Toddler-friendly Korean restaurant at Express Bus Terminal: Bapjangin

A hearty Korean meal at Express Bus Terminal's Bapjangin!

Why we chose Bapjangin for Korean food with a toddler at Express Bus Terminal

Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch is a Korean restaurant on the basement level of Seoul Express Bus Terminal, near Shinsegae Factory. We had some business at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam recently, and for the first time took our daughter on the bus and subway, actual public transport! She's always wanted to ride the bus she sees go by every day, so we finally gave it a shot — and she did pretty well haha. Still too early to make it a regular thing for safety reasons, but I think she'd love doing it again sometime.

After meeting up with dad at the terminal, we figured we'd grab dinner before heading home, and while wandering the underground mall before catching the subway, we found this Korean restaurant!!

• Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch
• Daily 10:00–22:00
• Last order 21:10

What side dishes come free at Bapjangin, and can a toddler eat them?

Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch's basic side dishes are radish salad, kimchi, and bean sprouts, plus lettuce since we ordered the bulgogi-bokkeum. I was a bit worried since our daughter needed to eat too and figured everything might be spicy, but there was steamed egg and bean sprouts! Our daughter tried the bean sprouts after pulling off the heads haha. She refused to eat them at first, but once she saw us enjoying them she copied us and ended up loving them lol. She always refuses at first even though she ends up eating it anyway... can't figure out what goes on in that little head of hers.

What three of us ordered at Bapjangin and what it cost

• Smoky bulgogi-bokkeum (stir-fried bulgogi) ₩14,000
• Jjaglie (thick stew) ₩12,000
• Added steamed egg and a bowl of rice

It's a Korean food combo we love so much, my mouth is watering just looking back at these photos!

Jjaglie stew at Shin Ramyun spice level: how hot is it?

Bapjangin's jjaglie has chadolbagi (thinly sliced beef brisket), zucchini, and soft tofu in it, and we set the spice level to Shin Ramyun, which was just right! The rice came in such a big bowl that we didn't even need a separate dish for the side dishes haha. Great for mixing into the soup too. I'd actually thought it was gochujang stew the whole time, but checking the menu again, it's jjaglie.

Stir-fried bulgogi two ways: in lettuce wraps and mixed with rice

The bulgogi-bokkeum wasn't too spicy or salty either, perfect for wrapping in lettuce. I'm a lettuce-wrap lover while my husband just eats it plain lol. It was also great mixed with rice and the stew broth on top. My husband had been torn between this and the squid stir-fry, so I want to try that next time haha.

Steamed egg and bean sprouts: the combo our 30-month-old ate two bowls of rice with

What really won over our daughter was Bapjangin's steamed egg and bean sprouts!!! I mixed them together, snipping the bean sprout stems with scissors, and she genuinely finished two bowls of rice?! She's not usually a big eater, so is there something special about Bapjangin's steamed egg and bean sprouts.... She kept shouting for more, so we ended up nearly finishing the extra rice we'd ordered thinking dad would eat the leftovers lol.

Since our daughter was eating happily, we relaxed and went all in ourselves, sprinkling on gim flakes and adding more jjaglie broth. If that's not the definition of a rice thief, I don't know what is haha. I love Korean food this much and yet I'm hopeless in the kitchen, ugh. I really wish I could whip up dishes like this quickly... guess I'll have to practice.ㅠlol

Jjaglie broth, meat, and steamed egg all together — how could that combination not be delicious.. There are so many good restaurants at Express Bus Terminal, yet people keep streaming into Bapjangin, and there's clearly a reason for that!! A Korean's strength really does come from Korean food haha.

What a late dinner at Bapjangin is like with a child

At Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch, little kids were eating happily, and there were plenty of elderly diners too. It was so refreshing to see someone eat that enthusiastically, honestly adorable and impressive lol. It was getting a bit late so she must have been sleepy and tired, but thankfully she ate well without any fussing. Bapjangin worked even on a 30-month-old!!! Definitely going back for more haha.

Naver receipt review drink and how to find Bapjangin in the terminal

Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch also runs a Naver receipt review event. Get a free soft drink and finish off your meal on a nice note! If you're passing through Express Bus Terminal looking for Korean food, it's located on the basement level near Shinsegae Factory, so I definitely recommend stopping by.