Suwon Ingye-dong bar for cast-iron grilled pork bones: Taeneung

A date in Ingye-dong, and a soju at Taeneung Gamjatang

What is the atmosphere like at Taeneung Gamjatang Suwon Ingye?

Taeneung Gamjatang Suwon Ingye (태능감자탕 수원인계점) is a pink single-story building on Hyowon-ro 291beon-gil in Ingye-dong, Suwon, and with its curtains drawn it looks a bit like a café. There is parking right next to the restaurant.

Lots of couples date in Ingye-dong, right? There are plenty of photo spots, from Nahyeseok Street to Wolhwawon and Hyowon Park, so it makes for a fun time. Today I'm introducing Taeneung Gamjatang Suwon Ingye, where you can share a glass of soju after your date.

Inside there's a spacious hall. The tables are set far apart, and I spotted some slightly retro interior props too.

Taeneung Gamjatang Suwon Ingye menu and how to order

The menu is split into meals, main dishes and yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), and the origin of ingredients is clearly listed. The meals are Taeneung-style bone hangover soup, spicy bone hangover soup, Eomuni hangover soup and a giant pork cutlet. The main dishes are Taeneung-style gamjatang (pork bone stew), braised pork bones and grilled pork bones. With yukhoe and yukbi too, there's a wide choice.

You order on the kiosk at your table. We wanted soju during our Ingye-dong date, so we ordered the medium (중) grilled pork bones. Gamjatang has a small size, but grilled pork bones don't.. haha

What side dishes are at the self-service bar?

The default sides are pear kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and hovenia tea. The kkakdugi comes in a stainless steel container so you can scoop out what you want. The hovenia tea even comes in a nostalgic family-size bottle~ It feels like they put in a little extra thought, which I liked~

Apart from the pear kkakdugi, you fetch the other side dishes yourself at the self-service bar. There's fresh cabbage kimchi (geotjeori), onion-chili-mustard sauce, chili peppers, onions and ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste)! Plastic gloves, aprons and extra plates are all there too~

Do you get free gamjatang broth with the cast-iron grilled pork bones?

Yes. When you order the grilled bones at Taeneung Gamjatang Suwon Ingye, gamjatang broth comes out first as a free service. There's no meat in it, but there's plenty of ugeoji (dried cabbage leaves).

The broth isn't salty, with a moderate savoriness and a deep, nutty richness. I fell for this gamjatang and vowed to come back once more!

An Ingye-dong date spot united by soju! It's not a drink I have often, but now and then it helps me release built-up stress..

How big and tasty is the medium cast-iron grilled pork bones?

The medium Musoe grilled pork bones came on a big plate, half generous grilled bones and half salad. Ta-da~ freshly cooked grilled bones! The portion was really more generous than I expected.

The bones are well soaked in seasoning! The sauce is the star, like a collab of Korean and Western food. It even felt a bit like eating baby back ribs, didn't it?

You can pull the meat off easily with chopsticks or tongs... and it separates really tenderly, in strips.

Sagol rice cooked with beef bone broth

I ordered something called a sagol gongibap (rice cooked in beef bone broth). It seemed unusual.. and the grains were chewy and sticky... haha

Tips for enjoying cast-iron grilled pork bones

The best tip is to dip the meat in the onion-chili-mustard sauce from the self-service bar. A subtle sharp kick comes through, so good! The grainy meat is well seasoned and its savoriness is top level. There's a lot of meat on each bone, so even a single bone feels quite hefty..

If the salad runs short, get a refill..^^ Since the bones themselves are heavily seasoned, you end up eating a lot of salad!

If you pick up the bone and scrape it clean with your teeth, you're a true foodie! haha Especially with soju, how good is that~ Just for today, sauce on the corner of your mouth is forgiven..

There was also soft, tender-cooked radish~! It all came as one set.

Finishing with rice in the gamjatang broth

We finished by putting rice into the gamjatang broth and eating it the primal way! haha With the nutty ugeoji, it was a clean finish.

If you want a meal and a drink while on a date in Ingye-dong, Suwon, Taeneung Gamjatang Suwon Ingye, open 24 hours, seems just right.