Hongdae Station Korean restaurant for a friends' dinner: Doonjeong

With autumn setting in and the weather turning cooler, I started craving something hot like a jjigae (stew) or jeongol (hot pot), haha. It happened that I was meeting friends again after a while, and while figuring out what to eat in Hongdae, we ended up at Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch. It's close to Hongdae Station so it was easy to find, and honestly the clean, tidy atmosphere the moment I walked in was really appealing. Thanks to the generous, delicious gopchang jeongol, I had an even better time catching up with my friends;)

Where is Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch, and what is the room like?

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Hongdae Station. Head toward CGV and walk a bit, and you'll find it — pretty convenient when meeting up in Hongdae. Once inside, the space felt spacious and overall clean and comfortable.

The tables were on the wider side too, so laying out several dishes didn't feel cramped. Reservations and group bookings are available, so it seemed like a solid option for gatherings with friends or for finding a tidy place to eat in Hongdae!

How does the 54,000 won hanwoo gopchang jeongol taste?

What we ordered that day was the hanwoo gopchang jeongol (Korean beef tripe hot pot) for ₩54,000! As soon as the weather turned a bit chilly, this kind of hot, hearty dish was the first thing that came to mind, haha.

The pot arrives packed neatly with beef shank, hanwoo (Korean beef) tripe, mushrooms, and vegetables. You add broth and dissolve in the seasoning paste to cook it, and the staff checked in on the pot along the way, which made things easy! (Seriously, seriously kind... ♥) What I liked most was that overall sense of everything being prepared so neatly. Once it started bubbling, the broth turned out richer than expected, yet still clean and spicy in a satisfying way.

That distinct savory flavor of gopchang jeongol paired with the clean, spicy broth kept me reaching for more! The tripe was tender and easy to eat, and with the shank and vegetables mixed in, the variety of textures was great too.

Why an extra bowl of rice is a must

I ended up having just one spoonful of broth before ordering an extra bowl of rice, haha. But the rice was glossy and shiny, and eaten together with the jeongol broth, it went really well. It was a rare gathering with friends, and since the food itself was clean and good quality, it made for easy, slow conversation over the meal.

Side dishes and drinks: Donghae soju at 9,000 won

The basic side dishes were napa cabbage kimchi and kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi), and instead of just being plated out, they came in lidded bowls, which looked hygienic and tidy.

Since it was a rare get-together with friends, we picked out a drink too, haha. We ordered soju Donghae for ₩9,000. It came in a stainless steel basket packed with ice, keeping the bottle chilled — looked clean and refreshing too.

It stayed cold right to the last sip, which I appreciated. That kind of attention to small details is subtly satisfying, haha.

Shine muscat grapes to finish the meal

After thoroughly finishing off the jeongol and rice, they brought out shine muscat grapes as dessert to wrap things up.

Each grape was fresh and sweet, perfect for cleansing the palate after all that hot jeongol, haha. Overall, Doonjeong left a strong impression of everything being well put-together — from the food to the restaurant to the side dishes. Since it was a rare meetup with friends, I wanted somewhere clean and quiet rather than loud and busy to eat and talk, and this place fit the bill perfectly.

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch signature menu and prices

Would I go back to Doonjeong with friends?

Meeting friends in Hongdae after a while, and having hot hanwoo gopchang jeongol on a cool day — the menu choice that day was a total success, haha. The broth was clean and spicy, the ingredients were fresh, and eating it with rice made the meal really filling. If you're looking for a good Hongdae restaurant near the station and craving a warm hot pot dish, I'd recommend trying the hanwoo gopchang jeongol at Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch :) Next time I want to try the gomtang (bone broth soup) menu, so I'm definitely planning to go back!