Jonggak Korean lunch with Mom: pork cutlet vs octopus set, Bonghyejane

I went to Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, one of the Jonggak restaurants popular with office workers and visitors near Jonggak Station. I love hearty, tasty Korean food, and while I was figuring out lunch near Jonggak, the name alone ("Hyeja" is Korean slang for a great-value, generous deal) sounded so generous that I went in with high hopes. Did it live up to the hype? Here is what each dish was like, with my honest review.

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch: location and hours

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch is on the second basement floor of Jongno Tower, 51 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, a 1-minute walk from Exit 3-1 of Jonggak Station. It is open daily 11:00–21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 16:30 and last order at 20:00.

It is a well-known Jonggak meal spot and Jongno favorite, and if you drive, I think you can park in the Jongno Tower basement!

Atmosphere and seating at Bonghyejane

Head down to the second basement floor of Jongno Tower and you will see Bonghyejane's clean, stylish storefront. The sign reads "Bonghyeja Special Dishes Restaurant" (봉혜자 별미요릿집), and the neatly decorated entrance stood out.

Inside, the space is quite large and the tables are laid out efficiently. Warm wood-toned furniture and clean tile floors give it old-fashioned warmth and modern comfort at the same time. There are tables for 2 to 4 people, so I think it works for couples or families too.

I also liked that every table has a tablet ordering system, so you can browse the menu slowly and order conveniently.

Bonghyejane menu overview

The menu has signature dishes like whole-octopus stir-fry and spicy small-octopus (jjukkumi) stir-fry, plus bossam (boiled pork wraps) sets, sundubu (soft tofu stew) sets, and even old-school king pork cutlet. There is a wide range of Korean dishes and set meals to suit different tastes.

Mom loves octopus stir-fry, so she got the spicy jjukkumi set, and I love pork cutlet, so I ordered the Hyeja king pork cutlet.

The 300g Hyeja king pork cutlet: how was it really?

The menu describes the Hyeja king pork cutlet as a "300g Hyeja-style generous portion," so I assumed the meat itself weighed 300g and went in expecting a hearty meal... Spoiler: it left me quite disappointed.

Unlike what I expected, the meat was extremely thin, and the batter made up most of each piece, so it was hard to taste the chew of the pork or any savory juiciness.

The texture felt soggy as I ate, so I took a closer look: the batter share was so big that I started wondering whether the 300g meant the whole plate, batter and sauce included, rather than the meat. The meat was so thin that all I could see was batter, and with so little pork flavor I felt a bit tricked by the "300g" wording.

It looks impressive and the portion is big, but if you care about the true meaty flavor of a pork cutlet, it may disappoint. If I go back, I would order Korean set meals like the jjukkumi or octopus stir-fry or the sundubu rather than the cutlet.

Octopus and jjukkumi stir-fry set: sides and spice levels

Bonghyejane's octopus stir-fry set lets you choose the spice level, which is great whether you struggle with spicy food or love a kick. The spicy octopus stir-fry set was really well put together and generous.

Order the set and you don't just get the main stir-fry: it comes with sides of sweet pumpkin porridge, perilla soup, candied peanuts, and white kimchi.

Sweet pumpkin porridge and perilla soup

The yellow sweet pumpkin porridge gently soothes your stomach before the meal, and the perilla soup has a rich, deep nutty flavor. It arrives in a hot stone pot, so it stayed warm until the very end.

The main stir-fry and bowl of rice

With the octopus stir-fry set you get a big bowl of rice and a plate piled with spicy jjukkumi stir-fry. The octopus kept its chewy bite while the sauce soaked in well, so the texture was great.

How to enjoy the Bonghyejane stir-fry set

My way to enjoy the octopus stir-fry set: pile the spicy, smoky jjukkumi stir-fry onto the bowl of rice, add the sesame oil on the table, and mix it all up. It was an absolute rice thief!