Squid stir-fry at a Hongdae restaurant open at 3pm: Bap Jangin

Where is Bap Jangin Hongdae Branch, and what is it like inside?

Bap Jangin Hongdae Branch is a Korean restaurant on the 1st floor of 16 Yangwha-ro 18an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It was easy to swing by for a meal after shopping or hanging out in Hongdae :)

The exterior was clean and easy to spot while walking by, and once inside there were more tables than I expected. I saw people dining alone as well as friends and couples, so it felt like a comfortable place to eat. Most surprising was that even at around 3pm there were hardly any empty tables — I was a little shocked. Seeing so many people eating that late in Hongdae, this must be a Korean restaurant locals return to often!!!

A waitlist sign... I imagine it gets really packed at lunchtime!!!??

It was clean, with two-top and four-top tables clearly separated, which I liked.

What we ordered at Bap Jangin and which side dishes came with it

That day at Bap Jangin Hongdae Branch we ordered pork kimchi jjigae with rice, squid stir-fry with rice, and two pieces of grilled spam.

There was kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, and fresh chili peppers. I love seasoned bean sprouts so I refilled it three times haha.

Every table had seaweed flakes, so mixing them into rice with a bit of sesame oil was already delicious without anything else ...!!!!!

Two pieces of grilled spam as a side order

The two pieces of grilled spam we ordered arrived!!! I already wanted to wrap it in warm rice...

Spam with warm rice — do I even need to say more haha

Squid stir-fry with a strong smoky flavor and rich sauce

The spicy seasoning went so well with rice that this was another dish that devoured whole bowls. Squid stir-fry tastes even better piled on top of rice than eaten on its own lol. Other places tend to make it with a lighter sauce, but Bap Jangin's squid stir-fry — a Hongdae Korean restaurant favorite — has strong smoky flavor and richer seasoning, so it's even tastier!!!

Pork kimchi jjigae ordered extra spicy

The pork kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) I'd been looking forward to! Kimchi jjigae really is only its true self eaten with rice haha. Having a spoonful of rice together with the hot stew felt like a solid, filling meal ㅜㅜ. Pork and kimchi is such a familiar combination that it's easy to enjoy no matter your taste, and eating it with rice, my spoon kept going back for more... I ordered it spicier than the default, and it was genuinely spicy and so delicious!!!? Exactly the kind of broth I love ㅠㅠㅠ

Warm rice with seaweed flakes... is it okay to keep eating like this? lol At other places they give you seaweed flakes and then clear them away, so you have to ask for a refill, but here every table had its own, which was so convenient!

The squid pieces were big and chunky, great to pick up with rice, but looking closer I noticed rice cakes mixed in between the squid too?? I thought it was just squid, but there was chewy rice cake in there as well!!!! It was fun picking through and finding them here and there. The seasoning is spicy in a way that goes so well with rice, so putting a piece of squid and a piece of rice cake on rice together kept me reaching back for more 💙

Where to eat home-style Korean food in Hongdae

You know those days in Hongdae when you don't want pasta or a burger, but a hot bowl of stew and rice instead? A place like this is exactly what comes to mind. It felt like home cooking, so I think I'll definitely come back whenever I'm craving that.

My husband said every single dish devoured rice, and ordered a second bowl — he ended up eating two full bowls lol (about to burst...)

Why no break time is the best part of Bap Jangin

What I liked most about eating at Bap Jangin was, of course, that there's no break time. For those of us eating at an awkward hour like 3pm, there aren't actually that many restaurants open ...ㅠㅠ. Along with kimchi jjigae, dishes like squid stir-fry and grilled spam pair so well with rice that it also worked well for a group sharing several dishes. If you're looking for a proper Korean restaurant in Hongdae and want a real meal, I highly recommend Bap Jangin!