Gangnam budae jjigae with unlimited ramen: Uncle Budae Jjigae

Budae jjigae near Samsung Medical Center with my mom

For some reason, I had been craving budae jjigae (army stew) so badly for days. As the weather got a little cooler, I just kept thinking about that spicy broth loaded with ham. So I finally went for lunch with my mom.

My mom really knows good food. She is the type to say it outright when something is bad, so this place stuck with me even more because she kept raving about how delicious it was the whole time. It was one of the Ilwon-dong restaurants I have been most satisfied with lately.

Where is Uncle Budae Jjigae Ilwon Branch?

Uncle Budae Jjigae Ilwon Branch is in the middle of the dining alley near the back gate of Samsung Medical Center in Ilwon-dong. Its orange sign stands out even from afar, so it was not hard to find.

What especially impressed me was that quite a few people were dining alone! It felt like an easy place to visit without any pressure, and like the food had already been proven.

The atmosphere and table spacing

Personally, I think cleanliness is just as important as flavor at a restaurant. At Uncle Budae Jjigae Ilwon Branch, I immediately got the feeling that it was neat and clean as soon as I walked in.

The dining room was spacious, with plenty of room between tables, so it did not feel cramped. The tables were also kept clean, which made the whole meal feel pleasant.

I thought it would work well for an office lunch, a family meal, or a gathering too.

How to enjoy budae jjigae with butter

One thing that felt a little unusual after we ordered: they gave us butter.

At first I was like, what is this? But a staff member told us to mix half into the rice and eat the other half with the budae jjigae.

Once I tried it, I understood why they serve it. It added a rich, nutty flavor and went together much better than I expected. The butter-mixed rice combination was especially a quiet little treat.

Side dishes and a tidy self-service bar

There were three basic side dishes.

• Bean sprouts
• Stir-fried fish cake
• Kimchi

They were exactly the kind of sides that go with budae jjigae, so nothing felt missing. But what was even better was the self-service bar!

If we needed more side dishes, we could help ourselves without feeling self-conscious. These days, plenty of self-service bars are not well maintained, but this one was really clean and organized.

The side-dish containers were neatly arranged and the area around them was clean too, which was oddly moving... You could tell the owner puts a lot of care into maintaining the restaurant.

Are ramen noodle refills unlimited?

One of the most important things in budae jjigae is ramen noodles, right? Here, ramen noodle refills are unlimited.

With prices these days, even an extra serving of noodles is not cheap, so unlimited refills! I think noodle lovers would absolutely love it. My mom likes noodles much more than rice too, so she added ramen noodles right away.

Trying beef brisket budae jjigae for two

We ordered beef brisket budae jjigae for two. Just looking at the pot when it arrived at our table, I could already tell how generous it was.

Then I read the description and saw that it lists a whopping seven varieties of ham! It says the stew includes various hams, such as square ham, Brona ham, and Sugardale bacon.

You know how the more ham there is, the deeper the broth tastes, right? Just looking at it made my mouth water.

A rich broth that my mom approved

Once it started bubbling away, I do not even know how many times I lifted the lid wondering when it would be ready. I was surprised by how generously they had packed it with ham.

It would not be an exaggeration to say the budae jjigae pot was full of ham! With beef brisket added too, it passed the visual test right away.

The first bite made me think, this broth is seriously rich. Maybe because it had so many kinds of ham, the flavor was deep, and the savory richness from the beef brisket made it really delicious. My mom said it was delicious as soon as she tasted it too. When my usually picky mom approves, that says it all. It was even better with ramen noodles added.

Generous ham, deeply flavored broth, a clean restaurant, and a well-stocked self-service bar. It was great for a filling lunch, as well as a family meal or a visit with friends. If I am looking for somewhere to eat near the back gate of Samsung Medical Center, I think of Uncle Budae Jjigae Ilwon Branch.