Mapo Station gukbap lunch with mung bean pancake set: Bosseung Hoegwan

I had a meeting near Mapo Station, and once it wrapped up I was suddenly craving hot soup. While looking for a place to grab lunch nearby, I spotted Bosseung Hoegwan and headed over. It's a franchise, so you know the basic flavor is reliable wherever you go — no hesitation needed, I just walked right in.

Location and hours of Bosseung Hoegwan Mapo Branch

Bosseung Hoegwan Mapo Branch is easy to find — about a 5-minute walk from Mapo Station Exit 3, right on the 1st floor of Jindo Building. It's a hearty Korean restaurant serving deep, rich soups plus a variety of side dishes.

The great thing about this place is that it's open 24 hours a day, every day, so you can stop by whenever hunger strikes.

Atmosphere and what I ordered

Walking into Bosseung Hoegwan Mapo Branch, the interior was really clean. There were tables for anywhere from two to four people, so solo diners were eating comfortably, and there were also a lot of office workers there for a group lunch.

Ordering is easy — just use the T Order tablet at the table. I liked being able to look at photos of the menu and take my time deciding.

I ordered the sundaeguk (₩11,000), said to be the most popular item here, in the basic flavor. I happened to be craving pancakes too, and since they had a new mung bean pancake and seafood pancake set (₩15,000), I ordered that as well so I could try both.

How was the sundaeguk?

The broth at Bosseung Hoegwan's sundaeguk was deep and clean, with no greasy aftertaste at all. On one side of the table there were instructions for how to enjoy the gukbap (soup with rice) best.

• First, taste the broth and season it with saeujeot (salted shrimp) to your liking
• Second, add plenty of fragrant chives to the gukbap for a heartier texture
• Third, add rice little by little and chew slowly and thoroughly

Following that, I tasted the sundaeguk broth first, and it really was excellent. The broth was deep and clean, with absolutely no greasy taste. Even the basic flavor comes with a chili paste mix inside, so if you stir it in well you can enjoy it spicy.

If you don't want the chili paste mixed in, you can just ask to have it left out when ordering. The broth itself was rich enough that I didn't even need to season it with saeujeot to suit my taste.

Adding plenty of chives to the broth and mixing in a spoonful of rice was seriously delicious. Inside were a good mix of japchae sundae (blood sausage stuffed with noodles) and pi-sundae (blood sausage with blood pudding filling), which gave it great texture too.

The kkakdugi (radish kimchi) side dish was perfectly fermented and paired beautifully with the gukbap, and the napkgi (napa cabbage kimchi) was slightly sweet, great for cleansing the palate in between bites.

New menu: mung bean pancake & seafood pancake set

I ordered the new mung bean pancake and seafood pancake set (₩15,000) at Bosseung Hoegwan Mapo Branch half-expecting it to be so-so, but it exceeded expectations. I was surprised how crispy it was from the very first bite.

The seafood pancake was packed with squid and other seafood, which was surprisingly generous, and the mung bean pancake was just as nutty and crispy — I really enjoyed both.

I couldn't help thinking a cold glass of makgeolli (Korean rice wine) would be perfect with this, but since it was daytime I held back. Next time I'd love to come in the evening and enjoy it with a drink.

Final thoughts

If you're looking for a hearty, clean lunch spot near Mapo Station, give Bosseung Hoegwan Mapo Branch a try.

With a rich gukbap whose flavor is a sure thing, plus a crispy-outside, chewy-inside pancake set, this is a no-fail Mapo Station restaurant for a satisfying meal.