Mala gamjatang and takeaway fried rice in Itaewon, Seoul: Nuri Maeul

You know that kind of day, right? When your stomach just feels hollow, and you crave hot broth loaded with meat to fill you up from the very core. 😌 My wife and I are huge fans of meaty soup dishes like gamjatang (pork bone stew), sundaeguk (blood sausage soup), and naejangtang (intestine soup). Even after eating at a hotel or a fancy Western restaurant, we're the type to say "should we grab a bowl of guk-bap on the way home?" haha 🤗

Being full is one thing, but without that heartiness, something always feels missing. Today I found a gamjatang place that just opened in Itaewon and is already wildly popular. 🥘 If you're looking for a 24-hour gamjatang spot in Itaewon, pay attention. Let me lay it all out honestly.

Where is Nuri Maeul Gamjatang, the 24-hour gamjatang spot in Itaewon?

Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch is on the 2nd floor at 176 Itaewon-ro, right in front of the Hamilton Hotel, and it's open 24/7, every day. It's also just a 1-minute walk from Itaewon Station Exit 4, so it's super accessible. The moment I heard that, I thought: "wow, they really picked the perfect spot." 😮 I could totally see stopping here for a bowl after a night out in Itaewon, right before heading home. Haha.

When you need a hangover cure at some odd hour, it's tough finding somewhere open. But this place is open no matter when you go. Just that alone makes it a lifesaver for people out and about in Itaewon. 🙆‍♂️

Is this really a gamjatang restaurant? Inside Nuri Maeul, it feels like a café

Walking through the café-style glass door at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch, my first impression was honestly more "trendy café" than "gamjatang restaurant." Instead of the usual restaurant smell, it was a clean, tidy space.

You could really feel how much attention went into cleanliness. I peeked at the kitchen too — the walls were spotless white, without a single splatter mark. And to top it off, they were playing nostalgic ballads 👂 so we got some ear-healing along with our meal. Haha.

How many kinds of gamjatang are on the Nuri Maeul menu?

Looking at the menu at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch, I was surprised all over again. 🫢 Wait, there are this many kinds of gamjatang?! I've genuinely never seen a place with this much variety.

So many types I'd never even heard of before. Just the steamed bone dishes alone came in a bunch of varieties. I wanted to try a bite of everything, but I only have one stomach. I'm planning to come back to Itaewon and work through the menu one dish at a time. Haha.

Here's another fun detail — the side dishes were brought out by a serving robot. But don't worry, it won't leave until you press the confirm button after taking your dishes, so there's no chance of the robot running off with your banchan (side dishes). Haha 👻

We picked the mala gamjatang. My wife loves mala flavor so much, we were curious. Gamjatang with mala spice — that combination just makes you want to know how it tastes.

Is this really the small mala gamjatang? The portion, honestly

The small mala gamjatang arrived, and wow — it was genuinely hearty. This is the small size. Packed with meat, packed with radish greens. They didn't hold back at all. Korean hospitality is clearly still alive. 🇰🇷

We added pretty much everything to our gamjatang. We wanted to eat it properly. You know we know how to eat, right? Haha.

• Potato sujebi (hand-torn dough)
• Potato noodles
• Self-serve fried rice

I can't even describe how tender the meat was. Just a light touch and it fell right off the bone — and I'm someone who really hates the hassle of picking meat off bones. 😔 But this was practically self-disassembling, so it was so easy to eat. Haha.

Self-serve fried rice at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang — and we packed it to go

After gamjatang, of course comes fried rice. But we were so stuffed that day, we ended up packing the fried rice to go — which is rare for us, since we usually don't leave food behind. Leaving this behind would be a crime.

It's the kind of flavor you'd crave again at home, so packing it to go turned out to be a great call. In the end, we filled up on a second round of fried rice at home too. Haha. We scraped the pot clean — this was the real deal for gamjatang. 👍

Is there parking at Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch?

Let me be honest about this one. Unfortunately, Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch has no parking of its own. That's just how it is in Itaewon. Instead, there are plenty of nearby buildings with parking available, and the Modu Parking app makes it easy to find a spot.

And since it's just 1 minute from Itaewon Station anyway, public transit is a much easier choice than driving — especially if you're planning to have a drink.

One-line verdict on Nuri Maeul Gamjatang Itaewon Branch

A gamjatang restaurant in Itaewon that's open 24 hours, right in front of the Hamilton Hotel for easy access, and clean as a café. Even the small size comes packed with meat, and the bones are so tender they practically fall apart on their own. A certified real Itaewon gamjatang restaurant! From a late-night hangover cure to a full hearty meal, I'll be coming back here every time I visit Itaewon. Make sure you try the fried rice — and if you can't finish it, just pack it to go!