Goyang bossam lunch with a baby at opening time: Park Man-bae Arirang

This is a Wonheung restaurant I'd strongly recommend for lunch: order just the bossam (boiled pork wrap) in any size and you still get a free side of either cool seafood kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) or sweet-tangy-spicy jaengban guksu (cold noodle platter), and at lunchtime there's an excellent-value bossam set menu too. This is Park Man-bae Arirang Bossam, Wonheung Station Branch.

Park Man-bae Arirang Bossam opening hours and parking

Park Man-bae Arirang Bossam, Wonheung Station Branch is open from 11:00 to 22:00, with last order at 21:00. It's closed every Monday, and on August 15 it runs from 10:00 to 20:00.

• Hours 11:00-22:00 / last order 21:00
• Closed every Monday, special hours 10:00-20:00 on August 15
• Waiting area, wifi, separate men's/women's restrooms
• Baby chair, mobile payment, parking available

Parking is free — you get 2 hours free when using the Topclassic officetel commercial parking lot.

One minute from Wonheung Station Exit 2: a gabrisal bossam specialist

Park Man-bae Arirang Bossam, Wonheung Station Branch — a restaurant I'd recommend for a Wonheung lunch — sits 1 minute on foot from Wonheung Station Exit 2, on the 1st floor of the Topclassic office building. Anyone who already loves bossam probably knows Park Man-bae Arirang Bossam already: unlike other bossam places, they serve tender gabrisal (a small cut near the pig's shoulder blade), and no matter what size bossam you order, you get a free side of cool kalguksu or jaengban guksu that pairs perfectly with the pork. I'd been curious about this place for a while, so I stopped by for lunch before heading to Starfield Goyang.

Inside the restaurant, and how long is the wait at opening time?

The restaurant is big enough for private events and feels clean and pleasant — I found out it can seat up to 60 people, so with baby chairs on hand it'd also work well for family gatherings or group meet-ups. There were waiting number tickets by the entrance, which suggests there's usually a wait here. Since we had a baby with us, we came at opening time when there weren't many customers, but as lunchtime approached, office workers and locals from nearby started pouring in, and by the time we finished eating and were leaving, the spacious seating area was nearly full.

Park Man-bae Arirang Bossam menu and what we ordered

The menu at Park Man-bae Arirang Bossam, Wonheung Station Branch — my pick for lunch near Wonheung Station — has various bossam options to suit your taste, kalguksu as a solid meal choice, and a great-value bossam set. I went for the thing I was most curious about: the signature best-seller, the half-and-half bossam small, which comes with napa cabbage and kimchi filling gabrisal bossam. Then I picked kalguksu over jaengban guksu to finish the order. Ordering was easy via the tablet on the table.

The side dishes that come with the meal

The basic table setting was mouth-watering just to look at: fresh geotjeori (quick cabbage kimchi) and a tangy salad, seasoned chives, chili and garlic, ssamjang (dipping paste) and salted shrimp, and stir-fried fish cake filled the whole table.

How does the gabrisal taste in the half-and-half bossam (small)?

The bossam arrived glistening and looking moist just from a glance. We'd ordered the smallest size, but the portion of meat was really generous. Taking a big bite with the cabbage and kimchi filling on top, I understood right away why this place is famous for bossam. Because gabrisal is such a tiny cut from each pig, it has a springier, more pronounced chew than regular bossam — it really felt like the first proper bossam I'd had in a long time.

Half a whole crab in the free kalguksu

Wait, what? This was supposed to be the free side, but out came a properly made kalguksu, and I was surprised. It had a really big half-crab in it, and underneath were plenty of clams doing the work of that refreshing broth. Apparently the kalguksu broth is boiled fresh in-house every day, and maybe that's why the flavor was so deep — plus the special noodles had great chew, so the kalguksu and bossam combination worked far better together than I expected!

Is it a good lunch before a day out in Goyang?

I visit the Goyang area often, and I think I'll be eating lunch here every time from now on. We tried the half-and-half bossam today, but looking at other tables, a lot of people were ordering the great-value bossam set too! Great value, great taste, a pleasant atmosphere, and a friendly owner and staff — this was a fully satisfying visit to Park Man-bae Arirang Bossam, Wonheung Station Branch, my recommended Wonheung restaurant for lunch.