Seafood haejinsanhaeng-style hotpot with porridge in Pocheon

• Hours: daily 11:00–21:30
• Last order 20:30
• Parking: available
• Baby chair: available

Location and parking at Haepumgye

Haepumgye, a well-known restaurant for boyangsik (health-boosting food) in Songwu-ri, Pocheon, sits right next to Doodream Sonjjajang at the Hasongwuri intersection. Even though it shares a parking lot with other restaurants, there was plenty of space both in front of and behind the building, so parking wasn't a worry. It's also a 10-minute walk from Songwu-ri Terminal, so walking there is a perfectly good option too.

The interior struck me with its clean white-and-wood design, and the tables were spaced generously apart, which made it feel comfortable.

Off to one side there was a self-serve bar with drinks for after your meal, and it was so neatly kept that it gave me confidence in the food and put me in a good mood.

What's the playroom like?

My kid, who claimed not to want to go to a restaurant (haha), took off running the moment they spotted the playroom 🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻 It doesn't look like much to an adult's eye, but it has everything a child could want, and mine really loved it.

The playroom has a full glass wall so you can see inside through the window, but you can also check on it via CCTV. Since the playroom is a care-kids zone, guardians need to keep an eye on things regularly, and I liked that I could check on what was happening inside without having to get up much during the meal.

Haepumgye menu and prices

You order via tablet and pay at the counter on your way out. Haepumgye's menu includes the Haepum Haesintang (₩70,000), Haepum Samgyetang (₩17,000), Baekhap Kalguksu (₩11,000), Bangye Kalguksu (₩10,000), Bangye Gomtang (₩10,000), and Obok Kkotmandu (₩7,000). The haesintang (seafood-chicken hotpot) is the main dish, but they also sell hearty options that work well for a satisfying lunch of boyangsik.

Haepumgye, a well-known boyangsik and haesintang restaurant in Songwu-ri, Pocheon, is the only place in Pocheon selling haesintang, so we ordered the Haepum Haesintang.

The basic side dishes were a flavorful set of three kinds of kimchi.

What's in the Haepum Haesintang

Before long, our full spread of Haepum Haesintang arrived. Apparently the Haepum Haesintang comes with a whole domestic chicken, octopus, small octopus, shrimp, seasonal shellfish, mushrooms, fish cake, and a basket of fresh vegetables.

Shooting from above made the pot look small, but it was actually huge, and when I lifted it slightly it was really heavy... With a whole chicken plus octopus, shellfish, vegetables and more packed in, it was genuinely generous. The seasonal shellfish included scallops, hard clams, and Manila clams.

The basket of fresh vegetables came with napa cabbage, bok choy, minari, enoki mushrooms, mung bean sprouts, and fish cake, which was great for adding in shabu-shabu style as we ate through the hotpot.

Beautifully trimmed, plump octopus 🐙

The octopus wasn't tough at all — it was soft, so even the kids ate it happily.

The chicken came out thoroughly cooked, so whether it was breast or leg meat, it was all tender, and the bones separated easily from the flesh.

It's tasty dipped in the soy sauce, but depending on your preference you can also dip it in chogochujang (vinegared chili paste) or hamcho (glasswort) salt.

How the broth changes once you add the vegetables

After we'd fished out most of the seafood, we added the vegetables and fish cake. At first the broth was clean and light, but since this is a dish you keep simmering right in the pot as you eat, the broth kept releasing more flavor and turned rich and deep.

Topping it with a piece of well-fermented kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) added even more savory depth, and it was also delicious dipped in salt!

Should you add the porridge?

After finishing all that haesintang, I was genuinely full, but then I saw another table eating porridge and just couldn't let it go!

Made with the broth that's absorbed all the flavor of the seafood and vegetables, plus sticky rice and minari mixed in, it's healthy and delicious. The porridge costs an extra ₩5,000, which felt a little pricey, but I'd definitely recommend adding it.

If you're looking for a boyangsik restaurant or a haesintang restaurant in Pocheon, I'd recommend Haepumgye!