Hangover soup with unlimited rice and noodles near Gildong Station

Gildong has a Blue Ribbon-listed hangover soup spot

Are there still people who don't know about the Blue Ribbon-listed hangover soup place in Gildong? Honestly, I first thought it would just be an ordinary neighborhood joint. But after one visit, my whole opinion changed, and I've kept coming back ever since! Let me introduce Sinjuokmi Gildong Direct Branch, recognized by the Blue Ribbon Survey and carrying on a recipe into its second generation :)

Hours and parking info

• Address: 서울 강동구 양재대로 1459 1층 102호 (1459 Yangjae-daero, 1st floor, unit 102, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea)
• Hours: Mon–Wed, Sat 24 hours / Thu, Sun 00:00–22:00 / Fri 10:30–24:00
• Parking: Available (crowded before 6pm on weekdays / a lot behind the building available on weekday evenings and weekends)

Exterior and interior

When you hear 'hangover soup restaurant,' you probably imagine something worn-down and old, right? This place is a total surprise!

There's a Catch Table kiosk next to the entrance for registering a wait, but when we visited in the evening there was no line, so we got seated right away.

Walking in, the space is much bigger than expected, with hanok-style (traditional Korean house) decor pieces placed throughout — it feels classic yet modern at the same time :)

The open kitchen layout means you can see the whole cooking process, and honestly, that made me trust the place even more!

What's on the self-bar?

A big self-bar sits right in the middle of the restaurant, so you can help yourself to as much rice, noodles, side dishes, kimchi and sauces as you want :)

You can even check out their secret sauce recipe posted there!

Dunking somyeon noodles into the broth is a combo I highly recommend. Being able to eat until you're full without worrying about carbs is a big part of why people come here!

Each table has a tablet ordering system, along with pepper, dadaegi (spicy seasoning paste), perilla powder, and salt already set out, so you can adjust the seasoning to your taste :)

At the entrance/exit there were also toothpicks and air freshener — a nice touch showing they care about customers.

Menu and events

Beyond the basics like sundae-guk and hangover soup, there's a wide lineup including set meals, boiled pork, sundae, dried pollock salad, pork cutlet, and savory pancakes!

There's a lunch special every day of the week, so you can enjoy a variety of dishes affordably,

and if you leave a Naver receipt review, you can get a free canned drink too — don't forget to grab one when you visit :)

How was the sulguk?

This time, we went for sulguk!

You can probably tell just from the photos — the visual alone is overwhelming :)

Once we sat down and ordered, they brought out heotgae tea (a hangover-relief tea) along with side dishes and sauces. The kimchi especially pairs so well with guk-bap (soup with rice) or sulguk.

The fiery red broth was packed with meat, offal, and sundae, topped generously with chives, steam rising off the top — just looking at it felt like it would clear my head :)

I took a spoonful of broth first — spicy but not harsh, with a deep, rich umami that lingers all the way through! They say it's a patent-pending broth developed over more than 30 years of research, and honestly you could taste that in a single sip :)

There was no funky smell at all — instead, the distinct savory, hearty aroma of pork offal wrapped around the whole broth, and I thought, 'ah, this is what a proper sulguk should taste like!'

The amount of stuff in the bowl is seriously impressive too. The pork offal was cleaned so well there was no funky smell, so even first-timers could enjoy it without hesitation! And the sundae had a genuinely chewy texture — made at a HACCP-certified facility as handmade sundae, and you could really feel the quality difference :)

Paired with a shot of soju, it made for the perfect drinking snack too.

I grabbed white rice from the self-bar and mixed it into the broth, and this was also seriously amazing! Being able to eat your fill without worrying about carbs is one of Sinjuokmi's big advantages, I think :)

When and who to go with

Being open 24 hours means the doors are open whenever you need them, from morning hangover cures to late-night snacks — that alone gives it a strong presence in Gildong! It's comfortable for solo diners and works just as well for family meals or company dinners, so it's versatile for all kinds of occasions :) If you're near Gildong and craving a hot soup dish, definitely give Sinjuokmi Gildong Direct Branch a try. The skill passed down through two generations won't disappoint.