Army stew lunch line in Yongsan: Yongsan International Hall

A Yongsan army stew (budae-jjigae) restaurant: Yongsan International Hall (용산국제회관)

I'd been craving a spicy, kick-in-the-throat army stew for a while. I eat Korean food every day and never get sick of it, but army stew? No question.. 👍 It's a favorite of office workers around Yongsan and a lunch spot with a line near the electronics market, and I went to Yongsan International Hall for a hearty, good-value meal!

Where is Yongsan International Hall, and what are the hours?

Yongsan International Hall is at 49 Cheongpa-ro 20-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the first floor, and it's open daily from 10:30 AM to 11:00 PM. Last order is at 10:00 PM, there's no break time, and groups are welcome.

It's close to Yongsan Station, but it's also about a 10-minute walk from Sinyongsan Station. I really wanted a spicy, punchy army stew, and there happened to be a place near Yongsan Station I'd been meaning to try, so I went right away.

How long is the weekday lunch wait at Yongsan International Hall?

Even on a weekday, a wait at lunch is the default here.. Lots of office workers come for lunch. I even called ahead and still had to wait! Luckily the turnover is fast, so I didn't wait long.

Standing in line somehow makes you feel like it'll taste even better,,, haha

Inside Yongsan International Hall and the lunch menu

The dining hall is mostly four-person tables, and at lunch they only serve the single-serving army stew. It was packed! A full house at lunchtime.

Since lunch is just the single-serving stew, tables are set up according to the number of people so guests can start eating right away.

If you want side dishes for drinking or set menus beyond the basic army stew, you apparently have to come after 4 PM. I wanted to come back in the evening for a set menu next time.

What's on the self-bar at Yongsan International Hall?

The self-bar at Yongsan International Hall had rice and ramen noodles, braised fish cake, kimchi, butter to mix into white rice for a nutty flavor, cabbage salad and more~

You can refill freely, so I guess that's why it earns the title of great-value lunch spot haha

Army stew prices and extra toppings

The army stew prices at Yongsan International Hall are reasonable too!

You can also add extra toppings by choosing an option, but know up front that the basic version is already generous! We wanted more variety, so we added the assorted ham add-on~~ Thanks to that, we had a ham party haha

How did the army stew at Yongsan International Hall taste?

The ham was chewy, and the broth was clean-tasting yet spicy. Just thinking about a spicy, kick-y army stew made my mouth water!

The side dishes were set out first, and I mixed butter into my rice right away lol Mix the butter in while the rice is warm, haha

It's nutty, with an old-school butter rice feel.. And then the stew bubbling away..!!! Looks so good.... ㅠㅠ Each person has to have one ramen, lol, so we put in two haha

The assorted ham add-on came out this generous too!! The shapes and textures were all different.

Army stew just needs ham, you know? That's where the deep flavor comes from haha

I figured the ham would just be Spam, but it was chewy like meat? with a bit of firmness! It wasn't mushy like a Vienna sausage, which made it taste even better!!! And the broth was so clean and refreshing~~

A spoonful of rice + a slurp of broth = the best..

The ramen was cooked nicely chewy~ and I fished it out right away lol It really was clean-tasting and spicy.

I could eat army stew for every meal of the day...

I hear Bani Bottle (the travel YouTuber) has been here, and the entrance is covered in celebrity autographs. Yongsan International Hall is clearly an army stew favorite near Yongsan!

You can add more broth midway too haha My stomach was sad that I couldn't eat more even though I wanted to. After a walk to digest, I was already thinking about it again.. that kind of flavor ㅠㅠ

Assorted steak set in the evening, too

They say the assorted steak here goes for the style of steak that was popular near old US military bases, and next time I'll definitely visit in the evening for the set that includes steak!! I hope you'll try this tasty, spicy, generous Yongsan army stew for lunch!