Nowon pork bone stew with free sujebi and kimchi refills: Somunnan

Had a really happy lunch with my husband today at Somunnan Gamjatang's Junggye main branch! Being the original branch, it totally lives up to its reputation as a go-to spot..

As the weather's gotten a bit cooler lately, I keep craving something with a hot broth. This time I decided on gamjatang (pork bone stew) for lunch after a while! The place I went was Somunnan Gamjatang's Junggye main branch.

Looking at the restaurant's intro, it said they've been running this gamjatang place for over 30 years since 1995. There's just something about an old, established spot that makes you expect a little more haha. I wanted a hearty lunch, so I decided to visit.

Where does the name gamjatang come from?

Halfway through eating I suddenly got curious about the 'gamja (potato)' in gamjatang haha. Since I was little I just assumed it was called that because it's loaded with potatoes.

Turns out there isn't actually one confirmed origin for the name. One theory says it comes from calling the spinal marrow of pork backbone 'gamja,' while another says it's simply named for literally being a stew cooked with potatoes. What's certain is that it's one of Korea's representative bone dishes, made by simmering pork backbone for a long time!

The origins of gamjatang

Gamjatang is known to have developed from a dish where pork bones were simmered for a long time and shared among many people from long ago.

It's widely said that the dish became popular especially among laborers in the Incheon area. Somunnan Gamjatang's signature menus are also gamjatang and ppyeohaejangguk (pork bone hangover soup), and we ordered the small-size gamjatang that day. Picking the meat off the bones and mashing the potato into the broth to eat — so filling haha.

What nutrients does gamjatang give you?

Since it contains pork, gamjatang is a dish you can get protein from. Pork also contains not just protein but nutrients like B vitamins, iron, and zinc.

Eating it together with vegetables like potato, ugeoji (napa cabbage outer leaves), or siraegi (dried radish greens) means you also get carbs and dietary fiber, making it a pretty solid meal on its own. As someone who's been working out and watching my protein intake lately, I made sure to pick every last bit of meat off the bones haha.

Free sujebi sari even with the small-size gamjatang

And even though we ordered the small-size gamjatang, they gave us a free serving of sujebi (hand-torn dough noodles).

How many calories are in gamjatang?

Gamjatang's calorie count varies a lot depending on the amount of meat, broth, potato, perilla powder, and other ingredients. A single serving is often estimated around 400–600 kcal, but since portions and cooking methods differ completely from restaurant to restaurant, it's hard to say for sure.

Especially if you drink a lot of the broth or add ramyeon noodles, sujebi, or fried rice, the calories and sodium can shoot up haha.

That said, the exact origin of gamjatang can't be pinned down to a single story either. These days it's become an incredibly common dish for hangovers, lunch, or dinner regardless of region.

Somunnan Gamjatang's rich, deep broth

Gamjatang's appeal is that the pork backbone is simmered so long the meat falls off tender. It's often boiled up spicy and savory with potato, ugeoji or siraegi, perilla leaves, and perilla powder added in.

If you're dieting, the most realistic approach is to focus on the meat and vegetables and go easy on the broth!

Above all, gamjatang was a menu that suited a day when I wanted a hearty lunch with hot broth and plenty of meat. If you're in Nowon or Junggye craving hangover soup or gamjatang, or looking for a long-running gamjatang restaurant, Somunnan Gamjatang's Junggye main branch might be worth checking out :)

Refilling fresh kimchi to wrap around the pork

I love fresh kimchi so much that I properly enjoyed a fresh kimchi feast that day. Even took videos of it.. My husband likes fermented kimchi, but I like fresh kimchi, so I refilled it several times :) Wrapping the meat in kimchi felt so crisp and spring-like!!

It felt like I got a good energy boost in the middle of the day, so it was a happy lunch. After all, you've got to eat the foods you love for them to taste right. Everyone, delicious meals are 0 calories.. right..!