Makgeolli pub in Hapjeong for eel pot rice and ₩10,000 lunch: Deogiwa

We're a couple who love hunting down good eats, and when we went out to Hapjeong Station, the vibe of this place pulled us in: Deogiwa Hapjeong. It's a Hongdae outdoor-seating pub and a Hapjeong makgeolli (Korean rice wine) favorite, but it also sells a lunch special at midday, so we came for a proper meal!

Deogiwa Hapjeong location, hours and parking

Deogiwa Hapjeong is at 25 Dongmak-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor. It's open daily from 11:30 to 01:30, until 02:00 on Saturdays, and paid parking is available.

At night Deogiwa Hapjeong is famous as a Hongdae outdoor-seating pub, and by day it also runs as a regular restaurant. It's a Hapjeong makgeolli spot, yet it has a lunch special too! Let's dive right into our story of the hearty Deogiwa lunch set, haha.

What's the atmosphere like at Deogiwa Hapjeong?

Overall it's a makgeolli pub with a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel, and there were so many guests enjoying makgeolli from the middle of the day?! The interior is pretty and atmospheric, so we figured it must be packed in the evenings, haha.

What we ordered for lunch at Deogiwa Hapjeong

We ordered the Deogiwa lunch set (baekban, a Korean set meal) with added pollock roe, an eel pot rice, and an extra small bossam (boiled pork) sampler!! It's an outdoor-seating pub with all kinds of drinking snacks, but since we came at lunch we went for the Deogiwa lunch set. We heard it comes with lots of side dishes, so we were even more excited, haha.

After a short wait, the lunch set and the eel pot rice arrived~~ The lunch set normally comes with steamed rice, but I paid extra to switch to pot rice! I've been going around to pot rice places lately because I love it, and the pot rice at Deogiwa Hapjeong was really good, haha.

How big are the added pollock roe and the small bossam?

First came the myeongranjeot (salted pollock roe) and the small bossam, both great as side dishes~ The roe was an add-on to the lunch set, and they gave a really generous portion, so we were glad we added it, haha.

The small bossam was a smaller portion than I expected, which surprised me, lol. Still, true to the name, it was good for the two of us to have little tastes~~

What's in the ₩10,000 Deogiwa lunch set?

The Deogiwa lunch set is only ₩10,000, and the side dishes are seriously generous. Look at that spread, right? So many dishes..!! The sight alone surprised me, haha. It's a Hongdae outdoor-seating pub that's also great for lunch.

The sides included a fried egg, kimchi, seaweed, kongjaban (sweet braised soybeans), salted squid, jangjorim (soy-braised beef), and assorted seasoned greens and vegetables, and more. There were lots of them, neatly presented and tasty, so it was fun trying them one by one, haha.

Is upgrading from steamed rice to pot rice worth it?

Paying extra to switch the lunch set to pot rice was absolutely the right call, haha. The rice was so sticky and soft that it was delicious even eaten on its own, lol.

Wrapping the salty pollock roe in seaweed is pure heaven~~ Add the fried egg and you've got the ultimate rice thief (a side dish so good you keep eating rice)!!

The soup was warm and tasty, and the jangjorim, with both egg and beef in it, was mild and delicious, haha. The sides were seasoned just right overall, and with white rice there was no way it could taste bad!!

Since Deogiwa Hapjeong is a Hapjeong makgeolli favorite, we saw other tables enjoying various makgeolli from the afternoon, but the side dishes in our lunch set were so good that we were completely happy with the lunch menu even without makgeolli, haha.

How does Deogiwa's eel pot rice taste?

The eel pot rice at Deogiwa Hapjeong was topped with plenty of thick eel, haha. It came with a generous, varied set of sides just like the lunch set, so it was easy to share with my boyfriend~

The eel had no fishy smell at all and not many bones, so it went down soft and smooth, haha. The sauce was salty but just right, and it paired really well with the white pot rice!

Which cut of pork is the small bossam?

The small bossam at Deogiwa was a mild, lean cut of pork, which is just how I like it, haha.

My boyfriend prefers fatty parts over lean meat, so he found it a little dry, but eaten with mumallaengi (seasoned dried radish strips) it had a hint of herbal medicine flavor and worked as a mild meat side dish~~

Deogiwa Hapjeong: outdoor seating next time

We visited at lunchtime and enjoyed a hearty lunch set at Deogiwa, a Hapjeong outdoor-seating favorite! It's also well known as a Hongdae outdoor-seating pub, so if you're looking for a Hapjeong makgeolli spot, it seems like a wonderful place to enjoy various makgeolli in the evening, haha.

Next time we'll definitely come back on a weekend evening to enjoy the outdoor seating in the cool weather!!