Korean restaurant in Gangdong, Seoul for family gukbap: Boseung Hoegwan

How close is it to Cheonho Station, and can you visit late at night?

I visited Boseung Hoegwan Cheonho Station Branch (보승회관 천호역점) with my children late on a weekend evening. I had wanted to try it because I had noticed it whenever I passed by on the bus.

The restaurant is on the first floor at 654 Olympic-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, about 88 m from Exit 3 of Cheonho Station. It was open 24 hours when I visited, so we could go in without worrying about the time even well after dinner hours.

Is the restaurant good for families to sit together?

The interior was larger than it looked from outside. I felt it would be spacious enough even for a group, and it was cool and comfortable inside. Each table had a tablet, so we could order without calling over a staff member.

How do you order gukbap and boiled pork together?

We ordered the pork bone hangover soup set meal and the pork jowl boiled-pork set meal. Set meals can be ordered for two or more people, and each person can choose a different menu item. Since you can have boiled pork and sundae (Korean blood sausage) with the gukbap (rice soup) you want, it was good for sharing several dishes.

The boiled pork was placed in the middle and cooked like a hot pot. The broth was milky and fairly clear, and the meat was tender, so the children ate it well too.

There were three different kinds of sundae. We compared them one by one: familiar basic sundae, one packed with meat that felt like a dumpling, and one with plenty of glass noodles.

What did the spicy pork bone hangover soup taste like?

You can choose either regular or spicy pork bone hangover soup. I was craving a pleasantly spicy broth that day, so I ordered the spicy version.

The first bite had a pleasantly spicy kick. The meat was thoroughly cooked in the hot broth. The children could have the clear broth and boiled pork while the adults had the spicy pork bone soup, so it worked reasonably well for sharing different dishes as a family.

How was the extra dish for the children?

Instead of a bowl of plain rice, we added an order of jumeokbap (seasoned rice balls) to share with the children. As soon as it arrived, it had a strong, nutty oil aroma. I could not tell whether it was sesame oil or perilla oil, but I remember the rice balls themselves tasting nutty.

The children ate the rice balls well too. With the boiled pork, clear broth, and rice balls, there was plenty for us to share.

How were the kimchi and kkakdugi with the gukbap?

The kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) was fermented just enough and went well with the hot broth. The kimchi was not very fermented, so it was nice to alternate between it and the kkakdugi.

We finished a satisfying meal with the children, including boiled pork, sundae, rice balls, and gukbap. It was convenient to get to from the station, and I liked that even late in the evening, everyone in the family could choose what they wanted to eat.