Dangsan bone soup spot for a couple's shared dinner: Ppyeodaegwi

A little while ago, on a weekday evening, my boyfriend and I were trying to decide on a filling dinner, and I was craving something hot and soupy, so we headed to a nearby restaurant! I'd had a big late lunch and thought about eating light, but my mouth felt so greasy that I kept thinking about a soup to settle my stomach. Dangsan Ppyeodaegwi Haejangguk (당산뼈다귀해장국), with decent reviews, happened to be right on our route, so we went!!

Where is Dangsan Ppyeodaegwi Haejangguk, and what about parking?

Dangsan Ppyeodaegwi Haejangguk is at 26 Seonyu-dong 1-ro, 1st floor, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. It's about halfway between Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station and Dangsan Station, so it's very easy to drop by after work.

As for parking, the notice says street parking on the main road is allowed at certain weekday lunch hours, and a few spots are available inside the building on weekends.

Atmosphere on a weekday evening

When we went in, quite a few people were still eating even though it was late.

It felt perfect for office workers from the area to stop by after work for a casual meal or a drink with their food. Maybe because it hasn't been open long, the place was neat and tidy, and we settled in comfortably.

Menu and how the soup is made

The main soups come in different sizes, and there are basic single-person meals too. There are also squid dishes and pancakes that go well as sides, so there's a good range to choose from.

Reading one side of the menu, I learned that the bones are soaked for 8 hours to draw out the blood, then washed clean and boiled. They're boiled for 2 hours and then left to steep for more than 2 hours, so a lot of care goes into it.

The geotjeori (fresh kimchi) and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) served as basic side dishes are also all made in-house, which got me even more excited ( ᐛ )و

After a big lunch: one extra-large bone soup instead of gamjatang

We had overeaten at lunch, so a gamjatang (pork bone stew) seemed like too much. After some thought, we decided on one extra-large bone soup from the meal section plus a chive pancake on the side!

The soup came in a big earthenware pot, and true to the extra-large size, the portion was huge!!

I took a spoonful of broth first, and it tasted deep and rich, as if it had been simmered for a long time!

They didn't skimp on the ugeoji (dried cabbage leaves) either, which made the broth even more savory.

How was the meat in the extra-large bone soup?

I moved the meat to my small plate and gently pulled the lean meat off, and there was so much meat clinging to the bones

that thick chunks of meat came right off with just a few moves.

There was nothing tough about it, just a tender, moist texture, and dipping it lightly in the mustard sauce cut the greasiness completely.

I scooped a big spoonful of rice, dunked it in the broth, and topped it with thick meat and well-cooked ugeoji, and my stomach felt instantly relieved. My boyfriend said the broth was rich and enjoyed it too!!

Pairing the bone soup with squid chive pancake

While we were happily eating the soup, the golden-fried side dish, squid chive pancake (ojingeo buchujeon), arrived.

It was packed tightly with chives, with plump squid studded all through it. The outside was fried crisp, almost as if deep-fried in oil, and every time I tore off an edge, the nutty flavor filled my mouth.

Dipping it lightly in salty soy sauce and chewing the springy squid and chives together was a lot of fun. The match of a rich, hearty soup with a crispy, oily pancake was far better than I expected, and so addictive.

One large soup and one pancake for two: was it enough?

One extra-large bone soup and one squid chive pancake left us both so full we were out of breath. At first I wasn't very hungry and worried whether we could finish it all, but the two dishes went so well together that I couldn't stop. Chatting with my boyfriend as we ate, before we knew it the plates and the pot were empty. The portion is really substantial, and we left breathless and satisfied!!

This time we had it as a meal, but seeing gamjatang boiling at the tables around us made me really curious about that too!! Next time I'd like to come with a bit more room in my stomach, add some different sari (extra noodles and add-ins), and even finish with fried rice as a full course.

Rice and broth refills are available, so it seems like a generous place where anyone can eat their fill. If you want a hearty, properly made meal near Dangsan Station or Yeongdeungpo-gu Office, Dangsan Ppyeodaegwi Haejangguk is worth a visit (•͈ᴗ•͈)