Chungmuro Taiwanese restaurant with Taiwan lager and no wait: Bao

I finally visited Bao Seoul, a place I'd been curious about for a while! It's a Taiwanese restaurant, and from the exterior to the interior to the food... for a moment it felt like I'd actually taken a short trip to Taiwan! If you're craving something a little different, I recommend 'Bao Seoul Chungmuro,' a hidden gem in Chungmuro!

Where is Bao Seoul Chungmuro, and what are its hours?

Bao Seoul Chungmuro is a Taiwanese restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, located in a food alley 3 minutes on foot from Chungmuro Station. It's open 11:00–21:30, with a break time from 15:00–16:00 and last order at 20:45.

• Hours 11:00–21:30 / Break time 15:00–16:00 / Last order 20:45
• Parking: Hanil Cheonggang parking lot available (paid), ₩1,000 per 10 minutes, up to ₩15,000
• Restrooms: separate for men and women

What Bao Seoul Chungmuro looks like from the street

From the outside alone, Bao Seoul Chungmuro looks like it could be tucked into some alley in Taiwan.

It's a 3-minute walk from Chungmuro Station, 8 minutes from Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station, located in the food alley where Chungmuro's restaurants cluster together.

We came on a weekday evening and got in right away with no wait. Maybe because the weather had cooled off, but the outdoor seating spots were the only ones packed with people.

Inside Bao Seoul Chungmuro: atmosphere and seating

Inside, Bao Seoul Chungmuro has everything from solo seats to tables for up to 8, so it works for eating alone or with a group. The exterior already had strong Taiwan vibes, but the inside is the real deal ,, it genuinely feels like you've teleported to Taiwan for a moment!

There happened to be a middle-aged man eating alone, and even that scene somehow felt very Taiwan . . . haha

With solo seats and tables for up to 8, this place is great for eating alone and would also work well as a lunch spot for Chungmuro office workers.

A nice touch — bag hooks all over the walls! When you're with a group, it's annoying to have your bag on the floor or a coat piled on your lap, so having somewhere to hang your bag and coat was really convenient.

Even the ordinary view outside the window somehow felt like Taiwan... ah, maybe I do need to go to Taiwan...

I also liked that one side of the restaurant had paper cups, wet wipes, and tissues set out for anyone to use freely.

Bao Seoul Chungmuro's menu and the two-person set

Bao Seoul Chungmuro is a Taiwanese restaurant run by chefs from prestigious culinary schools, who add Korean and Western touches to make the food easier and more approachable for Koreans. The signature menu item is bao, sometimes called the 'Taiwanese hamburger' — meat sandwiched between bread — and we were really curious to try it!

So we ordered the two-person set, which includes the restaurant's three signature dishes: classic bao, braised pork belly rice bowl, and beef noodle soup!

What we ordered at Bao Seoul Chungmuro

• Two-person set (classic bao, braised pork belly rice bowl, beef noodle soup)
• Taiwan Classic lager

My husband was curious, so he ordered a Taiwan Classic lager! It was truly cool and refreshing... the perfect beer for this kind of weather.

How do the braised pork belly rice bowl and classic bao taste?

The main dishes finally arrived. First up: the braised pork belly rice bowl and classic bao.

The braised pork belly rice bowl didn't come with one big chunk of meat — it was already shredded into small pieces on top.

You just mix it all together well and dig in! The meat was really tender with a slight tang. That tanginess kept it from feeling heavy and made it taste clean, which I loved. Way tastier than I expected on the first bite!

And then the restaurant's signature dish, bao. This was the menu item I was most curious about!! Right off the bat, the filling inside was generously packed, which was very satisfying.

Between soft bread similar to the flower buns served with double-cooked pork, there was slightly sweet marinated meat. This was seriously the best.. a flavor people of any age could enjoy.

Is the beef noodle soup heavy on mala spice?

The beef noodle soup at Bao Seoul Chungmuro had no strong mala kick at all. Last up, the beef noodle soup! Piled with several big chunks of beef shank — the visuals alone were a pass.

When my husband looked up reviews beforehand, he read that it had a mala flavor, so I figured it wasn't something he'd like?! But the mala taste wasn't strong at all — in fact, this dish also had a slight tang, and he said he liked it even more because of that.

Final verdict on Bao Seoul Chungmuro

There's a tangy note running through the food overall, and that's exactly what kept it feeling clean and never heavy — I really liked that about Bao Seoul. I'm honestly not usually a fan of tangy flavors, but it wasn't overwhelming, so it worked better than I expected. Even my husband, who hates mala and doesn't usually eat much Chinese or Taiwanese food, ate everything happily. He even said he'd come here often if it were near his office!

Next time I'll have to try something other than the classic bao! If you're an office worker nearby or looking for a date spot, and want an offbeat Chungmuro restaurant or Euljiro restaurant, I really recommend this place!

Tips for visiting Bao Seoul Chungmuro

• There may be a wait for weekday lunch (there was no wait on our weekday evening visit!)
• If it's your first visit and you're not sure what to order, the two-person set menu is recommended
• Pairs well with the Taiwan Classic lager