Sangye Station pork bone stew for two, no wait: Somunnan Gamjatang

Why we chose Somunnan Gamjatang near Sangye Station

Somunnan Gamjatang near Sangye Station is a gamjatang (pork bone stew) and bone soup (뼈해장국) restaurant with 30 years of history. After clocking off on a Friday, I wanted to heal with good food, so I went on a recommendation from a Sangye Station local!

Somunnan Gamjatang location, hours and parking

• Name: Somunnan Gamjatang
• Location: 1F, 694 Deokneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Somunnan Gamjatang (256m from Sangye Station Exit 2)
• Hours: Open 24 hours, every day
• Free parking available (entrance next to the store, between the Hyundai showroom and Sol Nursing Hospital. Free for 2 hours with purchase)

What the restaurant looks like inside and out

This is Somunnan Gamjatang, a well-known spot near Sangye Station. It really has that famous-restaurant look! The signature dishes are bone soup, samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), and gamjatang.

The restroom is outside and kept clean. Somunnan Gamjatang is also popular for takeout — popular enough to have a separate waiting zone just for pickup orders!

The place has plenty of seats and feels spacious — there's even a second branch right across the street, that's how famous this gamjatang and bone soup spot is in Nowon. I went on a Friday at 7pm and there was no wait.

Here's the menu board. There are so many tasty-looking dishes that I want to come back and try more.

What side dishes come with the gamjatang?

A good bone soup restaurant should have good kimchi, right? Deep-flavored kimchi, crunchy diced radish kimchi (kkakdugi), and even onions with the sharp bitterness taken out! Tasting the side dishes got me even more excited for the main course.

Gamjatang and somaek (soju-beer mix) — an unwritten rule! The weather was starting to turn toward fall, so it was the perfect time for gamjatang. 🥔🥔

Small gamjatang, 36,000 won: how much two people got

What I ordered was the gamjatang (small) for ₩36,000.

Wait... this is the small size? For two people..?? It's really generous and huge! They filled it so full that a protective barrier comes out alongside the pot. Potatoes, perilla leaves, mushrooms, napa cabbage greens, and big chunks of meat — a hearty visual that lives up to the reputation of a Sangye Station favorite.

The seasoning is already mixed in, so it turns red quickly. Once it's bubbling, turn the heat down a bit and let it simmer a little longer.

Stir it well and you've got delicious gamjatang in no time (＾∇＾)ﾉ♪

How spicy is Somunnan Gamjatang's broth?

The default spice level at Somunnan Gamjatang is about as spicy as Jin Ramen's spicy version! A crowd-pleasing level of spice and seasoning that most people would like.

When taking out the meat, it was heavy enough with tongs to notice. It's packed with meat — big eaters will love it! That's apparently why my friend used to come here often with friends in their early 20s, when appetites were biggest.

The meat is plentiful and tender, so it was easy to pick off the bone too. A light poke with chopsticks and a heap of meat falls right off. This is the kind of place a couple who just started dating could handle just fine!

The meat was deeply seasoned, so it tasted great with the sauce or on its own — spicy, salty, and delicious. Great as a drinking snack too. With so many ingredients packed in, the broth was deep and savory as well.

There were plenty of potatoes and a variety of ingredients inside, so I never got tired of it, even to the last bite. It's a flavor I keep thinking about.

Hand-torn dough noodles, and why we never got to the fried rice

Once you finish, they add well-fermented, soft hand-torn dough (sujebi) and boil it into the broth. This is genuinely a special treat! The dough had great chewiness, so it was fun tearing it apart. The gamjatang sujebi was chewy and delicious — but I was so full I couldn't manage the fried rice, ugh. I'm already planning to come back soon just for the gamjatang fried rice! After eating my fill and taking a walk along Danghyeoncheon Stream right in front, it was the perfect meal.

If you're in Sangye-dong, Nowon, looking for a filling, deep-flavored gamjatang that's great value for money, I highly recommend Somunnan Gamjatang. It's sure to be a good memory. ❤️