Itaewon spicy bone stew, hotter than Shin Ramyun: Nuri Maeul Gamjatang

I heard there was a new gamjatang (pork bone soup) place in Itaewon, so I went for lunch with a friend haha. This time we visited Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch. They have gamjatang too, but the bone stew looked so good that we went with the spicy bone stew!!

Is there a wait at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch for Saturday lunch?

Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch is a spacious restaurant on the 2nd floor. We went during Saturday lunch and the place was way bigger than I expected. There were plenty of seats, so we got in right away without any wait! It also seemed like a solid choice if you're looking for somewhere in Itaewon to eat with a group.

What two people ordered at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang, and the total price

As the name suggests, gamjatang is the main thing here, but they also sell bone stew. Since it was just the two of us, we ordered

• Spicy bone stew (small) ₩37,000
• Self-fried rice x2 ₩6,000
• Half-and-half king dumplings (4pc) ₩7,000

That's what we went with!

Total came out to ₩50,000. Bone stew is a pricier dish to begin with, so considering how stuffed we both got, I thought it was actually a pretty fair price haha.

How much bone stew is in the small size, and how many bones?

After a short wait, the spicy bone stew arrived!!

Even though it's the small size, the portion is pretty generous, right?? There were 6 bones total. For two people that's 3 each, which felt just right. If you're going as a pair, the small size should be enough, and it's easy to order — just plan for about 3 bones per person.

How spicy is the mild spice level of the spicy bone stew?

The mild spicy bone stew felt, to me, a bit hotter than Shin Ramyun...? We went with mild and it was spicier than expected!! The sauce itself is sweet-and-spicy, but the heat came through more than the sweetness. As someone who loves spicy food, I enjoyed it, but if you're not great with spice, even the mild option might feel a bit much. In that case, the soy-braised bone stew could be a better bet!! I actually looked up reviews before coming and a lot of people said the soy version was great haha. I just happened to be craving spicy that day, so I went with the spicy one!

The meat and the udon and sujebi add-ins

The meat on the bones was on the tender side. It came off easily with chopsticks, no gamey smell, so it was easy to eat. And the extras inside the stew were great!!

There's udon, rice cake, sujebi (hand-torn dough soup), mushrooms, and vegetables mixed in, and the udon and sujebi in particular were genuinely delicious. The spicy, sweet sauce really soaks into them, so it almost felt like eating spicy tteokbokki hahaha. I especially loved fishing out the udon and sujebi in between bites of meat!! If you're hunting for a bone stew spot in Itaewon and you like spicy food, the spicy bone stew is worth trying.

The broth served alongside the bone stew

When you order the bone stew, you also get a broth on the side — it's gamjatang broth, so it's savory and rich. Taking a sip of the hot broth when the spicy stew got too much worked really well. The stew has a bold, punchy flavor while the broth is more savory, so switching between the two was great!

Are the half-and-half king dumplings worth adding?

We also ordered the half-and-half king dumplings (4pc) as a side. The dumplings were bigger than expected with a substantial filling, and they were tasty!! That said, the spicy bone stew itself is a pretty big portion, and with the fried rice on top of that, we were absolutely stuffed haha. If you're going as a pair, I'd say start with the bone stew and only add the dumplings if you're really craving more!

Self-fried rice with spicy bone stew: does it work?

After we'd nearly finished the bone stew, we ordered the fried rice last.

It comes out with kimchi, seaweed flakes, and sesame seeds on top of the rice, and you fry it yourself on the hot plate. You mix it all together and fry it with the leftover sauce!! With the kimchi mixed in, it had great depth of flavor, and being freshly fried on the plate made it even better haha.

That said, the spicy bone stew sauce is already pretty hot, so once you fry the rice in it, the heat just keeps building. So personally, if you're getting the spicy bone stew, I'd recommend a bowl of plain rice instead!! Eating it alongside plain white rice helps balance out the spice and is also great for mixing into the sauce. On the flip side, if you're there for gamjatang, finishing with the fried rice as a last course is a great way to go hahaha.

Serving robot and self-service bar at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang

At the start, the basic side dishes and anything else you need are brought over by a serving robot.

For everything else, you use the self-service bar in the restaurant. It has not just side dishes but also extra dishware and utensils, so if you need anything while eating, you just grab it yourself!

The restaurant itself is spacious, which made the whole meal feel comfortable.

Final verdict on spicy bone stew in Itaewon

My friend and I finished off a small spicy bone stew, king dumplings, and fried rice, and we walked out very full!! The spicy bone stew had a sweet-and-spicy sauce, meat that came off the bone easily, and best of all, the udon and sujebi matched the sauce so well haha. Even the mild spice level runs pretty hot, so if you like spicy food, go for the spicy bone stew — if not, the soy-braised bone stew might suit you better. If you're looking for a bone stew spot in Yongsan or Itaewon, give Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch a try!!