Seongbok-dong army stew with unlimited rice refills: Abuzzi Suji

Some weekends you just want a break from cooking, right? That's how we ended up at Abuzzi Budae Jjigae Suji Branch, a Seongbok-dong favorite, with our kid in tow. We'd gotten takeout from here before, but this time we ate at the restaurant. Eating it fresh and bubbling made a real difference in flavor, and with unlimited rice and ramyeon noodle refills we left completely full.

Where is Abuzzi Budae Jjigae Suji Branch, and where do you park?

Abuzzi Budae Jjigae Suji Branch is across from Lotte Mall Suji Branch, on the first floor of a commercial building at 87 Simgok-ro. Head straight out of Exit 3 of Seongbok Station and up the hill toward Gold Plaza — you'll find it in the shops on your left, about 249m away, roughly a 5-minute walk.

Hours are Mon/Thu/Fri 10:00–19:30 (break 15:00–16:30), Tue/Wed 10:00–15:00, and Sat/Sun 09:00–19:30 (break 15:00–16:00). Dine-in service runs weekdays 11:00–15:00 and weekends 11:00–19:00.

For parking, there's a basement lot in the building with 1 hour free. You can also park for free right in front of the restaurant between 11:30am and 2pm.

Does the restaurant work for solo diners and for families with kids?

The restaurant isn't huge, but there are proper tables where you can sit and eat.

You can also order for one, so this seemed like a good option for anyone looking for a solo lunch spot in Seongbok-dong.

What stood out most was that with one order per person, rice and ramyeon noodle refills are unlimited.

The self-serve bar had rice, seaweed flakes, water kimchi, and stir-fried fish cake, so you could take as much as you needed.

There are also side dishes like tteoksanjeok (grilled rice cake skewers), grilled spam, and rolled egg, which made it easier than expected to bring along a toddler who can't handle spicy food.

Menu and takeout prices: why 3 servings is the better deal

Dine-in prices at Abuzzi Budae Jjigae Suji Branch are 9,900 won for the basic Abuzzi budae jjigae, 11,900 won for special spam, 12,900 won for beef brisket, and 13,900 won for ham-loaded. Takeout is based on 3 servings, which makes it even better value.

• Basic Abuzzi budae jjigae, uncooked takeout: ₩12,900
• Special spam: ₩15,900
• Signature ham-loaded budae jjigae: ₩18,900

We'd gotten takeout before, and the portion was generous enough for a simple meal at home.

How much ham is in the 9,900 won basic budae jjigae?

This time we ordered two servings of the basic Abuzzi budae jjigae plus tteoksanjeok. Even though it's not the ham-loaded menu, the basic version still came packed with ham, sausage, vegetables, and various noodle additions.

Once it was bubbling away, the spicy broth blended with the ham flavor and a bowl of rice disappeared in no time.

After eating some of the stew, we added a ramyeon noodle refill too. Dropping the noodles in while the broth was at a full boil and cooking them chewy-firm — budae jjigae really isn't complete without ramyeon.

Even with just two servings ordered, the portion was generous, and adding the noodles on top left us really full.

What a 3-year-old ate: tteoksanjeok with the sauce on the side

Our kid still can't eat budae jjigae, so we ordered tteoksanjeok separately. It comes with four skewers, and the owner actually asked first how many our child would likely eat.

We said probably two, so they coated two with sauce and served the other two plain, without sauce, just for our kid.

It was a small gesture, but it felt like real consideration for having a child with us.

The tteoksanjeok was soft and easy to bite into, with a sweet-and-salty flavor that went well with rice.

Paired with rice, seaweed flakes, and the fish cake side dish from the self-serve bar, our kid also had a satisfying meal.

Weekend lunch at the restaurant or takeout — which is better?

It's a great place for a relaxed family meal on a weekend when you don't feel like cooking, and equally good for takeout to eat at home, given the reasonable pricing based on 3 servings.

If you're looking for a hearty, affordable budae jjigae among Seongbok-dong restaurants, Abuzzi Budae Jjigae Suji Branch is worth a stop for lunch.