Late-night mild spicy squid stir-fry at Express Bus Terminal

A hidden gem at the Express Bus Terminal: Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch

It was well past dinner time and I was starving, so I wandered around the basement of the Express Bus Terminal until a Korean menu caught my eye — that's how I ended up at Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch. Korean food really does fill you up so satisfyingly, haha~

Finding Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch in the basement

There are so many restaurants packed into the basement of the Express Bus Terminal that it can be tricky to find your way. But if you look for the Shinsegae Factory Store, you'll spot it quickly~

The whole front is glass so you can see right inside, and even this late in the evening, plenty of people were still eating there~

Ooh~~ Celebrities have visited this place too, haha! And there was a Spam authenticity mark posted, which made me trust it even more! I was starving, so let's go in already!

Inside the restaurant: solo seats and table-order system

The interior has light wood-tone tables and deep orange chairs throughout, and there were way more seats than I expected — solo seats plus 2-person and 4-person tables!

Ordering is done through a table-order tablet, and you can even pay right there~ If you're coming with a group, the set menus that pair meat or squid stir-fry with a stew are a great combo to share~

Order a stir-fry dish à la carte and add a side like Spam or the soft steamed egg, and the portion becomes completely generous~ haha

As soon as I sat down, a staff member brought over three side dishes and water right away~ That water bottle is so cute, isn't it!? Haha

Spicy squid stir-fry + rice ₩18,000, steamed egg ₩3,000

What I ordered was the sizzling spicy squid stir-fry, plus a steamed egg on the side~ You've got to have steamed egg alongside spicy stir-fry!!

Anyone who loves a sweet-and-spicy squid stir-fry!? There was a gentle smoky char to it that made it completely irresistible over rice~!! And the squid wasn't chewy at all — it had a tender texture that was really easy to eat~

The squid pieces were big and thick, and with the rice cakes and cabbage piled on top, it really didn't feel like a single serving~ If you want to eat until you're truly stuffed, come to Bapjangin, the hidden gem at the Express Bus Terminal~!!

How to choose your spice level

You can also choose from three spice levels

• Level 1 (like Jin Ramen)
• Level 3 (like Yeoppokki)
• Level 5 (only for the true spice champions, lol)

I went with Level 1 — the sauce color looks intense, but there was hardly any heat, so even a spice-shy person like me could enjoy it comfortably~!!

Mixing black rice with seaweed flakes and side dishes

The squid stir-fry and black rice are both tasty on their own, but with a sauce this spicy, you really need to mix it all together on top of the rice~

There's a container of seaweed flakes right on the table, so you toss that in while mixing too~~~

Then I added plenty of the side dishes that came out — bean sprouts, julienned radish, and more squid stir-fry — and mixed it all thoroughly!!!

Ahh~~~~ You know the real trick to a great stir-fried rice is mixing in the vegetables, right~!??? Especially the bean sprouts and radish — their crunchy texture paired with the tender squid made every bite so much richer and more delicious~

The rice and squid stir-fry portions were already huge, but once I mixed everything together, wow!!? It doubled in size!! Haha

Eating some soft, fluffy steamed egg along the way made this a completely satisfying dinner!!

A meal is something you truly eat, not just get through

Good for solo diners or groups?

Solo dining here is comfortable and easy, and if you're visiting with a group, you can add a stew alongside the stir-fry and a Spam side to share — it works great either way!! Don't just get through your meal — eat it properly at Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch, the hidden Korean food gem at the Express Bus Terminal!!!