Cheonho Station gukbap restaurant, free rear parking: Boseung Hoegwan

I had something to do near Cheonho Station on a weekday morning and went looking for somewhere to grab an early lunch, which is how I found Boseung Hoegwan Cheonho Station Branch (보승회관 천호역점). I'd actually been to a different branch of Boseung Hoegwan before, so I went in trusting the name.

• Recommended: solo-special pork jowl gukbap
• Open 24 hours, every day
• Good for gatherings and group meals (group seating available)
• Parking available (free, rear outdoor lot or mechanical parking)

Where is Boseung Hoegwan Cheonho Station Branch, and where do you park?

• Location: 1F, No. 1, 654 Olympic-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul (88m from Cheonho Station Exit 3)
• Hours: open 24 hours
• Parking: available (free, rear lot or mechanical parking)
• Payment: Seoul Pay, mobile payments

I drove to Boseung Hoegwan Cheonho Station Branch. I'd expected parking to be tough this close to central Cheonho Station, but there turned out to be a lot behind the building, so it wasn't hard at all. There are about 3-5 outdoor spots back there, and mechanical parking kicks in when it's full. I got lucky with an open outdoor spot and headed straight in.

The exterior was easy to spot even from a distance.

The interior was really spacious. I went before lunch hour, just before 11am, so it wasn't crowded, but there's group seating too, so it would work well for a big dinner or a gathering.

What to know before you order at Boseung Hoegwan

The gukbap at Boseung Hoegwan Cheonho Station Branch comes with perilla powder and dadaegi (spicy chili paste) mixed in by default, so if you don't want them, ask to have them left out when ordering. Sliced garlic and onion aren't included as basic side dishes, but it seems they'll bring them out separately if you ask.

Pork jowl gukbap, spicy bone soup and seasoned dumplings: how they tasted

At Boseung Hoegwan Cheonho Station Branch I ordered the solo-special pork jowl gukbap for 18,000 won, spicy bone soup for 12,000 won, and seasoned mul-mandu for 4,000 won. I wanted variety, so I went with these three.

The side dishes came out first — kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), chives, salted shrimp, and salt, simply plated. The kimchi and kkakdugi were reliably good.

The solo-special pork jowl gukbap came out first, and it arrives with the gukbap plus sundae (Korean blood sausage) and boiled head meat.

The sundae came in three kinds: sticky-rice sundae, black-rice tofu sundae, and vegetable sundae. The sundae and boiled head meat were a bit on the cool side, but both were mild and tasty.

The pork jowl gukbap doesn't use the usual mix of offcuts — it's made with pork jowl only — which is probably why the meat felt so much more tender and clean-tasting.

There's dadaegi mixed in underneath, so you can stir it in to taste or ask to have it left out when ordering. And if you want sliced garlic or onion, it seems they'll bring some if you ask! I like dadaegi, so I stirred it in right from the start (it's not spicy even mixed in). I ate it plain at first, then added the chives that came with it, which gave it a fresher taste from the chive aroma. True to a proper gukbap restaurant, the broth was so rich and delicious I ended up drinking straight from the bowl.

Next was the bone soup, made with siraegi (dried radish greens) and aged kimchi, and it was heartier than I expected.

There were about four big bone chunks in there, and plenty of meat still on the bones.

And then the seasoned mul-mandu I ordered as a side.

They're basically regular boiled dumplings, but the seasoning had a savory depth that kept me reaching for more without getting tired of it. It made for a nice change of pace between spoonfuls of gukbap.

Is Boseung Hoegwan worth it for gukbap near Cheonho Station?

If you're near Cheonho Station looking for a proper meal, or hunting for a good gukbap restaurant, I'd recommend giving Boseung Hoegwan Cheonho Station Branch a try. Since it's open 24 hours every day, it also works well as a late-night second stop. Next time I'm back at Cheonho Station, I want to return and try the other gukbap menu items.