to break up the fried egg over the rice and mix it with the spicy pork sauce, and it was also good to pile plenty of pork into lettuce and perilla leaves for a wrap. This is the textbook office-worker lunch—and a dish any hot-blooded man cannot avoid!

Daily-limited boiled pork belly set

The words “daily limited” drew me to order the boiled pork belly set. The main boiled pork, assorted side dishes, wrap vegetables, soup, and multigrain rice arrived as one beautifully neat tray. The pork was cut thick, and its tender, soft texture without even a hint of odor was exceptional... Come into my mouth, you...

I added a piece of pork, salted fermented shrimp, and rice to fresh lettuce with ssamjang (savory soybean paste dipping sauce), then made a big wrap. The savory flavor exploded in my mouth!! The hearty doenjang soup, glossy black beans, pickled garlic, and other neat side dishes were also excellent with the pork. It was such a satisfying spread that I could see why quantities are limited.

And the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) that came with it—it was good on its own, but also delicious poured over rice, haha.

Chilled chicken tenderloin salad to share with the meat sets

And alongside the main set meals, we ordered chilled chicken tenderloin salad to share. It was a real key dish, perfectly balancing heavier meat dishes like the boiled pork or spicy pork.

Tender, shredded chicken tenderloin—not dry at all—was loaded with fresh lettuce, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, and onion. Its sharp mustard dressing gave it a pleasantly pungent flavor that cleared the palate. Meat plus meat, yes, but chicken and pork work surprisingly well with mustard sauce...!

When I went to pay, I saw the long rack of hanging wine glasses by the counter and the large wine cellar packed full of bottles. The place really lives up to its Wine Joomak Chacha name. Even though I had come for lunch, that interior made me want to return for a glass of wine at night... Just wait...

Recommended for a Yeouido lunch appointment

Wine Joomak Chacha Yeouido is a great place for a clean, comfortable meal thanks to its neat individual set trays. Do not assume it is open only for dinner! I recommend the boiled pork belly set for anyone wanting mild, tender Korean food, and the spicy pork ssambap set for anyone wanting a filling combination of fried egg and spicy-sweet pork. If you visit in a group, the chilled chicken tenderloin salad with its punchy mustard sauce is also a good sharing dish. For a Yeouido lunch gathering or a neat Korean lunch appointment, I strongly recommend Wine Joomak Chacha. I will be back too~~