Guwol-dong Korean restaurant B-set: mushroom kalguksu, fried squid

Today I went to a braised ribs restaurant in Guwol-dong. My boyfriend loves braised ribs and I love mushroom kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), so being able to enjoy both at Haemokjeong made me pretty happy. The set menu composition was especially good for the two of us to eat a generous meal together.

Where is Haemokjeong Guwol Branch, and what are its hours?

Haemokjeong Guwol Branch is located at 2nd floor, unit 206, 15 Seongmal-ro 13beon-gil, Namdong-gu, Incheon, South Korea. Hours are Sun/Tue/Wed/Thu 11:00-22:00, Fri/Sat 11:00-23:00, closed on Mondays.

I arrived in front of Haemokjeong, the braised ribs spot in Guwol-dong. It's close to the Yesulhoegwan side, so it's a convenient location if you're eating in Guwol-dong.

Haemokjeong is on the 2nd floor of the building, so you take the elevator or stairs up. It's near Out Dak, so it wasn't too hard to find.

Inside Haemokjeong: the window seat by reservation

I stepped inside. As you'd expect from a place that just opened recently, it was clean and pleasant overall. The tables weren't cramped together, and the staff were really friendly throughout the meal, which made for a nice experience.

I booked through Naver Reservation, so they had a window seat set up for me in advance. Being by the window made it feel less closed in and comfortable to eat.

What comes in the Haemokjeong B-set?

I've attached the menu. I ordered the Haemokjeong B-set without hesitation. It's made up of spicy braised pork ribs, mushroom kalguksu, and fried squid, so I got to try everything from the main dish to the sides.

Just a note — if you join their review event they'll give you fried shrimp or a drink as a service, and if you visit on your birthday they give you squid seaweed soup.

The table also had a guide for how to best enjoy Haemokjeong. You could choose your spice level, and I went with regular to be safe.

Each table also had spicy chili flakes ready to go, so if you feel it's not spicy enough as you eat, you can add more to taste.

Side dishes served with the B-set

The banchan (side dishes) were cellophane noodle salad, perilla leaves, braised potatoes, chive salad, white kimchi, and pickled chili peppers. They were mostly picks that pair well with braised ribs, cleansing the palate in between bites.

The food we'd been waiting for arrived~ Since we ordered the set menu, the table was completely full, and it looked generous just to look at haha.

Mushroom kalguksu: ready after the 2-minute timer

Haemokjeong's mushroom kalguksu comes out first, and the staff explained you should eat it once the timer rings after 2 minutes.

When the timer rang, I tried it right away and the broth was spicy-tangy and piping hot. There was plenty of mushroom and minari (water dropwort) in it, so slurping it up with the noodles gave a nice texture too. The broth wasn't heavy or overpowering — it was clean yet spicy-tangy, the kind of flavor that keeps you coming back for more. It also went well as a sip in between bites of the braised ribs.

How spicy are the braised pork ribs at regular level?

Haemokjeong's spicy braised pork ribs at the regular spice level were about as spicy as Shin Ramyun. The braised ribs were loaded with mushrooms, onion, cabbage, rice cakes, and minari, so there was plenty to eat alongside the meat.

I first tried it without adding anything, and at the regular level it was about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, so it wasn't too much and was easy to eat. It seemed like a good level even for people who like spicy food but find really spicy dishes overwhelming. I also liked that the rib meat wasn't tough at all — it came apart easily with chopsticks, making it easy to eat. It also tasted good with the vegetables mixed in, and following the table's suggestion, I tried it with the cellophane noodle salad and perilla leaves together, which paired quite well with the spicy braised ribs. The crunchy texture and perilla fragrance made for a slightly different way to enjoy it.

Personally, the rice cakes were my favorite. They were deeply soaked in the braising sauce and had a subtle smoky flavor, so much so that I wanted to order more rice cakes on their own.

Fried squid tastes better in the rib sauce than soy sauce

Haemokjeong's fried squid came cut into pieces that were easy to eat one at a time. It didn't feel like a mass-produced item — it looked more like freshly hand-fried squid, which made it look even more appetizing.

Dipped in soy sauce, the outside was warm and crispy while the squid inside was tender rather than chewy. I'd read reviews saying it's delicious dipped in the braised ribs sauce, so I tried that too, and honestly, this combo was really delicious. The spicy-sweet braising sauce paired so well with the crispy fried squid that I ended up dipping it in the sauce more often than the soy sauce haha.

Is one B-set enough for two? Final verdict

At Haemokjeong, the braised ribs restaurant in Guwol-dong, I got to try everything from the spicy braised pork ribs to the mushroom kalguksu to the fried squid. Ordering just one set menu for two of us gave a varied and generous amount of food, so we left full. If you're looking for a good restaurant in Guwol-dong, this place is worth a visit.