Hongdae restaurant with zucchini pork stew set for two: Bap Jangin

You probably head to Hongdae a lot for hangouts or dates, but when you actually get there, it's wall-to-wall pasta and mala tang — finding a real, hearty, delicious Korean restaurant in Hongdae is surprisingly hard.

After wandering the Hongdae streets every time trying to decide what to eat, I finally found a place with such good value that no Korean could walk past it. Sharing it here ◜⤙◝

Where is Bap Jangin Hongdae Branch, and when is it open?

This time I visited Bap Jangin Hongdae Branch! It's at 16 Yanghwa-ro 18an-gil, 1F, Mapo-gu, Seoul — Bap Jangin Dwaeji Jjigae Hongdae Branch — open daily 10:00–22:00 with last order at 21:20. Group seating is available and there's free Wi-Fi too. It's also apparently appeared on the TV show Sikgaeknamnyeo Jal Meogeotseumnida, episode 15 (aired Jan 23, 2016).

It's right by the always-buzzing Hongdae Station, so it's easy to find.

The moment you walk in, you get this open, expansive feeling — the interior is huge and really well laid out.

For a stew place, the air felt fresh and clean, which won over my hygiene-conscious heart.

The staff were kind from the moment I walked in until I left, so I was already very satisfied before the food even arrived!

I noticed quite a few foreign tourists around too — if your friends visiting from abroad want to try proper Korean food, bring them here and you'll get a solid thumbs up ദ് ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )

Of course, it hits the soul-food spot for Korean tastebuds too (*Ü*)

What comes in the 38,000 won set for two

Bap Jangin Hongdae Branch has a pretty wide menu as a proper Korean restaurant, so after some deliberation I went with the set for two, which lets you sample a bit of everything ˙Ⱉ˙

Set for two Stew + 2 warm rice + 2 pieces of spam + bulgogi ₩38,000

If you leave a receipt review after eating, they just give you a pretty tumbler or a cold drink for free! You have to grab these little perks every time (˶ᵔᵕᵔ˶)

The self-serve bar had kimchi, bean sprouts, pickled hot peppers, and even sesame oil, so I could dress things up to my taste.

The second the food landed on the table, my jaw dropped — this much quality and quantity for this price?? It's seriously good value.

Smoky bulgogi at Bap Jangin

The bulgogi was the first thing I reached for, and it passed the visual test immediately! The second it hit my mouth, that smoky wok-hei flavor spread through my whole mouth — the textbook version of a really good jeyuk bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork) ( ♥‿♥ )

The savory flavor clings to every bite — you could finish a whole bowl of rice on the meat alone › ̫‹

Eating the crunchy bean sprouts in between refreshes your palate, and before you know it you've inhaled the whole plate.

The signature pork jjigae: spice level and sweet zucchini broth

Then there's Bap Jangin's signature dish — pork jjigae (stew) ✨. As Korea's first pork jjigae specialist, the quality really stands apart. The spice level is adjustable, too! The spicy version is about hotter than Shin Ramyun, so I went with the regular (default) spice and it was just right.

Loaded with soft, generous chunks of pork as the base, plus salty spam and hot tofu on top — the toppings are the ultimate in generosity (⸝⸝¯ᵕ¯⸝⸝)

Unusually, there were bits of chopped zucchini in it — thanks to the zucchini, I think, the broth had this subtle sweetness and depth that felt totally different from the usual kimchi jjigae I've had!

How to get the most out of Bap Jangin's pork jjigae

At first, enjoy the meat and the stew separately for their own flavors, then once you've made a dent in your rice, pour a generous amount of the stew broth and solids into your rice bowl!

Then pile on the savory gim (dried seaweed flakes) sitting on the table, drizzle in some sesame oil, and mix it all together — and you'll experience straight-up heaven (ﾉ≧ڡ≦)💕 The saltiness of the gim and nuttiness of the sesame oil mix into the stew and the umami just explodes!

I honestly can't remember the last time eating out satisfied me this much — it was so good I practically licked the bowl clean.

Is Bap Jangin worth it for a budget Korean meal in Hongdae?

If you're looking for a filling, good-value Korean restaurant, or just a proper Korean meal near Hongdae, I strongly recommend Bap Jangin Hongdae Branch!

I was so satisfied here that I already want to come back — I'm planning a genuine, paid-for-myself return visit next time I'm craving Korean food ٩(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و❤️