Jonggak lunch at 11:30 and Jongno Tower parking route: Bonghyejane

Looking for somewhere to eat lunch around Jonggak, there are honestly so many restaurants that it's kind of hard to pick haha. Especially on weekdays, when there are so many office workers around that even being a little late can mean a wait!

This time I wanted something hearty and Korean, so I went to Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch on basement level 2 of Jongno Tower. Beyond just tasty menu recommendations, there were quite a few tips worth sharing 👍 So along with my food review, let me share the weekday lunch peak hours at Jongno Tower and some helpful parking notes in detail!!

What time to arrive at Jongno Tower for weekday lunch without a wait

I'd recommend arriving at Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch around 11:30am on a weekday. When we got there at that time, the place was pretty empty and we could sit wherever we wanted.

But once we ordered and the food started coming out, customers really started pouring in!

Around 11:40, the vibe completely changed and the place filled up fast!!! The lunch peak for office workers around Jonggak Station is way earlier than you'd think haha.

So if you're heading to Jongno Tower for lunch and want to eat without waiting, I'd recommend arriving by at least 11:30.

Inside Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch and how tablet ordering works

The interior of Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch is done in wood tones, giving it a clean and comfortable overall feel. You order using the tablet at each table, so you can take your time browsing the menu and order at your own pace!

There were quite a lot of tables, and a mix of solo diners and people eating with coworkers. It definitely had the feel of a popular weekday lunch spot for Jonggak office workers haha.

Most review events give you a drink, but Bonghyejane Jubang has an event where you can get free alcohol!! Sounds like a great spot for a dinner get-together too lol.

Here's what we ordered — three dishes in total!!

What banchan comes with a meal, from pumpkin porridge to white kimchi

Bonghyejane's set meals don't just come with one main dish — you get a full spread with basic banchan (side dishes) like pumpkin porridge, white kimchi, and seasoned laver too. Once the main dish arrived, the whole table looked surprisingly generous!

The pumpkin porridge in particular was soft and sweet, so it was nice to eat a few spoonfuls before diving into the spicy dish haha. The white kimchi was great to eat between bites of sundubu or bulgogi to cleanse the palate.

Instead of just one lonely main dish, you get rice and a full spread of banchan, so this seems perfect for anyone looking for a hearty meal near Jonggak Station 👍

Why the spicy seafood sundubu broth stood out

The thing that stuck with me most that day was Bonghyejane's spicy seafood sundubu (soft tofu stew)!!! Normally when you think of sundubu jjigae, you picture a thinner, cleaner-tasting broth, right?

But Bonghyejane's spicy seafood sundubu has an extremely thick, richly concentrated broth!! It clings to the tofu almost like a gratin sauce.

I'd never had sundubu jjigae in this style before, but eating it with rice wrapped in gim (seaweed) along with the thick broth was seriously addictive 👍

There's seafood mixed in too, so the broth has a real depth of umami. If you usually like spicy, rich broths, I'd say the spicy seafood sundubu is worth trying as a weekday lunch pick near Jonggak Station!

What does the charcoal bulgogi set taste like?

Next up, the charcoal bulgogi set! The sauce was sweet and salty without being too much — exactly the kind of flavor that makes you crave rice haha.

The meat wasn't tough at all — it was pretty tender, so it went really well with rice.

If you're craving something spicy, go for the sundubu; if you want something hearty without the heat, go for the charcoal bulgogi.

Muksabal comes with the set, so there's no need to order it

And here's something we found out along the way!! The charcoal bulgogi set actually comes with a mini muksabal (acorn jelly noodles) included as standard?!

We didn't know that and ended up ordering a separate muksabal as a side lol. Still, the muksabal itself was so good that we ended up finishing everything anyway~!

Especially after eating the thick, almost stew-like spicy seafood sundubu, taking a clean bite of muksabal really reset your palate — it was a great combo haha.

How to walk from Jongno Tower parking to the basement 2 dining floor

If you're driving, know the Jongno Tower parking route ahead of time! The Jongno Tower underground parking lot doesn't connect directly by elevator to the basement 2 dining floor.

At first, we assumed that parking in the underground lot and taking the elevator would get us straight to the basement 2 dining floor. But it turns out the underground parking lot and the mall's dining floor aren't directly connected by elevator;;

• Park on basement level 3
• Take the elevator up to the 1st floor
• Take the escalator
• Arrive at the basement 2 dining floor

If it's your first visit, it's easy to get confused like we did, so if you're driving to find this Jongno Tower restaurant, it'll be a lot easier if you know this in advance haha.

With free parking support and a full, satisfying Korean set meal at a reasonable price, Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch had great food, but what made it even better was how kind the owner was!! It also looks totally fine for solo dining, so if you're looking for a lunch spot near Jonggak Station for office workers, save this one and stop by sometime 👍

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch: address, hours and parking

• Address: 51 Jongno, B206 & B207, Basement Level 2, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
• Break time: Daily 15:00–16:30
• Regular closed days: None
• Parking: Free parking available (1.5 hours free at Jongno Tower underground parking lot)