Hapjeong lunch spot for bone kalguksu and day drinking: Pyeongidambaek

Pyeongidambaek in Hapjeong: a hangover lunch that turned into day drinking

Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu Main Branch is a bossam and bone kalguksu spot you can walk to from Hapjeong Station all the way to Mangwon Market. This weekend my boyfriend and I decided to do a proper Seoul date for once. Mangwon Market has been hot lately so we made a last-minute call to check it out~

Should we start with snacks or go for a real meal?! While deciding, the fact that we'd overdone it drinking with him yesterday came to mind, and suddenly hot broth sounded perfect haha. So here's my review of visiting Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu, a bossam spot in Hapjeong, as our weekend hangover-cure-slash-date course.

Where Pyeongidambaek is: an easy walk from Hapjeong Station to Mangwon Market

Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu in Hapjeong sits between Hapjeong and Mangwon. We actually got off at Hapjeong Station and walked over. After eating, it's also a great spot to keep walking toward Mangwon Market~ #couplefoodie we actually ate and walked it off

What is Pyeongidambaek like at weekend lunch?

Here's the inside of Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu, a solid bossam spot. It was weekend lunch time so every table was packed. I even spotted some foreign visitors, but luckily there was a seat toward the back so we grabbed it. #hotspot felt like we came to the right place haha

You could tell they care about clean cutlery — the whole place was bright and tidy overall. Saw a 2024 award mentioned too.

Once we ordered, they brought out the side dishes, and even the colors looked gorgeous.

Bossam, medium size: glossy, tender pork with no gamey smell

The bossam (medium) arrived and it was glistening even just visually~ (#the meat-to-fat ratio was fantastic) No gamey smell at all, the meat was so tender and soft.

Spicy bone kalguksu: piled with egg ribbons and two big pork bones

Second contender? The spicy bone kalguksu (pork bone noodle soup) showed up. At first glance you've got a milky broth topped with chili paste, and finely julienned egg garnish piled up high on top~ #the chef must be a master with the knife

When I lifted the meat, huh? There were two hefty bone chunks in there, with a good amount of meat still attached, and it was so tender. Dip it in the house special sauce and it's got that savory umami kick — really solid.

How the bone kalguksu broth changes through three stages

The real hook of the spicy bone kalguksu is definitely the broth~ It transforms in three stages haha. It starts off with a deep, long-simmered meaty broth flavor, and once you stir in the seasoning packet, a gentle spicy kick gets added. This is exactly where our hangover-cure plan turned into day drinking 🤣

By the last stage, the broth gets richer and thicker, showing off yet another flavor~ The taste shifts little by little, so it's worth enjoying each stage for its own charm.

Thin-skinned dumplings: somewhere between steamed and boiled

Pick Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu's review event, and thin-skinned dumplings show up — somewhere between steamed and boiled dumplings? That moist, with the filling packed inside, and you could taste the crunch of the vegetables too. #my vote is these are handmade

Order a drink, get free broth for dipping the bossam

And when we ordered more alcohol, they even brought us hot broth on the house, and this F-type over here got so touched haha. This was my boyfriend's idea — dipping the bossam briefly in the hot broth warmed the meat back up and made it even moister and tastier~ he really knows his food, that boyfriend 👍

Mangwon Market ended up being a window-shopping stroll

We clearly set out to feast at Mangwon Market, but we ended up eating so thoroughly at Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu, a great bossam spot in Hapjeong, that we only walked through the market to look around haha. Every dish had a clean, savory flavor, and I want to visit again just to try the other menu items. Would definitely recommend giving it a visit.