Dongguk University kalguksu with N Seoul Tower view: Nagwon-ui Soba

I went to Nagwon-ui Soba near Dongguk University, a great-value spot where you can get jangkalguksu, tonkatsu, and bossam all in one visit. It's close to Dongguk University too, so I highly recommend it to anyone looking for restaurants near Dongguk University ♥

Where is Nagwon-ui Soba, and where do you park? Mukjeong Park lot, 5 minutes on foot

Nagwon-ui Soba is located near Dongguk University, and you can actually see N Seoul Tower behind the restaurant, so it's nice to take a walk toward Namsan after eating. I walked around Namsan after my meal and it was really lovely.

I parked at the Mukjeong Park public parking lot before visiting. There's no parking support from the restaurant, but the public lot is cheap, so we just walked about 5 minutes from there.

The 2nd-floor window seats and how long the wait is

Going up to the 2nd floor of the building, you get a lush green view. The sunlight was really strong that day so the blinds were down, but I think the view must be really pretty at sunset ♥

We visited at the somewhat awkward hour of 2:30pm and there were still quite a lot of people eating! It seems to be a well-known great-value spot among office workers near Euljiro too, since it's packed even on weekends.

Nagwon-ui Soba menu and the review event

📍Please check the photos above for the menu📍 There were so many options that it took me forever to choose. Everything looked delicious, so I agonized over what to order.

There's also a review event running, with a variety of prizes like a prize draw, soba meal vouchers, and free drinks, so it was fun to spend time on it before and after the food arrived 🪄🪄

Jangkalguksu set: thick broth plus half a tonkatsu

The jangkalguksu set at Nagwon-ui Soba comes with jangkalguksu plus half a tonkatsu. I started with the jangkalguksu I'd been looking forward to. True to its name, the broth was thick and rich, clinging nicely to the noodles.

Jangkalguksu can easily turn out heavy and cloying if done wrong, but this one had a clean finish despite the rich flavor, so I ended up scraping the bowl clean. The noodles held their bite without going mushy, so even eating just the noodles gave you the full rich flavor jangkalguksu is known for!

Ordering the set gets you half a tonkatsu on the side, and I was surprised by how generous the portion was! It's not an especially unique or bold-flavored style, just an honest tonkatsu that anyone can enjoy without hesitation.

Dipping it in the tonkatsu sauce that came with it, then taking a sip of jangkalguksu broth, was such a great combination. It was an excellent side choice, so I'd recommend ordering the set if you're getting a noodle dish.

Small bossam: the lean-to-fat ratio is spot on

Bossam is the famous main dish at Nagwon-ui Soba. I actually came here drawn in by the bossam, so my expectations were high — and to cut to the chase, I'd absolutely recommend ordering it .. ♥

The lean-to-fat ratio was just right, so it was neither too dry nor too greasy — a perfect flavor. Once in your mouth, the lean meat chews soft while the fatty part keeps everything moist and balanced, so even eating the meat plain with nothing else, it had no off odor and was so, so, so good I wanted a beer.

The side dishes served with bossam are ssam vegetables (wrap greens), kimchi, seasoned pollock, and dried radish strips. The bossam is already delicious on its own, but eating it with these homemade sides and vegetables added a nice crunchy texture — a great combination.

My personal favorite combo was bossam + cheongyang chili pepper + seasoned pollock — if you usually like spicy food, this will blow your mind. It was so tender .. ugh, I want to eat it again.

A Namsan walk after lunch, and the verdict on Nagwon-ui Soba

If you want a great-value meal with lots of variety near Dongguk University or Euljiro, I'd recommend having a hearty meal at Nagwon-ui Soba, a kalguksu spot near Euljiro, and then taking a walk near Dongguk University afterward ♥