Songpa Korean restaurant with fire-grilled pork: Boseung Hoegwan

When the mornings and evenings start getting a little cool like they have lately, I suddenly find myself craving a steaming bowl of gukbap (rice soup), haha. This time, I was looking for somewhere in Bangi-dong for a hearty meal and visited Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch (보승회관 방이점).

Along with sundae guk and suyuk gukbap, they have fire-grilled pork, sundae, and boiled pork dishes, so we tried ordering a bit of everything, haha.

Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch in Bangi-dong's food alley

Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch is easy enough to find around Bangi-dong's food alley. The front of the restaurant has a big sign saying it specializes in sundae and suyuk gukbap, so it caught my eye right away as I passed by, haha.

Rather than feeling like a typical gukbap spot from the outside, it had the clean feel of a franchise restaurant, which made it easy to walk into. I visited in the evening, and its brightly lit sign made it stand out even more, haha.

An easygoing interior for solo meals or groups

Inside, the wood-toned tables and dark walls create a calm atmosphere. There was a decent amount of space between tables, and it looked suitable whether you came alone for a bowl of gukbap or with a group, haha.

There were also notices on the wall about Boseung Hoegwan's sundae and gukbap. They explained that fatty parts and unsightly blood vessels are trimmed from the head meat used in sundae guk, and that the sundae is made in their own hygiene-managed facility. These days, I somehow end up reading every little explanation like that, haha.

Boseung Hoegwan Bangi Branch menu and prices

The menu was quite varied, from meal-friendly gukbap such as sundae gukbap, suyuk gukbap, and pork jowl suyuk gukbap to shareable dishes like assorted boiled pork, sundae-and-offal hot pot, and fire-grilled pork. That day, we ordered pork jowl suyuk gukbap for ₩13,000, sliced sundae for ₩7,000, seasoned pollock salad for ₩4,000, and fire-grilled pork for ₩8,000.

For ₩32,000 total, we had one gukbap with several side dishes and made it a really generous meal, haha. You order on a tablet at the table, so it was easy to compare the menu photos and prices while choosing, haha.

Basic sides that go well with gukbap

The basic sides included kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi), kimchi, and chives. At a gukbap restaurant, you honestly do not need flashy side dishes as long as the kkakdugi and chives are done right, haha. I especially love adding chives to hot gukbap because they add such a nice aroma to the broth, haha.

It was convenient that you could use the self-service station for more side dishes.

Hot, rich pork jowl suyuk gukbap

The pork jowl suyuk gukbap was the first thing that really caught my eye. It arrived bubbling away in its earthenware bowl, with plenty of scallions over the pale, rich broth, and just looking at it felt satisfying, haha.

The broth was quite rich without being overly heavy, and the savory, tender texture distinctive to pork jowl boiled pork suited the gukbap well. Adding chives to taste definitely made it feel cleaner and fresher, haha.

Sliced sundae with three varieties to try

The sliced sundae was more interesting than I expected, too. Instead of just one type, the plate held sundae with different colors and textures, which made it fun to compare them one by one, haha.

From a chewy sundae to one with a softer filling, each had a different character, making it a nice side order. Dip one lightly in salt, then have a spoonful of gukbap broth—such a classic gukbap restaurant combination, haha.

Fire-grilled pork with a real smoky aroma

Personally, the menu item I quietly loved that day was the fire-grilled pork. It arrived hot on an iron plate, and the thinly sliced meat had that distinctive smoky aroma from direct-fire grilling, making it savory and rich, haha.

It was fine on its own, but eating it with chives cut through the richness, so it went down even better. The meal might have felt a little lacking with gukbap alone, but adding the fire-grilled pork made the table feel much more abundant, haha.

The seasoned pollock salad had a spicy, tangy dressing that was great for refreshing the palate now and then, haha. Having a piece between the heavier dishes—the gukbap, sundae, and fire-grilled pork—made for a pretty good combination.

It was a nice place to stop by when you are craving a warm bowl of gukbap in Bangi-dong, or when you want to have various sundae and boiled pork dishes together, haha. Ordering the pork jowl suyuk gukbap and adding either sliced sundae or fire-grilled pork would make for a hearty meal, haha.