Seocho Korean restaurant: Spam sundubu set, then bibimbap, Bapjangin

Now that the weather is getting chilly, I keep craving a hot stew. Today I visited Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch (밥장인 고속터미널점), in the basement food court of "Gotto" (Express Bus Terminal). I ordered the 1-person Spam set and chose sundubu (soft tofu) for the stew. It came as a whole tray: stone pot, multigrain rice and side dishes. You can eat right inside the terminal before or after your bus, so it's a pretty convenient spot if you're looking for a restaurant near Express Bus Terminal Station, right?

Where is Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch inside the terminal?

Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch is at Shop 20, B1, Seoul Express Bus Terminal, 194 Sinbanpo-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul. It's open daily 10:00–22:00, with last order at 21:10. There's Wi-Fi, separate men's and women's restrooms and a waiting area, and groups are welcome too.

It's in the underground food court connected to Express Bus Terminal Station (Lines 3, 7 and 9). It's across from Shinsegae Factory, so just follow the signs and you'll spot it quickly. It's on B1 on the Gyeongbu Line side, so if you're coming from the Honam Line side, expect a bit of a walk. You can see right into the restaurant through the glass at the entrance, so you can check how full it is before going in.

What's on the Bapjangin menu?

There's a menu stand at the entrance of Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch. The mains are mostly Korean dishes like jjageuri (thick, hearty stew), bulgogi (marinated grilled beef) and stir-fried squid. Stews and stir-fries are the focus, so it's a good lineup to eat with rice. Jabakjabak jjageuri is listed first on the menu. The menu also has English, Japanese and Chinese descriptions, so it looks easy for foreign visitors to order.

The walls were packed with signatures and photos from people who have visited.

What comes with the Bapjangin 1-person Spam set?

The 1-person Spam set at Bapjangin comes as one tray: a stew in a stone pot, multigrain rice and three side dishes. It's a great setup for eating alone.

The sides are bean sprouts, seasoned radish and kimchi. Just those three, nice and simple. The water came in a clear water bottle, haha

The multigrain rice comes separately next to the stone pot. It has a purplish tint, so it looks hearty from the color alone, doesn't it?

What's in the Spam set's sundubu stew?

The sundubu stew in Bapjangin's Spam set has big chunks of soft tofu, zucchini, onion, Spam and meat. There's more stuff than broth.

Looking into the pot, the tofu is in big pieces, and you can see zucchini and onion too. Spam and meat are packed in as well!

When I gave it a stir, tofu, zucchini, onion and meat were packed all the way to the bottom.

When you scoop with a spoon, the tofu and zucchini come up together. The tofu chunks are so big that it looks generous just to the eye! Again, there's more stuff than broth.

How big are the Spam and meat pieces?

The Spam is cut thick. When I put it on my spoon, two pieces stacked up on it!

The meat filled a whole spoonful too. It's bite-sized, so it was easy to scoop up with rice.

Even with a slice of Spam on top of the rice, it's still a generous size, right?

I topped the multigrain rice one thing at a time: meat once, Spam once, then tofu and zucchini too.

Finishing with seaweed-flake bibimbap

At Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch, seaweed flakes are left on the table so you can mix them into your multigrain rice. I scooped just as much as I wanted into a cup.

You don't dump the whole thing in; you take only what you need!

I mixed the seaweed flakes into the multigrain rice and took a big spoonful! I alternated it with the stew.

Who is Bapjangin's 1-person Spam set at Seoul Express Bus Terminal for?

That day at Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch, I had sundubu stew, Spam, meat, multigrain rice and three side dishes! Sides → stew → toppings on rice → seaweed-flake bibimbap, so I enjoyed one bowl twice over.

When you want a filling Korean meal at Gotto, think of the 1-person Spam set (sundubu) at Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch. The stew, multigrain rice and sides all come at once, so it works well before or after your bus. It's open from 10:00 to 22:00 with last order at 21:10, so dinner works too. There's a waiting area and groups are welcome, so it's comfortable whether you go alone or with a crowd.

Gotto is so busy that it's easy to miss mealtime. This is a Korean restaurant in the B1 food court where you can sit down and eat right away, so it's worth remembering.

• Anyone eating before or after using the terminal
• Anyone looking for a good solo-dining spot
• Anyone who likes stew with Spam in it
• Anyone having Korean food with a group

If you're looking for a restaurant near Express Bus Terminal Station or a solo meal spot at Gotto, I highly recommend Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch!