Itaewon Korean restaurant for pork bone soup: Nuri Maeul Gamjatang

Gamjatang right beside Itaewon Station Exit 4

Today, I’m introducing Nuri Maeul Gamjatang, a Korean restaurant near Itaewon Station that I left completely satisfied with for the first time in ages—its 24-hour outdoor-style dining and refreshing broth were so appealing!

Here’s a quick roundup of the key reasons I recommend it as a Korean restaurant in Itaewon! It is wonderfully accessible near Itaewon Station and open 24 hours. The broth is addictive, the portions are generous, and the value is excellent! The lunch menu selection looked great too. For gamjatang in Itaewon, this is absolutely the place! 👍

It’s right beside Exit 4 of Itaewon Station! Just three steps and you’ll find Nuri Maeul Gamjatang. Isn’t it perfect for dinner on the way home from work? 😍

A newly opened restaurant with a packed dining room

Honestly, I was so surprised when I walked in and found this new restaurant absolutely packed! Good Korean restaurants are quite precious in Itaewon, so I wondered, “Was this secretly a great lunch spot that only I didn’t know about?” >_<

One more thing! The space is roomy and the floor-to-ceiling windows feel so open—why is a gamjatang restaurant this stylish?! Haha. The clean, modern interior passed the atmosphere test! Praying it would be delicious, I started ordering.

Ordering medium Nuri Gamjatang and potato sujebi

The menu was more varied than I expected, which I loved! Along with the currently popular ppeojjim (braised pork bones) and mala gamjatang, there were plenty of lunch options, including individual bowls and dishes such as stir-fried spicy pork.

What we ordered: medium Nuri Gamjatang, 3 bowls of rice, 1 potato sujebi add-on, and 1 drink

We were sooo hungry and debated because we wanted to order generously, then went with the medium gamjatang. It was such a plentiful amount for three people! I think even the small size would be plenty with add-ons like ramen noodles, glass noodles, sujebi, or fried rice. 👍🏻

The gamjatang arrived in a truly deep, giant cauldron! 🤣 I did not realize at first, but the pot was so deep that bones and add-ons just kept appearing as we dug in.

The visual is no joke, right? Haha. I was hoping it would not have that sweet Itaewon-style flavor, but rather a spicy broth, and one spoonful confirmed it—so refreshing, perfect for a hangover meal. ♥️ Since it is also one of Itaewon’s 24-hour restaurants, I think people out late will flock here looking for hangover food!

Loads of tender meat and giant bones

The bones were so big they were hard to lift even with chopsticks. That is when I understood why they give you tongs! Haha. And the tender meat softened in the bubbling gamjatang broth—what more is there to say? You know what I mean, right? 🤗

One of the very best things about gamjatang is picking up vegetables and meat, then dipping them in that punchy mustard sauce. Haha.

A bite of ugeoji (dried napa cabbage greens) with meat, a fluffy piece of potato, and chewy potato sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes)—once you start, it just keeps going down endlessly. Haha.

We were seriously so full we could die, but even while saying “I’m full” a hundred times, the three of us completely emptied the cauldron. I think I’ll come back here for lunch next time!

By the way, there are lots of lunch choices. Looking at the next table, they ordered one spicy pork dish with individual bowls, and the combination looked fantastic. Haha. When you want Korean food for lunch in Itaewon, I recommend it as a lunch spot near Itaewon Station!

Tips before a lunchtime visit near Itaewon Station

The basic side dishes are kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and napa cabbage kimchi, and the napa kimchi had a Jeolla-style feel, maybe? It was an unexpectedly tasty find! Please help yourself to water and extra side dishes, and the pickled onions at the self-service bar were delicious!

At lunch, office workers pour in, so there may be a wait when it gets really busy..! Since it is open 24 hours, it also seems popular from a wild Friday onward and on days when Itaewon gets crowded. Haha. When you are looking for hangover food in Itaewon or a Korean restaurant near Itaewon Station, give Nuri Maeul Gamjatang a try—highly recommended!!