Seongsu army stew with makgeolli for three: Songtan Jindaegwang
In short
Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch is a Songtan-style budae jjigae (army stew) restaurant on the 2nd floor of the building in front of Seongsu Station Exit 1 in Seongdong, Seoul. Three friends ordered army stew for three plus a ramen noodle add-in (₩2,000), and the owner set a 5-minute timer before lifting the lid on four kinds of ham in a thick gochujang-based broth that tasted like tteokbokki sauce, paired with a round of makgeolli (rice wine). With self-serve side dishes, unlimited rice refills, and free coffee, slushies, and yogurt on the way out, Songtan Jindaegwang is a foolproof lunch in Seongsu.
Good to know
- Location
- 97 Achasan-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Unit 201 (2nd floor of the building in front of Seongsu Station Exit 1)
- Hours
- Daily 11:30–22:00 (Sat–Sun until 21:00)
- Reservations
- Available through Naver Reservation
- Parking
- Available in front of the building
- Ramen noodle add-in
- ₩2,000
- Rice
- Unlimited refills
- Self-serve bar
- Extra side dishes self-serve (pickled onions, green onion kimchi, fish cake and more)
- After the meal
- Free coffee, slushie, and yogurt
- Price reference
- ₩2,000 ≈ $1.5 (2026-09-22)
as written by the visitor on Sep 22, 2026
Hi everyone! It's Nangman Gaegul.
In hip Seongsu-dong, I've been disappointed more than a few times by places with long waits and just average food. Today I found a place near Seongsu Station that's a guaranteed win for lunch.
Where is Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch, and what are its hours?
Nangman Gaegul's pick 📍 Today's spot — Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch, at 97 Achasan-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
- 🕖 Hours: Daily 11:30am–10pm (Sat–Sun until 9pm)
- ✔️ Reservations: Available via Naver Reservation
- 🅿️ Parking: Available in front of the building
You can spot Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae right as you come out of Seongsu Station Exit 1! It's in the building right in front of the exit, so accessibility was great. I did wander around a bit looking for the entrance at first, but it turns out it's just slightly off to the side of the building.
Just go up one flight of stairs in this building and you'll find Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae on the 2nd floor! It's hip from the entrance onward haha. The building itself seemed old, but Jindaegwang's interior only made it feel hipper.
They're open every day. On weekends they close an hour earlier, at 9pm. Country of origin labeling was clearly posted too, which gave me more confidence. American sausage really does taste the best...!!?
What is the 2nd-floor dining room like?
Wow,, the interior haha it's seriously amazing!!!! I thought only the outside was hip, but every single detail inside was really hip too.
There's a strong old-school retro feel, and the interior itself is so well done that it really captures the hipness of Seongsu-dong.
Also, maybe because it's on the 2nd floor, the light is amazing,,,,❤️ Sunlight pours in and the view outside is nice too, so the atmosphere was really great. I felt like this is a genuinely good place to come for lunch among Seongsu Station restaurants.
Self-serve side dishes and the ₩2,000 ramen noodle add-in
At Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch, extra side dishes are self-serve so you can just grab more, and you can add ramen noodles for ₩2,000.
This is the extra self-serve bar. It's set up with pickled onions, green onion kimchi, fish cake, and other classic lunch banchan (side dishes). If you come for lunch, you can enjoy these sides along with a hearty portion of budae jjigae!
The side dish lineup is totally my taste!! Just the green onion kimchi and fish cake alone are enough to make a Seongsu lunch complete haha.
Army stew for three: four kinds of ham after the 5-minute timer
We visited as a group of three and I ordered budae jjigae for three people. The owner brought out the stew in this big pot and set a 5-minute timer for us. So exciting. When the alarm went off, they came over and lifted the lid like this.
Wow,, it's genuinely packed with ham. There are around 4 different kinds of ham mixed evenly throughout. The broth isn't too spicy — just the right amount of kick.
The budae jjigae broth isn't the clear-broth type — it's more like a thick, gochujang-based tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) sauce vibe!
And of course, you can't skip a drink to go with it — we had it with Kooksoondang makgeolli (rice wine) haha (rice wine really is the classic pairing!). Budae jjigae and makgeolli together — amazing!!
They added the ramen noodle add-in (₩2,000) generously too. For a hearty lunch in Seongsu, nothing beats ramen noodles in budae jjigae haha.
Rice is unlimited refills, so if you run out while eating you can just scoop more from the rice cooker. The rice has a nice firm texture that goes really well with the budae jjigae!
It really is a sanctuary for Seongsu office workers at lunchtime haha, there were so many people! Groups and small parties alike kept coming in. If I'd worked in Seongsu-dong, I think I would've come here way more often 'ㅁ'
Free coffee, slushie, and yogurt after the meal
Ahh haha and here's the even more amazing part — after finishing your delicious budae jjigae lunch, on the way out you get free coffee and slushie!! Seriously, the owner is way too generous 😍
And on top of that, free yogurt too...!!!! Unbelievable... If a place as good as Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae were near my office, I'd come for lunch every single day ㅠㅠ Sniff, it was such a shame,,,, I envy the office workers of Seongsu...!!
Nangman Gaegul's Comment 🐸
If you want a generous amount of ham and rich broth in your budae jjigae along with a hip atmosphere, I recommend today's lunch spot — Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch! If you're looking for a great lunch spot in Seongsu, this will be an excellent choice! 'ㅁ'
Where it is
97 Achasan-ro, 201-ho, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 성동구 아차산로 97 201호
