Holiday date at a Sinjeongnegeori udon restaurant: Haengbokhan Udon

Haengbokhan Udon Gage Sinjeongnegeori Station Branch

The holidays had just started and I had a spare day, so I went on a date. Cooking at home on a day off felt like too much hassle, so I stopped by Haengbokhan Udon Gage, a Sinjeongnegeori favorite, and had a hearty meal with the classic combo of pork cutlet and udon after a while. I figured the menu choice alone was a guaranteed win, and it turned out even better than expected.

How close is Haengbokhan Udon Gage to Sinjeongnegeori Station Exit 1?

I'd heard it was near Sinjeongnegeori Station, but I didn't expect it to be literally right at the exit. It's a 5-second walk.

I thought it was just an ordinary neighborhood Japanese restaurant, but it turns out it's an all-purpose spot open until 3am, good for both meals and drinks.

Maybe because of all the foot traffic near the station, the place was quite crowded even during the holiday, and delivery bikes kept coming and going too.

The interior had an old-school retro Japanese-restaurant vibe, and the space was spacious and kept clean, which gave me confidence about hygiene too.

With menu prices hovering around ₩10,000, it's an easy-on-the-wallet Sinjeongnegeori favorite, drawing everyone from late-night snackers to families.

Parking, side dishes and the free udon broth

We drove, and there were about 2 parking spots in front of the store. If it's full, there's a public parking lot nearby.

The basic side dishes were napa cabbage kimchi and pickled radish (danmuji) — a classic pairing that goes perfectly with udon and pork cutlet.

If you order something like pork cutlet instead of a soup dish, they give you udon broth on the house, made with the same broth used in the actual dish — really tasty.

You can get extra side dishes from the self-serve bar. The staff were friendly and greeted us warmly, which made the meal even more pleasant.

The signature fish cake udon, loaded with fish cake, for 9,000 won

As the name suggests, udon is the heart of Haengbokhan Udon Gage's menu — basic udon is ₩8,000, and the fish cake udon we chose was ₩9,000.

It was packed with high-quality fish cake (eomuk) that looked like it had a high fish content. You could really taste the difference from the cheap kind — a savory, satisfying flavor.

Even before touching the noodles, the fish cake alone was so generous it felt filling — you could tell they didn't skimp on ingredients.

There was even gim-garu (seasoned seaweed flakes) and fried tofu, which I love — they added extra texture and depth to the anchovy broth.

I'm not a fan of overly thick noodles, so the nicely plump fresh noodles here, which soaked up the broth perfectly, made for a proper, well-made Japanese-style udon — the kind I hadn't had in a while.

How thick is the old-style pork cutlet?

We picked pork cutlet as our second dish to share, and it came on a tray with salad and corn salad — a familiar, old-school setup.

I came here because I heard it was a Sinjeongnegeori favorite for udon, but the pork cutlet was top-tier too. You could tell just by looking at the crust and sauce.

Rice and soup come with it, so I'd recommend it for anyone who wants a really filling meal.

I expected a smaller portion since it's made the old-fashioned way, but it was as big and thick as a jumbo pork cutlet you'd find elsewhere.

Apparently the meat isn't pounded thin before frying — it's a whole cut of raw sirloin fried as is, so it has a satisfying bite and juices still running through it, true to Japanese-style cooking.

Even after eating that much, it never felt greasy or sauce-heavy — I enjoyed it all the way to the last bite. They really know how to make a pork cutlet.

Bibim mandu, the dish to share on the side

We also added a bibim mandu (spicy mixed dumplings), a popular late-night order — fried dumplings mixed with various vegetables in a spicy sauce.

It's tossed with bean sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, and lettuce, so it was light enough to enjoy almost like a salad.

The sauce is apparently made with blended apple, pear, and pineapple — the spiciness was followed by a clean, fruity freshness.

Three dishes for two people, and it still came to under ₩30,000 — Haengbokhan Udon Gage really is a great-value Sinjeongnegeori favorite. Glad we came.

I stopped by while looking for a Sinjeongnegeori favorite, and it turned out to be super accessible with a wide menu selection, making it an easy, no-pressure meal. Being open late is a bonus too — now I'm curious to try other dishes next time.

What I liked about Haengbokhan Udon Gage

• 5-second walk from Sinjeongnegeori Station Exit 1
• Open until 3am
• Spacious, clean retro interior
• Generous fish cake udon that doesn't skimp on ingredients
• Thick, satisfying old-style pork cutlet

Haengbokhan Udon Gage Sinjeongnegeori Station Branch: hours and address

• 📍 Haengbokhan Udon Gage Sinjeongnegeori Station Branch
• 🏠 257 Jungang-ro, 1st floor, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ 10:40am–3:00am (presumed open year-round)
• 🚗 2 parking spots in front of the store; nearby public lot if full