Spicy bone kalguksu at a Hapjeong noodle restaurant: Pyeongidambaek

But this is my own space, so no lies here.

Of course this includes a self-paid visit ~

Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu, my go-to bossam spot in Hapjeong, is my repeat restaurant!!! No matter who I bring, they praise how well they cook here hahahahaha. The bossam slices aren't prettily cut, they're chunky and rustic, but it's so good...

But since the restaurant's name centers on kalguksu, the noodles are killer too... every menu item is a thumbs-up at this Hapjeong Korean restaurant, Pyeongidambaek — my review coming up~

Pyeongidambaek hours, break time and location in Hapjeong

Pyeongidambaek Ppyeo Kalguksu Main Branch is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. Last order is at 14:30 and 21:30.

• 🕖 Open daily 11:00–22:00
• 🕠 Break time 15:00–17:00
• ❗️Last order 14:30 / 21:30

It's about an 8-minute walk from Mangwon or Hapjeong Station, and for those like me who can't read the Hanja in

The interior is pretty spacious so I don't think you'd usually wait, but on my last visit all but two tables were full. Most seats are toward the front, but there are also four tables further inside — I sat there last time and it was really cozy and nice.

What to order at Pyeongidambaek: bossam and kalguksu combinations

As a repeat customer, let me say this: at Pyeongidambaek, a Hapjeong Korean restaurant favorite, order the bossam right now❗️ Order the bibim kalguksu right now❗️ For the soup noodles, whether anchovy or bone broth, go with whichever you like.

• 📌Bossam (medium) - ₩42,000
• 📌Spicy bone kalguksu - ₩12,500
• 📌Bibim kalguksu - ₩11,500
• 📌Noodle upsize - ₩1,000

The table next to us was two people sharing a medium bossam and one kalguksu, but I don't know how to eat like that lol. The bibim kalguksu that blew me away last time, I got as a large, and since I had anchovy kalguksu last time, this time I tried the bone version~

Every time I come to Pyeongidambaek, this makgeolli always catches my eye ㅠ Bongpyeong buckwheat makgeolli is one I haven't tried, and the bottle is so pretty I want to, but I never manage to time it right ㅠㅠ If I have a dream, it's coming on a weekend or weekday afternoon for bossam, kalguksu, and makgeolli? haha

The side dish that matters: napa cabbage kimchi

The tasty kimchi comes out first, and the kkakdugi (radish kimchi) has that familiar good flavor!

Personally I think the napa cabbage kimchi is much tastier than the kkakdugi. It's basically kimchi born to go with kalguksu, and despite its intense color it isn't that spicy.

Medium bossam, 42,000 won: thick, rustically sliced pork

Bossam (medium). Comes with the pork alongside baby napa cabbage, radish kimchi, ssamjang and salted shrimp, garlic, and chili ~ The baby cabbage costs extra if you refill, but both last time and this time the portion was generous enough that it wasn't a problem.

At Pyeongidambaek, this Hapjeong bossam favorite, they just slice the meat rustically and it's so good ㅠㅠ The lean-to-fat ratio was nearly 50/50, which suited my taste, though people who like leaner bossam might find it a bit much.

Maybe because the pork isn't shaped neatly, it feels like it has more varied texture... as a proper Hapjeong bossam spot, there's zero gaminess and it's incredibly tender.

Put the meat on baby cabbage, add salted shrimp, then top with chili dipped in ssamjang and radish kimchi — it's heavenly ㅠㅠ Eating it this way, you never get sick of it, it just keeps going down. The radish kimchi isn't too sweet either, just a mild flavor that pairs perfectly with the meat!

Spicy pork bone kalguksu, 12,500 won: stir in all the dadegi

The spicy bone kalguksu, ordered for the first time. Under the egg ribbon and scallions are two big chunks of meat and the noodles!!

There's also a rice version, ppyeotang-bap, instead of noodles, so if you prefer rice to noodles, that's an option too. Of course I'll eat both — scoop out the noodles first, then mix in rice afterward, right? ㅠㅠ

And for the spicy menu, stir in all the seasoning paste❗️ Apparently that's the tastiest way to eat it, so you should definitely follow that rule.

The paste comes in one thick scoop like this, and it's quite dense, so stir it with both a spoon and chopsticks — the broth turns incredibly spicy and deep... it has a heaviness that anchovy kalguksu just can't give, and it's so good!

You can dip the meat inside into the sauce they provide, but the sauce isn't as intense as expected, so you could even dunk it fully and eat it with a spoon. The meat is well deboned and tender, really delicious.

When you order bossam, anchovy kalguksu drops from ₩10,500 to ₩5,000, so technically ordering anchovy is the better deal, but the spicy bone kalguksu was so good I don't regret my choice at all... hahahahahahaha ㅠㅠ To try the anchovy, bone, and bibim versions, going with three people would be the absolute best ^_^

The napa cabbage kimchi at this Hapjeong Korean restaurant favorite really is kimchi born for kalguksu — eating them together is a perfect match!!!!

Upsized bibim kalguksu piled with toppings

The bibim kalguksu that shocked me on my last visit. Here's the visual with all the toppings piled on — egg ribbon, lettuce, cucumber, ground meat, sesame seeds, perilla seed powder, and more.

Under the toppings, the noodles are already mixed with the sauce, so you don't need to toss it yourself, which is really convenient.

Eat this when you've lost your appetite and it'll come right back... the sweet-and-sour sauce flavor is seriously insane. Since the noodles are cold, they're less soft and more chewy and bouncy, and paired with the sauce it's out of control...

If it were just noodles, seaweed flakes, and lettuce, it probably wouldn't have hit this hard, but with ground meat and even nutty perilla powder as extra ingredients, the flavor gets maximized even more ㅠㅠ Of all the bibim kalguksu I've had in my life, this is hands-down number one.

A power combo. Piling bibim kalguksu and bossam together on top of baby cabbage.

Worth a revisit? What two people managed to finish

Just two of us, but this place makes you clean every plate... a legendary, absolutely delicious bossam spot in Hapjeong...

I already knew Pyeongidambaek, my Hapjeong favorite, cooked well, but the bone kalguksu I tried this time was so good it really hit me that everything here is delicious. And most of all, the ajumma greeted us with a smile from the moment we walked in until we finished and left — she seemed like the model example of someone who does her job with joy and gratitude. She was so kind that it made the meal even more pleasant.