Korean dinner and drinks in Jonggak: ₩40,000 octopus set, Bonghyejane

After work, my section chief and I said, "Let's not just eat tonight, let's have a drink too!" So we looked for a dinner spot around Jonggak and ended up at Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch (봉혜자네주방 종로타워점)!

As you can see, it's a Korean place where you can have a hearty meal and a drink at the same time. I'd recommend it to anyone wondering where to go for dinner plus drinks after work, and to office workers hunting for a Jonggak lunch spot too! haha (My section chief was genuinely happy with it, so I was feeling proud, proud!! haha)

Where is Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, and what are the hours?

As the name says, it's on B2 of Jongno Tower, right in front of Exit 3-1 of Jonggak Station. It's open daily 11:00–21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 16:30 and last order at 20:00.

• Address: B2, 51 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Hours: daily 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:30
• Last order: 20:00

Being inside Jongno Tower, access gets a pass right away! It's right by Exit 3-1 of Jonggak Station, and in the middle of an area full of offices, so whether it's a lunch meeting or an after-work dinner, planning your way home is really easy!

The inside was also tidier than I expected, with plenty of tables, so it felt comfortable for office lunches and for a casual after-work drink like ours~

I had no idea, but it's a Hibap & Jung Jun-ha hangout spot! haha

Hearing that famous mukbang (eating show) personalities have been here made me trust it a little more?!

What comes with the ₩40,000 spicy jjukkumi set?

We ordered the spicy jjukkumi stir-fry set for ₩40,000! Honestly, at first I thought we'd just have a nakji (octopus) stir-fry meal with a glass of beer. But as you'll see below, we'd have kicked ourselves if we hadn't ordered the set!!

The food comes out in order. First came the jjukkumi stir-fry with pumpkin porridge, acorn jelly and rice, and I thought, oh... this alone would be pretty good!

On top of that, we added ₩1,000 through the Naver review event to get flat dumplings too. Jjukkumi is pricey to begin with, so I thought, oh... with this much, it must be famous as a Jonggak rice spot,

How were the taste and portion of the jjukkumi stir-fry?

First, the jjukkumi sauce is delicious! The main jjukkumi stir-fry is for two, but the portion was generous, which I liked haha. It's spicy but not just blindly hot; it's slightly sweet with a savory depth, the kind you keep reaching for!

I don't even like rice much, but with a whole pile of springy jjukkumi, I couldn't not eat it!! The jjukkumi had a lively chew, and the sauce soaked evenly into the cabbage and other ingredients too, so it was tasty even without rice!

Why jjolmyeon goes so well with jjukkumi stir-fry

And the jjolmyeon (chewy wheat noodles), which I secretly loved! Why does it go so well with jjukkumi stir-fry? It soaks up just the right amount of the jjukkumi sauce, so you keep alternating one bite of jjukkumi, one bite of noodles. Totally delicious... it felt like eating jjukkumi stir-fry and spicy mixed jjolmyeon at the same time! haha

Is it good as an after-work drinking snack in Jonggak?

So the jjukkumi set is a truly excellent choice for drinking snacks. We came for drinks after work, so at first I thought of it as snacks rather than a meal, but as we ate it turned out to be both snack and meal, which made it even better! haha

And as the dishes came out one by one... it was so generous I thought, "Wait, is all this ours?" Now I see why it's called a Hibap and Jung Jun-ha spot! haha

The set sides aren't just filler

Usually a set menu means one main and a few sides in tiny amounts! But the jjukkumi set at Bonghyejane, a Jonggak rice spot, comes out one dish at a time like a proper course meal!

Side: pork belly bossam

The pork belly bossam (boiled pork wraps) came with what looked like seasoned dried radish strips, and it was soft and nutty, like ordering a half portion of bossam separately. The drinks just kept going down, so it was a top drinking snack!

Side: fried flounder

I was especially surprised that fried flounder came out too. After spicy jjukkumi, crispy, light fried fish felt like a palate reset, so I really enjoyed it~♥

Overall verdict on Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch

The sauce was so sweet and savory that we kept drinking quite a bit afterwards, and with acorn jelly on the table, the lineup was solid enough that I'd even bring my parents. If you're looking for Korean food in Jonggak, a place with a full spread like Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch is worth a visit over a place that serves just one main!

• Recommended as a Jonggak office-worker lunch
• A good Korean restaurant for after-work drinks in Jonggak