Seogyo-dong gukbap restaurant with side beef yukjeon: Yukjeon Gukbap

Where is Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch and when is it open?

Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch is a Korean restaurant serving gukbap (rice and soup) at 1F, 9-1 World Cup buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, close to Hongik University Station in Seogyo-dong, and it's open 24 hours (closed on Chuseok holiday). I was looking for somewhere to eat a solid meal around Hongdae, so I stopped by.

Hi everyone, this is Chugu, traveling while running.

When you think of Hongdae, pasta places, meat restaurants, or izakayas come to mind first, but sometimes you just crave a proper Korean meal with hot soup poured over rice. So that's why I came.

Inside Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch: seating and solo dining

Walking into Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch, the atmosphere is cleaner and more comfortable than the old-school gukbap restaurants you might picture.

It didn't feel awkward eating alone, and there's also seating for groups, so it seemed like a good spot for anything from a solo meal in Hongdae to office lunches or group dinners.

You order at the table, and there's a self-serve bar where you can grab extra banchan (side dishes) as needed. There's also a small parking area in front of the restaurant, according to the signage. On top of gukbap, the menu includes yukjeon, makguksu (buckwheat noodles), gomtang (bone broth soup) and more, so it wouldn't be hard to find something even if the people you're with have different tastes.

Menu lineup and prices at Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch

I visited alone and ordered the yukjeon gukbap plus a side of yukjeon.

• Beef yukjeon gukbap ₩11,000
• Beef yukjeon ₩16,000

Since the restaurant's name is literally Yukjeon Gukbap, this was the combo I most wanted to try on my first visit. A bowl of hot gukbap plus a separate order of yukjeon on the side made for a surprisingly generous spread.

Basic banchan and the self-serve bar

The basic banchan came out first.

Napa cabbage kimchi, cubed radish kimchi, and pickled onions showed up. All the banchan can be conveniently refilled at the self-serve bar.

Beef yukjeon for ₩16,000 — better with pickled onions

I ordered the beef yukjeon as a ₩16,000 side dish, and yukjeon fried to a golden brown is, of course, best eaten right away while it's warm.

The tender beef coated in egg batter is savory yet light, and while it's good on its own, dipping it lightly in the accompanying sauce adds even more umami.

It could get a bit rich, but eating it together with the pickled onions cut through that with a sharp bite, which made it very enjoyable.

How does the ₩11,000 beef yukjeon gukbap taste?

The beef yukjeon gukbap is ₩11,000, and as soon as it hit the table, I took a sip of the hot broth first. The broth, made with beef and vegetables, paired with the yukjeon had a different charm compared to a typical beef gukbap.

The broth and rice alone were already filling, but eating the yukjeon along the way added a nutty flavor.

Mixing the rice into the broth really brings out that classic hearty gukbap satisfaction.

It would work well for breakfast or lunch, and also on a day after drinking when you're craving hot soup.

Is Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch worth a visit?

Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch isn't about a flashy menu — it's the kind of place to remember when you want a hot, filling meal. Pairing the gukbap, with its broth and rice, with a warm order of yukjeon made for a satisfying meal, and I liked alternating between the two dishes.

Being close to Hongik University Station makes it easy to reach, and being open 24 hours means you have plenty of flexibility on when to eat. If you're craving something warm and hearty instead of pasta or a meat restaurant, this is a gukbap restaurant worth keeping in mind.