Budae jjigae with 4-minute timer and free slushie in Seongsu: Songtan

I went out to Seongsu-dong last week. After having a blast wandering around and sightseeing, I got hungry and wanted to find a good restaurant near Seongsu Station. Great-value premium sausages with a deep, rich broth!! I visited Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae, which people say is a top budae jjigae (army stew) spot near Seongsu Station. Here's my review.

Where is Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch, and when is it open?

The address is 서울 성동구 아차산로 97 201호 (성수동2가 300-5). Hours are Mon-Fri 11:00-21:30, Sat-Sun 11:30-21:00.

It's about a 1-minute walk from Exit 1 of Seongsu Station, so it was easy to find. You can park in the lot in front of the building. And Seongsu Station budae jjigae takeout gets 20% off!!

You take the stairs up to the 2nd floor to find it. Right at the entrance I already felt that warm, retro vibe.

The walls covered in posters and old photos gave off real old-school nostalgic charm. Even though we visited around 2pm on a weekday, there were quite a few people having lunch near Seongsu Station.

Price for two and unlimited rice and side dishes

There were two of us, so we ordered the Jindaegwang budae jjigae for two (₩26,000) plus ramen noodles (₩2,000).

Rice and side dishes are served as soon as you order. The side dishes were pickled onion, stir-fried fish cake, and green onion kimchi!

Mixing rice into budae jjigae broth is basically the law!! You can refill the cha-jo rice (mixed grain rice) unlimited times at no extra charge. Great news for carb lovers!! Side dishes are unlimited too!! The lids and tongs were kept nice and hygienic, so I got to refill my favorite stir-fried fish cake while it was still nice and moist.

How the 4-minute timer cooks the Jindaegwang budae jjigae

You just simmer it on the tabletop burner. You let the stew boil under the lid for about 4 minutes, and they set an alarm clock precisely for you, so there's no way to mess it up!

On top of the red broth were green onion, onion, springy-textured premium sausage, smoky-scented smoked sausage, juicy Spam!! And piled on top, yellow cheddar cheese and minced garlic to round out the flavor. Even before the broth started boiling, I already wanted to dig in haha. With all these premium sausages packed in, isn't ₩13,000 per person an insane deal for lunch near Seongsu Station..haha

I liked that each table gets its own broth kettle so you can add as much broth as you need, whenever you need it. And the noodles aren't just generic ramyeon, they're Jin Ramen.

The portion was so big we didn't add extra sausage, but apparently you can order more if you want.

It slowly starts to boil!!!! When the timer goes off, staff come over and mix it all together with a ladle!! All we have to do is eat happily!!!

How to eat budae jjigae near Seongsu Station

• Order the ramen noodles right at the start!!
• Keep adding broth as you eat since the flavors keep extracting!!
• Since there's so much ham and sausage, they say it's best to eat about half of it first, then add the noodles with the broth.

I scooped up a ladle of broth and tried it! The rich bone-broth base blended with the savory umami of the processed meats and the vegetable stock made for a properly deep, salty flavor!! I felt like I'd found a real gem near Seongsu Station.

What the premium sausage, Spam and smoked sausage taste like

There's premium sausage packed with tight pork bits, pink-fleshed Spam cut into long slices, and smoked sausage with a real smoky flavor — each sausage is different. I loved getting a different taste and aroma with every bite.

A satisfying bite together with rice!! Eating it with vegetables balances out the sausage's saltiness with a refreshing crunch!! haha The longer it simmers, the more the sausage flavor seeps in, giving the broth an even deeper taste.

Once we'd eaten about half the sausage, in went the Jin Ramen into the bubbling broth!! We added more broth and let it simmer further.

The ramen noodles got sucked into the red broth, cooking up nice and springy. haha The savory saltiness of the ham was soaking into each and every strand of noodle!!

I like my noodles a little underdone, so I ate them while they were still springy. The combination of budae jjigae and ramen noodles!! The salty red broth soaked in perfectly for max umami!

Lunch near Seongsu Station started with budae jjigae and ended with carbs!!

Free dessert: coffee, yogurt and slushie

After eating at this Seongsu Station spot!! You can also get coffee, yogurt, or a slushie for free! (I was too full to eat any though...)

They were also running a Naver review event. Ramen noodles, or alcohol, or a drink!! How could you not do that? haha

If you want a hearty, tasty meal at good value after wandering the alleys of Seongsu-dong, I'd recommend trying this budae jjigae loaded with premium sausages, packed heavy into the pot. That's my review of stuffing myself silly with unlimited rice, side dishes, and ramen noodles at Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch, a great restaurant for lunch near Seongsu Station! (Diet starts tomorrow...)