Yeongdeungpo Korean restaurant with no break time: 4pm cockle bibimbap

A Korean restaurant open at 4pm: Gangmun Times Square Branch

I was on the hunt for a good Korean restaurant in Times Square, Yeongdeungpo.. It was almost 4pm by the time I got to eat, so I searched for a place without break time and found Gangmun 😁 Isn't it lucky when the restaurant you visit just to fit your meal schedule turns out to actually be good?

It was easy to find, located in the Food Square on basement level 1 of Times Square.

What caught my eye was that it's Korean food!! The abalone-mushroom doenjang (fermented soybean paste) with braised pork jowl set and the squid dishes looked really appealing. The boneless seasoned crab & octopus bibimbap looked tasty too.

Gangmun Times Square Branch hours and parking

• Hours: 11:30-21:30 (no break time)
• Parking: 30 minutes free with orders over ₩15,000 / 1 hour free with orders over ₩30,000

What is the restaurant like inside?

The interior has soft, warm lighting, so I could eat in a comfortable atmosphere. There are ink wash painting frames on the wall that really give off a 'I'm here for Korean food' feeling~ The interior is clean, so it would also work well for a date meal in Times Square. Baby chairs and kids' sets are available too, so I'd recommend it for families with children!

Gangmun Times Square Branch menu and how to order

Gangmun Times Square Branch also sells distinctive menu items like squid, spicy gopchang (beef intestines) noodles, beef brisket mala cream noodles, and matcha red bean tteok (rice cake) cream noodles, so it was fun just browsing the menu.

Ordering is done through a tablet kiosk, divided into categories like sets, noodles, bibimbap & rice bowls, and sides, with photos attached which was convenient. Gondre stone pot rice + soybean pulp stew was 18,000 won and cockle bibimbap was 14,000 won.

If you participate in the receipt review event, you get 2 pieces of aged kimchi tuna mayo gimbap, or you can show a same-day CGV Yeongdeungpo, Jureongjureong, or E-mart ticket plus your receipt with an order over 20,000 won for the same gimbap. Make sure to take part in one of the two 🥹

Cockle bibimbap, 14,000 won: how many cockles do you get?

The visuals of the cockle bibimbap and the soybean pulp stew with gondre stone pot rice both looked great, so I was excited. What I ordered was the cockle bibimbap.

It came with beef radish soup. From the first impression, the amount of cockles wasn't small at all, so it passed the test.

The seasoning sauce comes on top of the rice. The amount of sauce was just right too, and there were more cockles in it than I expected.

The cockle bibimbap was even better than I expected, and the vegetables and cockles were generous enough that you almost don't need to go all the way to Gangneung for cockle bibimbap.

Gondre stone pot rice with soybean pulp stew, 18,000 won

Can you see the crispy scorched rice? If you like stone pot rice with scorched rice on the bottom, this is the menu for you. Soybean pulp stew (biji-jjigae) is also hard to find these days, so I was extra happy to run into it here at Gangmun in Times Square.

You mix it with soy sauce seasoning 🥹 I used to think of gondre rice as something for parents, but now it's something I can't get enough of.

The meat in the soybean pulp stew was also chunky and thick, and with the soybean pulp's signature crumbly texture, its nutty flavor, and the tangy kimchi, it was a proper soybean pulp stew place. Mixing the stew with the gondre rice was such a great combination that I understood exactly why it's a recommended menu item.

Who is Gangmun Times Square Branch best for?

I came here just because I wanted Korean food and needed a place without break time, but I ended up really enjoying both the cockle bibimbap and the gondre rice. A bonus: since it's tucked inside the Food Square, it's quiet and calm despite being in Times Square! I used to find it hard to pick a meal at Times Square with my parents, but I think they'd be satisfied bringing them here too. Of course, I'd also recommend it for a date.

Next time I'd like to try the matcha red bean tteok cream noodles. The flavors here are reliably good, so I have a feeling even the fusion menu items would be a hit haha.