Early 4:30 army stew date by Seongsu Station with churros: Songtan

Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae is a famous army stew spot near Seongsu Station, and with its big space and well-priced menu it's a great pick for a group dinner.

There's so much to see around Seongsu Station, so my husband and I enjoyed a date there for the first time in a while, then went for an early dinner at Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae. Maybe because so many couples come to Seongsu, there are plenty of brunch spots, but it's not easy to find a place for a spicy, soupy dish. That's how we landed on budae jjigae (army stew). Once we got there, the place was huge, the menu was varied and the prices were low, so it looked good for dates like ours and also for company dinners of 10 or more.

How to get to Songtan Jindaegwang Seongsu Branch

Songtan Jindaegwang Budae Jjigae Seongsu Branch is on the 2nd floor of the building right next to Exit 1 of Seongsu Station, so it was super easy to find. Come out of the station, go in through the right side of the building you see, and you'll find it upstairs.

Upstairs you'll see an antique-style entrance, and my husband said the retro vibe is perfect for bringing your boss, haha.

Is it good for a company dinner near Seongsu Station? The big hall and inner room

Songtan Jindaegwang Seongsu Branch has lots of tables plus an extra space at the back, so it looked like a nicely private spot for group gatherings or company dinners. I was surprised by how big it was once I walked in.

We went around 4:30 PM, so there weren't many customers yet. Lots of places have a break time until 5, but Songtan Jindaegwang has none, so you can drop in for a meal whenever you like, which I loved.

What's at the self-bar?

The self-bar at Songtan Jindaegwang has side dishes like kimchi and fish cake as well as rice, all easy to help yourself to. With food prices these days, this seems like a good-value lunch or dinner.

There's also slush, coffee and yogurt for dessert, which is a nice way to finish after spicy food.

Songtan Jindaegwang menu and prices

True to an army stew specialist, the only main dish is budae jjigae, ordered by the number of people^^ It runs from 2 to 4 people, ₩26,000 to ₩52,000.

You can order add-ons (sari) like smoked sausage, assorted sausages or ramen noodles to put in. There are also easy side dishes like fried sundae (Korean blood sausage) and seasoned bunmoja (glass-noodle-style rice cake).

What the two of us ordered: Jindaegwang army stew for 2 and two sides

My husband and I ordered the Jindaegwang army stew for 2 (₩28,000), fried sundae (₩6,000) and sweet bunmoja churros (₩3,500). Right after we ordered, they brought the stew pot and set a timer.

When I lifted the lid before it boiled, there were four kinds of sausage, and plenty of seasoning paste and garlic in the middle, so it looked properly spicy.

Jindaegwang army stew broth flavor and spice level

Once it bubbles a little, the staff stir in the seasoning well, then open the lid and keep boiling. They do all of this for you, so you just wait comfortably.

With all the different sausages, like smoked sausage and Spam, it's fun to pick and choose, and with so much scallion the broth was refreshing like mu-pa-ma ramen (radish, scallion and ramen broth), really good. Even I, who can't handle spicy food, found the heat just right, so kids should be fine with it too.

The ramen add-on is Jin Ramyun, added after topping up the broth

The ramen add-on at Songtan Jindaegwang is Jin Ramyun, so the broth doesn't get oily, which I liked. After we'd eaten a fair amount of rice, we added more broth and put in the ramen. Honestly, at army stew spots the add-on ramen is often a special type that tastes worse than store-bought ramen like this.

With the ramen in, the broth gets thicker and tastes so much better. The noodles soaked up the broth well and were really delicious. I don't usually eat ramen add-ons, but the Jin Ramyun and broth were so good that my husband and I happily shared it, haha.

How were the fried sundae and sweet bunmoja churros?

The fried sundae (₩6,000) had a strong seasoning like the sauce on yangnyeom (seasoned) fried chicken. I'd ordered it imagining something tangy, and I did get the tanginess I wanted. The batter on the sundae isn't thick, so it wasn't heavy and went down easily.

The sweet bunmoja churros (₩3,500) tasted just like the churros we all know, which was amazing. And the bunmoja, which I was trying properly for the first time, was plump and soft and really good.

Songtan Jindaegwang Seongsu Branch: overall verdict

After wandering around Seongsu Station on our date, we wanted something spicy and went into Songtan Jindaegwang, and it was tastier than I expected^^ The price isn't a burden, and the spicy yet refreshing broth with lots of scallion and onion satisfied me most. The sausages are varied so there's plenty to eat, and the roomy, airy hall made the biggest impression.

If your company or group near Seongsu Station is planning a gathering or company dinner, I recommend considering Songtan Jindaegwang, an army stew spot that goes well with drinks!

Hours and parking

• Mon–Fri 11:00 – 21:30
• Sat–Sun 11:30 – 21:00
• No break time
• Parking lot in front of the building available