Dongtan restaurant with whole pork belly in kimchi jjigae: Yangpuni

Came back to 1Dongtan after a long while~! There are so many good restaurants in Bansong-dong but I'd totally forgotten about them with how busy life gets. Even after all this time, Dongtan still feels welcoming! No way I could leave without eating here~

Where is Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal in Bansong-dong, Dongtan?

We came to Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal near Central Park in Bansong-dong, Dongtan! I feel like I've seen a lot of branches of this chain, but apparently Dongtan is the original store?! Getting excited already~

Yangpuni's menu and what we ordered

The main dishes at Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal are kimchi jjigae, samgyeopsal, and duruchigi (stir-fried spicy pork)~ Since every main dish involves meat, there's no way the meat could be bad here.

We came today specifically craving a kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) loaded with pork, so we went with the kimchi jjigae set~! And of course, ramyeon noodles couldn't be skipped, so we added that too~!

Inside Yangpuni: atmosphere and seating

The inside of Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal wasn't huge, but it was spacious enough to comfortably fit groups! Especially with about half the space divided off by these low partition walls, it felt way more private than if there were no divider at all~!

Looking at the photos of kimchi jjigae and duruchigi on the wall, they look so good haha. We came straight to lunch without breakfast today so I'm even hungrier now... red really does trigger the appetite.

What side dishes come with the meal?

The basic side dishes at Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal are seasoned soybeans, dried radish strips, and seaweed flakes~ Korean restaurants always serve kimchi as a side, so when it wasn't there I was like huh? Then I realized — oh right, we ordered kimchi jjigae lol (a kimchi lover to the bone).

The giant egg roll in the kimchi jjigae set

Ta-da~! The giant egg roll and the kimchi jjigae pot included in the set arrived~! Whoa... the portion size is no joke?! This is exactly the kind of hearty, no-frills food I was craving!

Rice came too~! I took a bite of the egg roll first and it was so good!!! Freshly made, still piping hot, and seasoned just right~ Dipping it in sweet-and-tangy ketchup, well... you know?ㅎㅎ Even one bite feels satisfying?

How does the kimchi jjigae with a whole pork belly slab taste?

The kimchi jjigae at Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal comes pre-cooked, so you just bring it to a boil once and eat right away~! The portion was so generous it made me wonder if we really only ordered for two! There's a thick whole cut of pork belly sitting right in it, which somehow makes it look even more appetizing~ We cut it up into bite-size pieces and mixed it with rice and the stew broth — wow... the broth has such a deep flavor?!

At a glance the broth looked light, but there was a surprising depth to it~ It's not too salty, and the kimchi isn't overly soft either, so it felt fresh~

I guess kimchi jjigae has its own camps — the bubbling, sour aged-kimchi style vs. the clean, refreshing style. Which one are you?! I like them both~!

Eating the moderately spicy kimchi jjigae made me keep reaching for the moist egg roll... now I get why it's in the set menu. If we hadn't ordered it, we'd definitely have regretted it haha.

Why you should add ramyeon noodles at Yangpuni

We were already about to burst from the huge kimchi jjigae and egg roll, but we'd already ordered ramyeon noodles so there was no turning back (?). Dropped it in~!!!! I'd been craving firm, chewy noodles for a while so I cooked them quickly and turned off the heat~

Honestly I told myself I was too full to eat any... but one bite in, I couldn't stop haha. Firm, chewy ramyeon noodles soaked in kimchi jjigae broth — how could anyone resist that lol. You all should definitely add this too~!

Final verdict and Yangpuni's opening hours

If you're in Bansong-dong, Dongtan, looking for a clean-tasting kimchi jjigae place with generous portions, or if you want good-quality meat, I recommend Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal~!

• Hours: Daily 11:00–24:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:00
• Last order: 23:00
• Closed Friday for Chuseok