Nampo-dong bar after a sober spell: bokbunja and X-Koba chicken, Budan

Nampo-dong is one of those Busan spots you'd feel bad skipping on a trip! But there are so many restaurants and bars that choosing is so hard, right? ㅠㅠ I'm someone who takes every meal seriously, and I wanted something really tasty, so I headed to Budan Nampo Branch (부단 남포점), a Nampo-dong bar with great vibes.

Where is Budan Nampo Branch in Busan?

Budan Nampo Branch is at 6 Gwangbok-ro, 2nd floor, Jung-gu, Busan, near Bupyeong Kkangtong Market, the famous market in Nampo-dong. It's a perfect place to stop by while wandering the market.

Budan Nampo Branch is on the 2nd floor and has a really big space. The mood is a little dark, with cool air conditioning and music to liven things up. It's a Nampo-dong bar with great vibes.

How to order at Budan Nampo Branch and the free bread snack

You order on the tablet at each table. The place is known for its tasty snacks (anju, food eaten with drinks), so I came with high hopes, and with so many menu items and drinks I spent ages deciding what to get~

The friendly staff brought cold water as soon as we sat down, and after the walk over, my thirst was totally gone~

The complimentary snack at Budan Nampo Branch is crisp-toasted bread with whipped cream. It'll tide you over until the main dishes arrive!

Budan's drinking-snack udon under 10,000 won: a good soup snack?

The menu at Budan Nampo Branch has a drinking-snack udon (sul-anju udon) at a friendly price of under ₩10,000. When I drink, I absolutely need a soup snack, so I ordered it right away, and it came in a very big bowl and looked spicy and refreshing at first glance!

I love fish cake in my udon, and scooping up fish cake and broth together made it a perfect drinking snack!

First drink after a sober spell: bokbunja at Budan

The drink for today at Budan Nampo Branch was bokbunja (Korean black raspberry wine), which I love! I'd been forced off alcohol for a while because of shingles, so since this was my first drink in ages, I picked one of my favorites!

Pretty color, great taste. Bokbunja, you're the best!!

What is X-Koba chicken at Budan?

X-Koba at Budan Nampo Branch is a spicy chicken dish with a Jikoba feel, the charcoal-grilled chicken brand that was hugely popular back when charcoal chicken was all the rage. It was the main dish that day, and since it's chicken, they also brought pickled radish~

Budan Nampo Branch has so many snacks that choosing was hard, but the moment the X-Koba arrived I knew I'd ordered well!! I didn't add the ramen noodles; they seem to come with it by default! It showed up with a spicy smell wafting off it. I thought a cheese add-on would be nice too, but figured it'd be too heavy and skipped it. Still, I bet it would be good with cheese too!

How spicy is Budan's X-Koba chicken?

I was worried the X-Koba at Budan Nampo Branch would be very spicy, but it was a good level to eat~ Maybe because Budan has so many chicken dishes and they're popular, the chicken tastes like it could beat most chicken places. It's boneless so it's easy to eat, and soft as can be!

The chicken alone is fine, but eating it with the ramen noodles that come alongside is a stroke of genius. Budan Nampo Branch has even more chicken dishes, so keep that in mind!

Who is Budan Nampo Branch good for?

Budan Nampo Branch is near Bupyeong Kkangtong Market and Gukje Market, so it's a great Nampo-dong bar for a second round. With its wide variety of snacks and roomy space, it's also good for group gatherings, meetups with friends, or a stop during a trip. The restrooms are indoors and separated for men and women, so even people who care about restrooms at a bar can visit without worry.

• Address: 6 Gwangbok-ro, 2nd floor, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: 5 p.m.–2 a.m. (until 4 a.m. on Fri and Sat)
• Last order: 1 hour before closing