Weeknight gamjatang dinner for two in Seocho, Seoul: Chomu Gamjatang

Open daily 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:30)

Chomu Gamjatang's hanok-style exterior and parking

Chomu Gamjatang is a gamjatang (pork bone soup) restaurant on Nonhyeon-ro in Seocho, near Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station. The exterior has a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel to it, which felt pretty fresh the first time I saw it.

Rather than the usual gamjatang restaurant vibe, it felt more like an upscale Korean restaurant, so the first impression from the outside was great.

Parking is available if you're driving, but the lot isn't very big, so it can feel a bit tight. If you're not used to driving or you bring a larger car, it might be a little inconvenient.

What a weeknight evening feels like at Chomu Gamjatang

We visited on a weeknight evening and were surprised at how many customers there were. Since it wasn't a weekend, I expected it to be a little quieter, but customers kept streaming in as dinnertime hit.

Gamjatang (small): ₩35,000 Fried rice: ₩3,000

Inside the restaurant and how the staff greet you

I liked how spacious the inside was. The tables weren't crammed together, and overall it was comfortable to eat there.

In particular, the food came out pretty quickly after ordering, so we didn't have to wait long while hungry, which was nice.

The staff were friendly all around, so we could eat comfortably the whole time without any awkward moments.

The taste of the food matters at a restaurant, but I think when the staff are easy to deal with, it makes you want to come back even more.

Is the small gamjatang enough for two people?

The two of us ordered the small size of gamjatang. It was plenty for two people.

We actually ended up quite full, and when we ordered fried rice at the end we were so stuffed we had to leave some of it. If two people are visiting, the small size alone should be filling enough.

How the pork bone meat and broth taste

There was more meat on the bones of the gamjatang than I expected, which was satisfying. The meat wasn't dry, it was on the tender side, and it pulled off the bone easily, which made it easy to eat.

When the meat doesn't come off easily while eating gamjatang, it's kind of annoying — but here it separated so easily, which I really liked.

The broth wasn't overly spicy or sharp, it was rich and savory, which made it easy to eat, and with the potatoes in it, eating them along the way made it even tastier. Overall it wasn't a flavor that was just intense for the sake of it, it was the kind that kept pulling you back for more — we barely stopped eating the whole time.

Free kimchi and kkakdugi refills at the self-serve bar

The kimchi and kkakdugi (radish kimchi) that come as basic side dishes can be refilled at the self-serve bar. If you run out while eating, you can just grab more yourself without feeling awkward about it, which was convenient. The kkakdugi was especially good.

While looking at the menu, the pork cutlet also looked pretty good. I saw someone eating it at another table too, and it looked great. I'm thinking I'd like to come back next time just to try the pork cutlet.

Can you bring a baby or young child?

Baby chairs are available, so it looked like a fine option for families visiting with kids too. The interior was fairly spacious, so it didn't seem like it would be too inconvenient to eat there with a young child either.

It's a good spot for families to come eat gamjatang together, and parents with kids shouldn't have to worry about whether baby chairs are available.

Not just the dining area but the restroom was also kept clean overall, which I liked. Food taste matters at a restaurant, but when these kinds of details are clean, it definitely makes the meal more comfortable.

Sold out even on a weeknight: go before closing

As we were leaving after finishing our meal, I noticed a SOLD OUT sign posted at the entrance. If ingredients run out even on a weeknight, I'd recommend going with a bit of buffer time rather than too late if you're planning to visit.

If this place were near my house, I think I'd come by often whenever the craving hit!

Next time I'd like to come back on a nice day, try the pork cutlet, and after the meal, finally take that walk along Yangjaecheon (Yangjae Stream) that I didn't get to do this time.