Chungmuro Station hangover jang kalguksu with bossam: Nagwon-ui Soba

After work on a Friday, my boyfriend and I decided to have dinner together near Chungmuro Station for the first time in a while. Gangnam gets way too crowded on Friday evenings these days, so this time we deliberately picked Chungmuro to meet up instead.

But once we actually met up, we were still stuck on what to eat, haha. We'd been eating a lot of trendy stuff lately, so we were craving something a bit different, and kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) and bossam (boiled pork wraps) suddenly sounded amazing — so I searched for good restaurants in Chungmuro right away.

Where Nagwon-ui Soba Chungmuro Station Main Branch is, and its hours

That's how I found Nagwon-ui Soba Bossam Kalguksu Chungmuro Station Main Branch! It's only about a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Chungmuro Station, so the accessibility was really good. Coming out of Exit 1 and walking straight ahead, you'll see a building with a BBQ chicken restaurant — Nagwon-ui Soba is on the second floor of that same building.

Nagwon-ui Soba Bossam Kalguksu Chungmuro Station Main Branch Location: 295m from Exit 1 of Chungmuro Station Hours: Daily 10:00–22:00 Last order: 21:00 Parking: Available, use the paid parking lot in the Starbucks building in front (₩5,000 for the first 60 minutes)

Friday evening at Nagwon-ui Soba: atmosphere and seating

Heading up to the second floor, it was, unsurprisingly, packed since it was Friday evening. There were plenty of tables of coworkers out for team dinners, some solo diners, and couples like us too — it felt like a place that draws all kinds of customers. The seating ranged from tables for two up to larger tables for bigger groups.

So it seemed like a good spot for a solo lunch, and equally good in the evening with friends or coworkers. It struck me as a solid option for anyone looking for a Chungmuro or Euljiro team dinner spot too.

What two people ordered: bossam (small), pollock hoe makguksu, jang kalguksu

The menu was broadly divided into bossam, buckwheat noodles, tonkatsu, and kalguksu. We were so hungry that we didn't just pick one thing — we ordered a generous spread of everything, haha.

What we ordered: bossam (small) + pollock hoe makguksu + jjang kalguksu!

Pollock hoe makguksu made with house-pressed buckwheat noodles

Apparently Nagwon-ui Soba kneads and cuts its own buckwheat noodles fresh every morning to make its cold soba and buckwheat soba. I'd heard that people working or studying near Dongguk University and Euljiro, not just Chungmuro, line up here for lunch, and since they use handmade buckwheat noodles, I was curious to try it myself.

Does the jang kalguksu at Nagwon-ui Soba cure a hangover?

The jjang kalguksu and pollock hoe makguksu arrived first. On days like these, when the temperature swings so much between day and night, nothing beats a hot bowl of soup! The jjang kalguksu was a spicy knife-cut noodle soup with egg in the broth, topped with nutty sesame seeds and crumbled seaweed.

Since I'd had way too much to drink at a work dinner the night before, this really felt like proper hangover food. The broth was wonderfully spicy and savory, with a strong anchovy-stock flavor that I think any Korean would love.

The noodles were also super chewy, and the texture went great with the broth. Personally, as a hangover cure, this dish was seriously satisfying!

The pollock hoe makguksu was a mixed buckwheat noodle dish piled high with minari (water dropwort), beef, and various vegetables. Above all, the pollock hoe (raw seasoned pollock) itself was really tasty, and there was a generous portion of it.

Being handmade, the noodles had a great chewy texture on their own, and they paired well with the tangy, savory pollock hoe and vegetables. This dish especially shone when eaten together with the bossam that came out later — the combination was seriously good.

What comes with the 350g bossam (small) spread

We were still working through the noodle dishes when the main event, the bossam, finally arrived. Apparently they boil the pork three times a day, so it's always fresh.

Ordering the bossam (small) gets you 350g of pork for two, along with crunchy radish, salted cabbage, bossam kimchi, pollock hoe, chili and garlic, cabbage, and perilla leaves. The table filled up completely — it looked generous just from the sight of it.

The portion of meat looked bigger than expected too! The all-important bossam pork, at 350g, had a soft, tender bite rather than being dry, and you could really taste the rich pork flavor. Best of all, with so many side dishes to pair it with, I never got tired of it. The crunchy radish, bossam kimchi, and pollock hoe all played their supporting roles perfectly.

Bossam with pollock hoe: the combination to try

I always like to make a proper wrap when eating bossam. I put the moist bossam pork on a piece of cabbage or perilla leaf, added crunchy radish, garlic, and pollock hoe, and ate it all in one bite — and the combination was incredible. It tasted completely different from eating each element on its own. In particular, pairing the pollock hoe from the makguksu with the bossam meat was amazing — the tangy pollock hoe cut through the richness of the pork, and I kept reaching for more.

I loved that the meat wasn't dry at all, and having so many side dishes to mix and match made the meal genuinely fun. If you're looking for a Chungmuro Station restaurant where you can enjoy bossam and noodles together, this kind of spread would really hit the spot.

Why Nagwon-ui Soba also works for lunch in Chungmuro

After such a generous, delicious Friday dinner, it felt like a great way to wrap up the week. Being able to have bossam, buckwheat noodles, and kalguksu all in one visit gives you a lot of menu options, and I could see why so many different kinds of customers come here.

It also seemed like a great spot for a simple lunch, ordering a single dish like tonkatsu, kalguksu, or buckwheat noodles. I heard it's popular with office workers in Chungmuro at lunchtime, and since they use handmade buckwheat noodles, it should suit noodle lovers well too.

Since Chungmuro is close to Dongguk University, it's also a convenient location for students looking for good restaurants near Dongguk University, or anyone with plans nearby. If you're searching for somewhere to eat around Euljiro, this is worth adding to your list too.

Getting to enjoy bossam, kalguksu, and buckwheat noodles all in one place made this a genuinely satisfying dinner while I was searching for good restaurants in Chungmuro.

They also seem to run various promotions, so it might be worth checking those out if you're planning a visit.

Ending a Friday evening with delicious food and my boyfriend in Chungmuro after a while made me feel like I'd wrapped up the week in style, and we ate really well :) If you're looking for a good restaurant near Chungmuro Station or Dongguk University, or somewhere you can enjoy bossam and kalguksu together, this place is well worth a visit!