Date-night Korean pub in Sangsu with blankets on request: Bako Jumak

Between Hapjeong and Sangsu Stations, among all the Hapjeong bars, I found a crazy good Korean pub. A Hapjeong eatery and drinking spot, and I'm introducing it right now: Bako Jumak (바코주막).

Where is Bako Jumak, and what are its hours?

Bako Jumak is at 27 Dongmak-ro 7-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor, between Hapjeong Station and Sangsu Station. It is open daily from 17:00 to 04:00, and last order is at 03:00.

Bako Jumak atmosphere: a Korean fusion pub like a traditional house on a quiet alley

The entrance and interior look like the photos. The place isn't on a busy street but somewhere surprisingly quiet, which I liked, and the atmosphere was something special.

The moment I walked in, I felt like I'd gone back to the Joseon dynasty. The interior had the look of a traditional house, and the owner was wearing a gat (traditional hat). (Just kidding.) Just like King Sejong creating Hangul, the walls were carved with tons of Hangul letters. The whole place fit the concept of a Korean fusion pub.

Bako Jumak menu: what to eat if you can't decide

But then a problem came...! I couldn't decide what to eat. Everything on the menu looked delicious. This looks good, that looks good, and that one over there looks good too. My girlfriend wanted a lot of things. We spent more than 5 minutes just agonizing over the menu.

But we overcame our indecision and finally picked our heavenly menu. Here it is.

Korean beef tendon soup (seutang, left), truffle jjapaguri (right)

How were the beef tendon soup and truffle jjapaguri?

The Korean beef tendon soup at Bako Jumak came steaming hot, and the broth tasted like the deep, true flavor of bone broth simmered for 100 years. The truffle jjapaguri (black bean instant noodles) came with an egg too, and it was insanely good.

Anyone who hates jjapaguri? Nobody. Well, maybe someone does. But this one was delicious.

But the real reason these dishes tasted so good was something else. I ate them with my girlfriend. And one more thing: alcohol.

Drinks for round two: 2 bottles of Chamisul

We'd had soju-beer bombs at the first place, so at Bako Jumak, our second stop, we ordered 2 bottles of soju. You can't have soupy dishes without booze, right? We went with Chamisul. The beef tendon soup and truffle jjapaguri can be a bit rich, so we cut through it with Chamisul.

Injeolmi bingsu and sugar tomatoes: too much for two?

The beef tendon soup and jjapaguri weren't all we ate at Bako Jumak. Look at this: the solid lineup of injeolmi bingsu (shaved ice with red beans and roasted soybean powder rice cake) and sugar tomatoes... Both portions were no joke. The sugar tomatoes were thinly sliced, so they were easy to eat.

But a warning: honestly, for that price you get that much food? It's seriously hard for two people to finish. Anyway, with every bite we gained 0.5 kg. (Ugh, I need to lose weight... I'm going to put my girlfriend through spartan-style workouts.)

Lastly, the full Bako Jumak menu is attached in the photos above, so please take a look. That's all.

I almost said.

Next visit: chicken feet

We talked about what to eat the next time we come to Bako Jumak. We're going to have chicken feet. "The chicken feet here... look so, so good," my girlfriend said. If my girlfriend wants it, we go.

Does Bako Jumak give out blankets?

Bako Jumak gives you a blanket if you ask. A pub that hands out blankets, how about that, isn't it charming? The place itself has great sense. Looking for a place with good sense? Come to Bako Jumak.

And there's a formula.

Sangsu/Hapjeong's signature Korean pub = Bako Jumak