Sangsu Station braised rib restaurant for a late dinner: Bongmaruji

I had dinner with a friend at Bongmaruji Hapjeong (봉마루집 합정점), a Sangsu Station spot famous for galbi-jjim (braised short ribs)! There's a super hot escape room nearby, so we made plans to do that, and I ended up discovering another great galbi-jjim place near Sangsu Station haha.

Where is Bongmaruji Hapjeong?

Bongmaruji Hapjeong is a bit closer to Sangsu Station, and you can walk to it from Hongdae, Sangsu and Hapjeong. Hongik Univ. Station is a little far though; Hapjeong Station or Sangsu Station is closer!! We went late on a weekday evening, and there seems to be no parking.

What's on the menu at Bongmaruji?

Galbi-jjim is the main menu at Bongmaruji Hapjeong: galbi-jjim with aged kimchi, spicy galbi-jjim, and soy galbi-jjim!! I took a photo of the menu board in front of the restaurant. We came for the aged kimchi galbi-jjim, and the side menu is solid too.

The atmosphere late at night

It was around 9 pm, but Bongmaruji Hapjeong still had quite a few customers. There was a company dinner table (right next to us,,) and a few tables of people who just came for a meal. There are plenty of tables inside too.

How spicy is aged kimchi galbi-jjim at level 2?

You can choose a spice level for the aged kimchi galbi-jjim at Bongmaruji too, and level 2 was only mildly spicy. I thought only the spicy galbi-jjim let you pick, but the aged kimchi one does too! If you like spicy food, level 3 would probably be good. I find Buldak noodles spicy but can still eat them, and level 2 was just a little kick? It felt like a nicely seasoned galbi-jjim without much heat!!

Side dishes and barley tea

The basic side dishes at Bongmaruji Hapjeong include bean sprouts and yuja-scented pickled radish. You can put the bean sprouts into the galbi-jjim and simmer them together, and the radish had a light yuja scent and was delicious!! It's a great side to go with the spicy galbi-jjim.

Even the water isn't plain water, it's hutgae fruit tea (a barley-like tea said to help after drinking)~~ After trying the galbi-jjim here, it's the kind of dish that makes you crave soju? And with hutgae tea on the table, haha, if you alternate soju and hutgae tea, couldn't you drink a ton of soju~~!!

Aged kimchi galbi-jjim for 2: portion and taste

The aged kimchi galbi-jjim for 2 we ordered was piled with green onion shreds and aged kimchi on top, and there were tons of mushrooms inside. The amount of ribs was pretty generous too.

The aged kimchi galbi-jjim comes almost fully cooked, so you only need to simmer it a little more. Packed with aged kimchi~~~~ it goes really well with rice. No wonder it's famous as a great galbi-jjim place near Sangsu Station. People say it's a Sangsu Station restaurant, but the distance is fine even if you're looking for a Hapjeong Station place haha. If you're looking for a Hongdae or Hapjeong restaurant, definitely stop by.

Is the meat tender?

The galbi-jjim at Bongmaruji has both bone-in and boneless pieces, and the bones came off super easily and the meat itself was so soft~ Not tough at all, no gamey smell, and tender enough to fall apart in your mouth, so I think everyone from kids to grandparents would enjoy it.

The sauce was spicy-sweet too, the classic galbi-jjim.. The sauce soaked in well, so the meat was well seasoned. I got so full while eating that I couldn't even have the fried rice ㅜㅜ It looked like it would be really good though.....

What is jjabaegi at Bongmaruji?

Interestingly, Bongmaruji Hapjeong sells jjabaegi. I had a Coke Zero, my friend had jjabaegi!! It was my first time seeing it: they fill a beer glass with ice plus soju. Seems perfect for a quick, casual drink!!!

While it simmered, we added the bean sprouts too. Bean sprouts go so well with spicy food like this, right haha. The aged kimchi was so good, the green onion shreds matched well, and the sprouts were tasty too. Overall this galbi-jjim was top quality.

Is Bongmaruji Hapjeong worth going back to?

Even at places that specialize in galbi-jjim, many have tough meat and so-so sauce, but Bongmaruji near Sangsu Station is a real galbi-jjim spot. The best part was that it's tender, not tough; the sauce is good, and you can adjust the spice!! The staff were also friendly, which made it better. I'm so sad I missed the fried rice ㅜㅜ next time I'm definitely having it,,,,

I went with a friend and at first we really just ate rice, hahaha we were both hungry and the galbi-jjim was so good, and once we were somewhat full I remember saying, "Hey, this place is good, the meat is tender, they do it well~" haha.

Bongmaruji Hapjeong opens at 11 am, so I'd also recommend it if you have a lunch plan in Hongdae or are looking for a lunch spot in Hapjeong or Sangsu!! On a day you crave spicy galbi-jjim, how about a meal and a drink at Bongmaruji Hapjeong~?