Bone kalguksu restaurant in Hapjeong for a family of 3: Pyeongidambaek

Here's my story of visiting Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu, a bossam favorite in Hapjeong.

On my husband's birthday we kept breakfast simple, had sushi for a late brunch, and then realized when we got home in the evening — wait, there's nothing to eat?? Haha. He loves bossam and noodles, and you're supposed to eat noodles on your birthday anyway, hehe.

Where is Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu Main Branch, and when is it open?

Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu Main Branch is located at 84 Yangwha-ro 7-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00.

• Address: 84 Yangwha-ro 7-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• No parking on site; nearby Cheonggiwa 2 public street parking lot is available

This Hapjeong favorite was packed — like everyone already knew about it, there was barely room to stand, amazing. I guess it's the kind of menu that pairs well with a drink, so a lot of people come for dinner! The tables are set up for two, but you can push them together to seat four or even six.

What three people ordered: medium bossam plus one bone kalguksu

The menu at Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu Main Branch seems to center on bossam and bone kalguksu. Bossam starts at medium size. We ordered a medium bossam and one bone kalguksu. I felt like we had to order the bone kalguksu — everyone around us was eating either the regular or the spicy version.

If you leave a receipt review, they give you 3 dumplings. The table next to us wanted to order some too, but the portions were already so big they held off, haha.

The basic side dishes at this Hapjeong bossam spot are diced radish kimchi and cabbage kimchi. That's how it should be at a noodle place — those two need to be good. Every good restaurant has proper kimchi, and this one's is tasty! Yum yum.

The bone kalguksu broth that looks like galbitang

Pyeongidambaek's bone kalguksu comes with whole chunks of pork rib in it. I felt like we absolutely had to order this, haha. Our kid originally wanted to order kongguksu (cold soybean noodle soup), but I asked her to try the bone kalguksu instead since I felt we had to taste it — and I'm so glad we did! Our kid said she was glad too, and was really satisfied, haha. Most other tables were eating the spicy version and I wanted to try that too, but with the bossam I figured it would be too much food, so we skipped it and just ordered the regular bone kalguksu. Next time I'll definitely try the spicy one, haha.

Doesn't the look totally scream galbitang (short rib soup)? I love galbitang so much — and it turns out there are noodles inside too. You can add a noodle refill for just ₩1,000. My husband seemed a little bummed we didn't add it, haha.

Honestly I don't usually go for kalguksu, but I can't resist galbitang — and our kid loves both, haha. Because the meat is in there, the broth tastes really clean and deep.

The meat at this Hapjeong bone kalguksu spot is so tender, you wouldn't believe how soft it is. The pieces are nice and big too — I like that. No gamy smell at all. Our kid ate it really, really well. Looking at these photos makes me want it again, ugh.

Medium bossam with dried radish kimchi and salted shrimp sauce

Ta-da, here's the medium bossam. The pork is roughly sliced, just tossed onto the plate — that's how it seems to be at good places, haha. Clean dried radish, salted shrimp, garlic, chili, and cabbage on the side. The moment it arrived I really got the sense this place knows bossam.

The bossam had a nice balance of fat and lean meat, and it was really savory. It's great with kimchi, and just as good with the dried radish — a truly delicious bossam. Perfect for wrapping, so moist it just melts in your mouth.

Is a medium bossam and one kalguksu enough for three?

For three people, one medium bossam plus one bone kalguksu was just the right amount. Both kids and adults ate happily at this Hapjeong bossam favorite. If you want to eat until you're stuffed, you could order one more dish or get the noodle refill, but we were satisfied being comfortably full, haha.

The free dumplings were tasty too. Oddly enough, they came topped with all the seasoning sauce. Really packed with filling — genuinely proper dumplings! The juices burst out. I'll have to order dumplings next time too, haha. Three of them was exactly right for our group, and we enjoyed them so much. This Hapjeong bossam favorite, Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu, is a must-visit if you're in Hapjeong.