First-time pufferfish soup near Cheongdam Station: Bogi-o Boguk
In short
Bogi-o Boguk is a pufferfish restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Cheongdam Deokyoung Building on Dosan-daero, a 10-minute walk from Exit 13 of Cheongdam Station in Gangnam, Seoul. Trying pufferfish for the first time, the writer dined alone and ordered the milbok clear pufferfish soup (jiri) at 24,000 won, served in an earthenware pot that kept it hot to the last spoonful, with a clean broth and no fishy taste. The pufferfish meat was chewy and mild, making Bogi-o Boguk a satisfying place for a first bowl of pufferfish soup.
Good to know
- Location
- 2F, Cheongdam Deokyoung Building, 540 Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (10-minute walk from Cheongdam Station Exit 13)
- Hours
- 11:00–22:00, last order 21:30
- Good to know
- Takeout available, reservations available, corkage free for 1 bottle
- Seating
- Spacious 2nd-floor hall, private room for up to 6, open kitchen
- Pufferfish soup prices
- Live octopus pufferfish soup 32,000 won / Live abalone pufferfish soup 29,000 won / Milbok 24,000 won / Chambok 35,000 won / Live chambok 55,000 won / Hangover pufferfish soup 17,000 won / Pufferfish and ginseng soup 43,000 won
- Courses (per person)
- Live chambok course 130,000 won / Bogi-o course 100,000 won / Wild-caught course 80,000 won / Sashimi set 60,000 won / Bogi-o special 42,000 won / Bogi-o set meal 37,000 won
- Other pufferfish dishes
- Pufferfish skin salad 16,000 won / Pufferfish karaage 4pc 24,000 won, 6pc 35,000 won / Chambok sashimi 90,000–170,000 won / Pufferfish bulgogi 35,000 won / Milbok suyuk (boiled slices) 90,000 won / Chambok suyuk 150,000 won / Live chambok suyuk 250,000 won
- Ordered
- Milbok clear pufferfish soup (jiri) 24,000 won
as written by the visitor on Sep 22, 2026
I'd just finished a skincare treatment in Cheongdam and the weather was chilly, so I was craving something warm and soupy. There happened to be a pufferfish restaurant nearby, so I decided to try pufferfish soup for the very first time in my life. Here's my solo dining review of the milbok jiri (clear pufferfish soup) at Bogi-o Boguk in Cheongdam-dong ♥
Where is Bogi-o Boguk, and what are its hours?
Bogi-o Boguk is open 11:00–22:00, last order 21:30. Takeout is available, reservations are accepted, and corkage is free for one bottle.
It's a pufferfish specialty restaurant in Cheongdam-dong run by a chef with a licensed pufferfish preparation certification and over 20 years of experience. It's a 10-minute walk from Exit 13 of Cheongdam Station! The restaurant started in 2013 on the first floor of the Prima Hotel annex, and moved to its current location in 2024.
Before visiting, I read some genuine, self-paid reviews and saw a lot of regulars who'd been coming for years — it seemed like the kind of place that really knows what it's doing with pufferfish, so I was looking forward to it haha
Can you eat alone? Inside Bogi-o Boguk's 2nd-floor dining room
Going up to the 2nd floor, it was spacious with plenty of tables — a decent size for group meals. There's also a private room that fits up to 6 people!
Eating alone, like I did, is completely fine here. I went solo and the owner welcomed me kindly, which I really appreciated,,
Bogi-o Boguk, a Cheongdam Station favorite, has an open kitchen, so I could watch the chef cooking. It was impressive to see him wearing a hygiene cap and mask — it gave me confidence that he takes pride in the food and keeps things very clean!
Bogi-o Boguk menu and prices
As a proper pufferfish specialty restaurant, Bogi-o Boguk has a wide menu. Beyond pufferfish soup, you can also try pufferfish bulgogi, pufferfish karaage, pufferfish skin salad, and more!
You can choose your pufferfish soup clear (jiri) or spicy.
- Live octopus pufferfish soup ₩32,000
- Live abalone pufferfish soup ₩29,000
- Milbok ₩24,000
- Chambok ₩35,000
- Live chambok ₩55,000
- Hangover pufferfish soup ₩17,000
- Bok-samtang ₩43,000
Course menus, priced per person
- Live chambok course ₩130,000
- Bogi-o course ₩100,000
- Wild-caught course ₩80,000
- Sashimi set ₩60,000
- Bogi-o special ₩42,000
- Bogi-o set meal ₩37,000
Pufferfish dishes
- Skin salad ₩16,000
- Pufferfish karaage 4pc ₩24,000 / 6pc ₩35,000
- Chambok sashimi ₩90,000–170,000
- Pufferfish bulgogi ₩35,000
- Milbok suyuk (boiled) ₩90,000
- Chambok suyuk ₩150,000
- Live chambok suyuk ₩250,000
Milbok clear pufferfish soup (jiri), 24,000 won
The meal came with 4 side dishes, a bowl of rice, and the clear milbok soup (jiri). It's served in a stone pot, so it stayed warm right to the last spoonful!
Since it was my first time eating pufferfish soup, I was worried it might taste fishy — but there was no fishy taste at all! The broth was so clear, and clean and refreshing, that I was genuinely surprised. It had that soothing, hangover-curing quality, so at first I just kept spooning up the broth on its own. Highly recommended if you need to shake off a hangover ♥
What does pufferfish meat taste like the first time?
The broth luckily suited my taste, but I'll admit I was a bit intimidated by the pufferfish meat itself.
Once I tried it, the texture was incredibly chewy! It was very mild and clean-tasting, and maybe because they use fresh, not frozen, fish, I couldn't detect any of the fishy taste I'd been worried about.
Pufferfish is fine mild and plain on its own, but it's even tastier dipped in vinegared red pepper paste or soy sauce!
There was also a generous amount of minari (water dropwort), bean sprouts, and enoki mushrooms in the pot. Honestly, I was left wondering why I hadn't eaten pufferfish soup sooner — it was totally my style and I enjoyed every bite. I think I'll be chasing down pufferfish soup all winter long ^_^
If you're near Cheongdam Station and craving a refreshing broth or a hangover-cure dish, try the milbok jiri soup at Bogi-o Boguk ♥ That wraps up my very satisfying first-visit review.
Where it is
2F, 540 Dosan-daero, Cheongdam Deokyoung Building, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 강남구 도산대로 540 청담 덕영빌딩 2층
