Seocho restaurant: Jeju pork cutlet and bone hangover soup, Chomu

Didn't the weather suddenly turn so cold? I went out yesterday in short sleeves and got a real shock 🌀 Today I'm introducing Chomu Gamjatang (초무 감자탕), a gamjatang, braised pork bone and pork cutlet spot near Yangjaesiminuisup Station!

For a while now I'd been craving a juicy, old-school Korean-style pork cutlet (gyeongyangsik donkatsu) drenched in sauce. Japanese katsu is great, but you need the old-school kind once in a while too. So I went for the cutlet, and came back obsessed with the bone soup instead 🥹 If you want something hot and soupy, I recommend Chomu Gamjatang in Yangjae.

Chomu Gamjatang location, hours and menu prices

Chomu Gamjatang is at 59 Nonhyeon-ro, 1st floor, Seocho-gu, Seoul, about 900 m from Exit 2 of Yangjaesiminuisup Station. It's open 11:00 - 22:00.

• Bone hangover soup (뼈해장국) ₩12,000
• Jeju handmade pork cutlet ₩12,000
• Gamjatang (pork bone stew) ₩35,000 • ₩43,000 • ₩51,000
• Braised pork bones (뼈찜) ₩36,000 • ₩44,000 • ₩52,000

Is there parking and seating at Chomu Gamjatang?

You can enter from either the front or the back, and I went in through the back. For parking, just use the free public lot at the nearby Yangjae Neighborhood Park 🚘

The inside was bigger than I expected! There were about 10 four-person tables. I came at an awkward time and there were still customers. One person leaves, another walks in, so you can tell it's a popular place.

Side dishes and how to order at Chomu Gamjatang

The table comes set with a menu, a wasabi and soy sauce for dipping the meat, and a bowl for the bones.

As soon as I sat down, they brought kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), kimchi, a bowl of rice and a bottle of water! You order by telling the owner. I ordered two dishes: bone hangover soup (₩12,000) and Jeju handmade pork cutlet (₩12,000) 🧾

Why the homemade kimchi at Chomu Gamjatang is a must-try

While waiting for the food, I tried a bite of the kimchi the owner had put out, with some rice... and the kimchi here is sooo good 🩵 They make it in-house. If you visit Chomu Gamjatang, please eat the kimchi. There's a self-serve bar too, so you can take as much more as you like.

What is the Jeju handmade pork cutlet (₩12,000) like?

The Jeju handmade pork cutlet at Chomu Gamjatang is ₩12,000 and comes as two medium-sized cutlets in the old-school style. The old-school cutlet I wanted so badly arrived 🍽️ Yes... this is it... What caught my eye first was that you get two cutlets. Two medium pieces meant more food and they were easier to eat, which I liked :) The rice comes separately as a bowl of steamed rice. The cabbage + ketchup + mayonnaise combo was tasty too, and they gave plenty of corn, so as a corn lover I enjoyed it a lot.

They say they make the cutlets by hand every morning from Jeju pork loin. Maybe because of all that care, the cutlet was very tender and delicious.

Sometimes you feel there isn't enough sauce on a cutlet, but Chomu Gamjatang gives you a really generous amount! It was textbook old-school cutlet sauce 🤍 If you're looking for nostalgic old-school pork cutlet, definitely order it at Chomu Gamjatang :)

Chomu Gamjatang bone hangover soup (₩12,000): portion and flavor

The bone hangover soup at Chomu Gamjatang is ₩12,000 and comes in an earthenware pot, with about 4-5 meaty bones in it. Honestly I hadn't planned to order it, but I figured I couldn't leave a gamjatang place without tasting the broth, so after a bit of hesitation I ordered it. And I'm so glad I did,, 🥹 It comes in the earthenware pot, so the broth stays hot the whole time you eat.

Lift the perilla leaves on top and there are bones with plenty of solid meat on them. There was a good amount of siraegi (dried radish greens) too, which I loved (the siraegi was really good). I think there were about 4-5 bones. That much for ₩12,000 is pretty great, right?!

The meat was tender and soft 🌟 Lots of meat and great flavor! They say the broth is made from bones boiled fresh every morning.

Best way to eat the meat in the bone hangover soup

I tried the meat with the broth, with the soy-wasabi sauce, and with kimchi··· all really good. Like I said before, everyone, the kimchi at Chomu Gamjatang is seriously good, so please try it together with the meat.

I was shown to a window seat, so I ate while enjoying this lovely view :)

Verdict: came for pork cutlet, fell for the bone soup at Chomu Gamjatang

I went craving old-school pork cutlet and left having had a really delicious bone soup: that was my Chomu Gamjatang visit. Gamjatang and braised pork bones are popular orders too, so they'd be a great choice if you come with a group 🌟