Seongsu budae jjigae with 90s music and pa-kimchi: Songtan Jindaegwang

Hi, it's Meokbo :) This time I was craving something spicy in Seongsu, so I went to Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch. The first thing that caught my eye was the amount of ham and sausage the moment I lifted the lid, haha. The pot was seriously packed full of ham and sausage... and the ham and sausage themselves felt kind of premium, so I ended up enjoying it even more than I expected, haha.

Where is Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae in Seongsu, and is there parking?

Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch is located at 97 Achasan-ro, Unit 201, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with last order at 20:30.

Parking is available — you can use the lot in front of the building. When you drive to Seongsu, you always end up checking whether there's parking first, haha. There's a lot right in front of this building, so it's worth noting if you're visiting by car.

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building. The sign is visible from outside, and there's signage by the stairs too, so it was easy to find just by following it up.

Before going in, I noticed a big sign about a 20% discount for takeout. If you're planning to take it home, that's worth keeping in mind too, haha.

What does the retro dining room with 90s music feel like?

The interior at Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch is retro — wooden tables with LPs, old posters, and framed pieces scattered around. The moment I walked in, I thought, wow, this place really nails the retro feel.

Wooden tables, LPs, old posters, and framed decor were placed all over, so the overall retro mood was really strong.

There are tons of hip, pretty spots in Seongsu these days. I like hip places too, but I also really like this kind of cozy, nostalgic feel, haha. And most of all, the music here is totally my style, haha. 90s songs kept playing — Kim Hyun Jung, So Bangcha... (was I really that age? why do I know so many of these songs, haha). I was totally hyped eating my meal.

But even with the retro vibe, the place didn't feel old or cluttered at all. Actually, everything was really clean overall, and the tables and self-serve bar area were well organized too.

And this one thing! I really liked that the spoons and chopsticks were individually wrapped one by one. It might seem like a small thing, but seeing it actually makes you happy, haha. Having even the utensils individually packaged made me feel extra reassured as a customer.

Menu and prices at Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae

Budae jjigae at Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch is ₩13,000 for 1 person, ₩26,000 for 2 people, and ₩39,000 for 3 people. You order from the tablet on the table.

• Budae jjigae 1 person ₩13,000 / 2 people ₩26,000 / 3 people ₩39,000
• Smoked sausage ₩3,000
• Premium sausage ₩4,500
• Mixed sausage ₩9,900
• Ramen noodles ₩2,000

If you love sausage, it's worth considering the premium sausage or mixed sausage add-on too. (Though honestly, even without adding extra, you already get plenty of ham and sausage, haha.)

The free banchan: pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi) was the winner

The basic side dishes were pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi), fish cake, and pickled onions. My partner and I both thought the pa-kimchi was the tastiest thing here.

My partner said he could eat a whole bowl of rice with just this, haha. And later, this pa-kimchi works even harder once you add the ramen noodles, haha.

There's also a self-serve bar on one side, so you can grab more rice or side dishes if you run out.

Rice comes with unlimited refills

Rice is unlimited at Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch.

Once you have the budae jjigae broth, a bowl of rice disappears fast, right? Being able to get more if it runs out made the meal feel really satisfying.

How much ham and sausage is in the budae jjigae pot?

At first, the budae jjigae comes out with the lid closed. I waited a bit, then opened the lid...

Ta-da!!! There's seriously so much ham in it, haha. The ham and sausage basically fill the entire pot, haha. I eat budae jjigae a lot because I love it, but places this generous are rare.

You can see from the photos how full of ham the pot is, right? But what I liked even more was that it wasn't just a lot of ham for the sake of quantity! Sometimes with budae jjigae, even if there's a lot of ham, it just tastes so-so to me. The menu had it labeled as premium sausage, and once I tried it, I understood why they wrote that, haha. It tasted like proper handmade ham, not the cheap stuff, and I really enjoyed it.

Oh, and the broth was spicy and sharp!! I love spicy food, so I ended up mixing my rice into it too :)

The ramen noodle add-on is Jin Ramen

Budae jjigae wouldn't be complete without a ramen noodle add-on! At Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae, it's not generic add-on noodles — it's actual Jin Ramen. Since there's already so much ham and sausage, the approach is to eat some of that first, then add broth and the ramen noodles later, haha.

I'm someone who really likes firm, chewy noodles, so I scooped mine out right away before they got soft, haha. And here the pa-kimchi works overtime again, haha. Topping a bite of ramen with pa-kimchi was such a perfect match.

Dessert corner: slushie, coffee and yogurt

Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch has a separate dessert corner with slushies, coffee, and yogurt.

On my way out after finishing the meal, I noticed there was a separate dessert corner. Pretty thoughtful touch 🩵 There's slushie, coffee, and even yogurt!! Seeing that, you have to grab something right away, haha. Today's pick: yogurt, you're the one!

Honest verdict on Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch

What I think I'll remember longest from this visit is the premium ham and sausage, and the pa-kimchi, haha. Especially the combo of pa-kimchi with the ramen noodles — I think I'll keep eating it that way next time too, haha. If you're looking for a great budae jjigae spot in Seongsu, check out Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch :)