Yeongdeungpo bar for group nights: cream jjamppong at Ho Samchon

A phone-booth entrance and a purple photo spot

Today is drinks day with Jini, Jini’s coworker?, and Ddongju. We visited Ho Samchon Yeongdeungpo Main Branch, which is said to be a popular spot near Yeongdeungpo Station for company dinners or gatherings. The sign is eye-catching, and the entrance looks like a public telephone booth.

Ho Samchon Yeongdeungpo Main Branch is on the second floor above Pocha Geuttaegeujip. Its sign stands out high on the building, so it was fairly easy to find even on a first visit. There is a telephone-booth-shaped door at the entrance, so it already had plenty of nighttime vibes before we even went in.

When you open the door, a purple photo zone is the first thing that greets you. Oni snapped one alone—this would be way more fun if we all took one after eating everything and getting tipsy.

A spacious interior that works for groups

The interior is roomy, with plenty of space between tables.

We visited around 9:30 p.m. on a Friday, and more than half the place was full. Still, it did not feel cramped because the room is large and the tables are well spaced. There were quite a few group parties around us, and the layout felt comfortable for several people to sit together and chat. It looked like a good place to gather noisily with friends, whether you are looking for a Yeongdeungpo bar for a work dinner or a gathering near Yeongdeungpo Station.

Ho Samchon Yeongdeungpo Main Branch menu

The signature dishes included cream jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), tomato hangover pasta soup, beef belly bibim noodles, carbo chicken, yurin-gi (Chinese-style fried chicken), chili shrimp, mango cream shrimp, shrimp rosé pasta, beef brisket bul-jjamppong, boneless chicken, wings, assorted sausages, pollock roe cream pasta, beef belly tteokbokki, and beef belly pasta. There is a wide range to choose from.

How we ate the cream jjamppong and carbo chicken

These were the first dishes we ordered:

• Cream jjamppong ₩21,900
• Carbo chicken ₩19,900

I told Ddongju, who had arrived first, to order one chicken dish and one soup in advance, and this is what happened lol ㅠㅠ Who orders two bar snacks and makes them both creamy? Ugh ㅠㅠ I know they are signature dishes, but once again I learned that our Ddongju has no sense ^^

Cream jjamppong is a dish of mixed seafood and udon noodles simmered in a spicy cream sauce. It came topped generously with bean sprouts, so the look passed the test. When it first arrived, the cream sauce was smooth with a mild kick, but as we let it simmer thoroughly over the flame, it gradually thickened and became richer. It was better after simmering it for a while rather than eating it right away: the sauce soaked into the noodles well and the seasoning was just right! The spicy flavor also cut through some of the cream sauce’s usual richness.

Carbo chicken is boneless karaage served with a house carbonara-style sauce. The chicken itself was fried crispy, with lots of creamy sauce over it—you know that slightly soggy feeling? I like it. It also came with vegetables such as baby greens, cherry tomatoes, and onion, which made it easier to eat without feeling too heavy. Soaking the bread generously in the sauce was delicious too.

Kimchi fried rice and lighter snacks we added

Kimchi fried rice was a good meal-type addition.

Our snacks felt a little insufficient, so we added kimchi fried rice for ₩9,900. It had the kind of look you might see at Kodachaya—very good. The portion was appropriate, and it worked nicely as a meal. It had a moderate kick, so it was perfect to have midway through all the creamy dishes.

But it did have a slight oily smell, which was a shame,,,, ㅠㅠ

Pineapple sherbet and corn cheese make good lighter snacks.

We also ordered pineapple sherbet for ₩9,000 midway through as a palate cleanser. It was not shaped like the SpongeBob house we usually imagine, so at first I wondered whether we had ordered the right thing. lol It was generously topped with several kinds of frozen fruit and cheese cubes over pineapple sherbet, making it refreshing and plentiful.

Garlic corn cheese & baguette for ₩9,900 was the corn cheese Jini ordered, saying it was a menu item Oni likes. The sweet corn and sauce were both slightly sweet, and they went well with the savory cheese. Piled onto baguette, it was good as finger food. But this one was also a liiittle oily!!

How was it as a Yeongdeungpo Station bar for group gatherings?

Lol why did you take a bathroom photo,,?

Anyway, Ho Samchon Yeongdeungpo Main Branch is a Yeongdeungpo bar that is good for visiting with several people, thanks to its large space and generously spaced tables. The telephone-booth entrance and purple lighting were intriguingly atmospheric, and seeing so many group parties even on a Friday night made me understand why it is popular as a Yeongdeungpo Station gathering spot.

The carbo chicken and cream jjamppong were delicious, and the pineapple sherbet was a refreshing palate cleanser. The kimchi fried rice and garlic corn cheese & baguette were decent extra snacks, though the latter two were a little oily. Next time, I would probably focus on soup dishes or chicken! Overall, it has a varied snack selection and a comfortable space, making it a decent place for a Yeongdeungpo date, party, or group gathering.