Jonggak soft tofu stew restaurant: spicy seafood sundubu, Bonghyejane

There are so many good restaurants near Jonggak Station that it can actually be hard to pick a lunch spot, haha. This time I wanted something more filling than a light meal — proper Korean food. I was craving a spicy soup and some meat, so I headed to Bonghyejane Jubang (봉혜자네주방) Jongno Tower branch, located inside Jongno Tower.

I ordered one spicy seafood soft tofu stew and one bossam set, plus a zero-sugar cola on the side. The tofu stew came loaded with seafood, and the bossam's pork alone was delicious. Let me walk through what I ordered, the prices, and my honest thoughts.

Where is Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, and what are the hours?

• Address: 서울 종로구 종로 51, 종로타워 지하 2층 B206·B207호
• Hours: Weekdays 11:00–21:00 / Weekends 11:00–20:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:30
• Last order: Weekdays 20:00 / Weekends 19:00
• Parking: Paid

True to its name, Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch sits on the basement 2nd floor of Jongno Tower. It's an easy stop to add to your route when hunting for restaurants near Jonggak Station, and a great choice for office workers looking to grab lunch without leaving the building.

Inside, there were tables big enough to seat several people together. It looked like a fine spot for a lunch date with coworkers, but eating alone didn't feel awkward at all either.

What's on the menu at Bonghyejane Jubang?

The menu had way more choices than I expected. Besides the spicy seafood soft tofu stew and bossam set, there were single-meal options like mushroom-perilla soup set, stir-fried octopus set, stir-fried pork set, and even pork cutlet. There was also a good range of shareable specialty dishes — spicy stir-fried baby octopus and fire-grilled whole octopus stir-fry, both available for two or more people. There was also pumpkin pancake, bibim jjolmyeon (spicy chilled noodles) with flat dumplings, and perilla-oil buckwheat noodles, so it'd be easy to round out the meal with a side dish too.

Order summary — Spicy seafood soft tofu stew ₩13,500 / Bossam set ₩15,000

Spicy seafood soft tofu stew, 13,500 won: clams, octopus and shrimp

First up, the spicy seafood soft tofu stew. It arrived in a stone pot with red broth, topped with chives — it looked appetizing right off the bat. According to the menu, it's a soft tofu stew made with clams, octopus, and shrimp.

I picked this one because I wanted a stew that had actual seafood in it, not just a plain soft tofu stew.

Digging in with my spoon, the soft tofu chunks were nice and big. And it wasn't just tofu-heavy either — there was plenty of seafood, so it was fun picking through the ingredients. With that hot broth, this was exactly the kind of dish that hits the spot for a hearty lunch.

What struck me was that this isn't just a soup you sip — it's a dish where you actually eat the tofu and seafood together, which made it feel really satisfying paired with rice.

Among the side dishes was a pumpkin porridge, and honestly, this porridge was the kicker. At first I wasn't paying much attention to it since I was more focused on the main dish, but I took a spoonful anyway — and it turned out to be sweet and exactly to my taste.

Bossam set (boiled pork), 15,000 won: a full meat meal for one

Next up was the bossam set I ordered alongside the stew. Bossam (boiled pork wraps) is usually ordered as a big shared platter, so having it as a solo set meal made it an easy choice for lunch. The plate had neat slices of boiled pork, with sides of garlic, cheongyang chili peppers, white kimchi, and ssamjang (dipping sauce).

When I eat bossam, I really care about whether the meat is dry. This time, the pork was tender and soft. With bossam, even if the kimchi and sauces are great, if the meat itself falls short, it doesn't stick in your memory. But at Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, the meat won me over from the very first bite. Having tried the bossam set for lunch, I thought it'd be nice to come back in the evening and order the meat on its own with a drink.

Is Bonghyejane Jubang worth it for a Korean lunch near Jonggak?

This time I tried the spicy seafood soft tofu stew and the bossam set at Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch. The soft tofu stew had generous chunks of tofu and plenty of seafood, and the bossam set had tender, soft pork that suited my taste really well. If you're looking for a hearty Korean lunch among the restaurants near Jonggak Station, I'd recommend Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch.