Kkachisan Station Japanese diner: pork jowl set, bukkake udon, Hekbap

I stopped by Hekbap Kkachisan Branch.

What kind of place is Hekbap Kkachisan Branch?

Hekbap Kkachisan Branch is a Japanese franchise near Kkachisan Station, known for donburi (rice bowls), ramen and soba. The friendly signboard gives away that it's Hekbap. It has that feel of a successful chain you can find in lots of areas, a safe place to enjoy a meal.

This day I ordered the pork jowl bowl with a potato croquette, plus bukkake udon with 2 extra onsen tamago (hot-spring eggs). The prices came out about like that.

How should you eat Hekbap's donburi, ramen and soba?

Donburi: don't mix, scoop

The method posted in the shop is to scoop the donburi with a spoon, not mix it. Don't stir before eating, scoop the rice first! Then put the toppings on the rice. Chopsticks work too, so good, so good. Rice, topping, and wasabi in order, as you like, on your spoon for one bite. That's the secret to enjoying Hekbap! Scooping instead of mixing lets you taste each ingredient, so note that.

Ramen: broth first, finish with rice

For Hekbap ramen, you taste a sip of the hot broth first, mix the toppings and noodles, then finish by putting rice into the leftover broth. Before the noodles, take a sip of the hot broth! Mix the various toppings and noodles evenly with the broth, then dig in. Exactly! After the noodles are gone, put the rice you're given into the remaining broth. That's the golden rule too, and anyone who's enjoyed ramen will relate. Ramen is best eaten hot to get the real broth flavor and noodle texture, another key point.

Mazesoba: mix it, add kelp vinegar halfway

For Hekbap mazesoba, you break the egg and mix, then add kelp vinegar about halfway through. Break the egg and mix it with the noodles and toppings! After eating about half, add a suitable amount of kelp vinegar to taste, and the flavor and aroma come alive, with a touch of acidity. When the noodles are gone, mix the rice you're given into the leftover sauce to finish. Mazesoba is a Japanese-style ramen with no broth, where noodles and toppings are mixed in sauce. Underline that!

Table setup at Hekbap Kkachisan Branch

Here's the basic table setup at Hekbap Kkachisan Branch. The spoons and chopsticks were handled hygienically, and tissues were provided.

There are also paper cups and black pepper.

What are the menu and prices at Hekbap Kkachisan Branch?

The spicy buta (pork) bowl is ₩11,900 and the spicy buta bowl set is ₩14,900. There were lots of dishes, so plenty to choose from. The spicy buta bowl is 4 out of 5 on the spice scale, so spice wimps should be a bit careful. The cheddar cheese katsu is unusual. It's normally mozzarella, so cheddar is definitely a distinctive detail.

Those are the new menu items. Among the best sellers, the pork jowl bowl set is ₩14,900, the salmon and marinated shrimp bowl is also ₩14,900, and the marinated pork rib bowl set is ₩13,900. The pork rib bowl set sounds delicious just from the name, so I'll have to try that next time.

How does Hekbap's pork jowl bowl set taste?

The pork jowl bowl set (₩14,900) at Hekbap Kkachisan Branch was pleasantly spicy with plenty of meat. Here comes the pork jowl bowl set. The look is crazy good! Those grilled, seasoned shishito peppers on top were a hard-to-resist sight. I'm thinking about the taste again even now.

How could anyone resist this look? This deserves a spot on a food-hunting show.

Side: potato croquette

The potato croquette at Hekbap was crispy outside and fluffy inside, with vegetables mixed in, so the seasoning was just right. Another good side dish, I'd say.

Set side dishes: cheese rice cake, cabbage salad, radish kimchi

The honey rice cake (kkultteok) served as a side with the pork jowl set has mozzarella cheese inside. It's just a side, but it was pretty tasty. There's also wasabi, and the cabbage salad with a black sesame? perilla seed? style dressing was good too. The pickled radish was average.

The kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) had a decent tang, great for refreshing the palate between bites. That white sauce tastes a bit like yogurt sauce, and it's the dipping sauce for the croquette.

What about bukkake udon with extra onsen eggs?

The bukkake udon at Hekbap Kkachisan Branch comes with tempura flakes, green onion and seaweed garnish, topped with a soft-boiled egg. Here comes the bukkake udon, which I really love. They nail it here too. Amazing...

I added 2 onsen eggs, so I'm rich in soft-boiled eggs. Total flex. Pop the yolk and eat, and it's unbelievably good.

Is Hekbap Kkachisan Branch worth going back to?

Nothing at Hekbap Kkachisan Branch was a letdown, every single dish was delicious. I keep thinking about it, and I'll have to go again soon. Hekbap is a franchise you can trust, and the Kkachisan Station branch tastes especially good! Highly recommended, haha. It's near Kkachisan Station, so it's very easy to get to too. So good, so good!