Seocho Korean restaurant for solo soft tofu stew: Bapjangin

If you're looking for a solo Korean meal at Express Bus Terminal

Whenever I have to go to the Express Bus Terminal, there is one thing I quietly find myself wondering: “What should I eat today?” There are so many restaurants and places to shop at the terminal, but when you are eating alone, you end up looking for somewhere you can walk into comfortably. I tend to come back to Korean food in the end no matter how many choices there are, so that day too, I looked for a neat place to have a meal. Then I found Bapjangin Express Bus Terminal Branch (밥장인)! It has solo seats that are great for dining alone, and the menu is centered on Korean food, so I decided on this place. If you were looking for somewhere to eat alone at Express Bus Terminal, take note.

A location that was easy to find at Express Bus Terminal

I found it on the first floor before heading up toward the flower shops from the Express Bus Terminal. When using the terminal, you often have to get moving according to the time, so a restaurant's location matters more than you might think. I was not planning to wander around for long before eating that day, so I was looking for somewhere easy to access. Bapjangin was on the first floor, so it looked like a fine place to stop by for a meal as I passed. In particular, lots of people travel alone through Express Bus Terminal or have a quick meal before or after meeting someone, and it felt like a good atmosphere for those situations.

Solo seats that were comfortable to use

Once I went in, I saw there were more varied seating options than I had expected. What especially caught my eye was the individual tables. When you come to eat alone, having a spot where you can sit by yourself is definitely more comfortable than sitting at a two-person table and feeling conscious of everyone around you. I saw quite a few other people dining alone that day too. So I naturally settled into a solo seat. If you need to eat alone at Express Bus Terminal, this seating setup would feel quite welcome. I thought it would also be nice for quickly eating before heading out from the terminal, or when you get hungry while shopping and want a proper meal.

Why I ordered the soft tofu and potato stew

Since I was visiting alone, I chose my menu while sitting at the solo table. I debated for a moment while looking at the menu, but that day I was very firmly in the mood for Korean food. In the end, I ordered sundubu gamja-jjigae (soft tofu and potato stew)! With potatoes in the stew too, it sounded filling from the name alone. The price range was not too burdensome either, so it seemed like a good option when looking for a simple meal at Express Bus Terminal. Meals around the terminal can sometimes add up more than expected depending on the menu, but I could order comfortably that day.

A meal served with side dishes

Seasoned shredded radish, kimchi, and bean sprouts came with it. When you order stew at a Korean restaurant, these basic side dishes are quietly important too, right? Rather than having just a stew set down in front of you, a few side dishes to eat with rice make the meal feel much more abundant. And the side dishes that came out that day suited my taste well.

The soft tofu and potato stew with rice

Here is the soft tofu and potato stew I ordered at last. The stew and rice came together in a portion that was good for one person. Personally, I liked this kind of single-person meal setup. Going with two people is fun because you can order several dishes and share them, but when I am eating alone, it is more comfortable to enjoy one menu item properly. Especially when eating at a terminal, sometimes it is easier to have just one stew and one bowl of rice, then get moving, rather than make it a big meal. As its name suggests, the soft tofu and potato stew had both soft tofu and potatoes in it, and the broth was the kind that goes well with rice.

Soft tofu stew with roasted seaweed flakes

Each table had gimjaban, roasted and seasoned seaweed flakes, ready to use. It may seem like no big deal, but when it is there while you eat rice, you keep reaching for it, right? I liked being able to sprinkle as much as I wanted over my rice. I sprinkled a little gimjaban over the rice and ate it with the soft tofu stew, and yes, it was a great combination. The soft tofu was really tender too. It went down so smoothly when I scooped it up with a spoon, which made it nice to eat with the stew broth.

My thoughts on dining alone at Express Bus Terminal

What I felt from visiting Bapjangin alone this time was that it is quite an easy place to stop by for anyone looking for a solo Korean meal at Express Bus Terminal. Because Express Bus Terminal is such a large place, your route matters when you are looking for a meeting place or somewhere to eat. Especially on days when you are on your own, a place with single-person meals is more comfortable than waiting a long time or choosing from menus set up for several people. In that respect, I liked that Bapjangin has solo seats. If you enjoy quietly eating by yourself like I do, I think it would be a good place to have a meal without feeling burdened.