Alcohol-free Nampo-dong bar night: tomato cheese chicken pot, Budan

Hi everyone haha! I was looking for a place to have a light drink with a friend in Nampo-dong and ended up at Budan Nampo Branch (부단 남포점) ‼️ This time I ordered the tomato cheese waterfall boneless chicken thigh skewer.

🍅 With plenty of tomato sauce and 🧀 cheese, it tasted almost like pizza, and with whole boneless chicken thighs and rice cake to pick at, it was fun to eat 👍

Where is Budan Nampo Branch, and what are the hours?

Budan Nampo Branch is on the 2nd floor at 6 Gwangbok-ro, Jung-gu, Busan, 289m from Jagalchi Station Exit 3. It's open Sunday–Thursday 17:00 to 2:00 the next day, and Friday–Saturday 17:00 to 4:00 the next day.

• 📍 6 Gwangbok-ro, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea (2F)
• 🚇 289m from Jagalchi Station Exit 3
• 🕒 Sun–Thu 17:00–02:00 (next day)
• 🕒 Fri–Sat 17:00–04:00 (next day)
• ⏰ Sun–Thu last order 01:00
• ⏰ Fri–Sat last order 03:00
• ✅ Group seating / reservations / Wi-Fi available

Budan Nampo Branch is located on the 2nd floor!

Inside Budan Nampo Branch: the mood and the window seats

Inside, the lighting is a bit dim, giving off a hip pub vibe. It felt like a great spot for a date or for a group sharing snacks in Nampo-dong.

The lighting overall was calm and moody — it really felt like a proper Nampo-dong bar for an evening drink!

Even for groups, they had storage set up so you could keep your belongings nearby.

There were group tables too, and it seemed like a great spot for a get-together haha.

I sat by the window and people-watched. Being on the 2nd floor made it even better lol.

Ordering by tablet at the table

Every table at Budan Nampo Branch has a tablet, so you can check the menu and order right from your seat. Check out the menu videos too!

Every dish comes with a photo and description, so it was easy to choose even on a first visit. From main snacks to hot pots, noodle dishes, and drinks, the range was wide enough to pick something to your taste 👍

What's on the main menu at Budan Nampo Branch?

I took photos of the detailed descriptions of the main menu items too, so take a look! So many delicious-looking dishes...!!! 🤗 It was a fun spot even for non-drinkers.

The house snack: toast bread with whipped cream

While waiting for my order at Budan Nampo Branch, toast bread and whipped cream came out as the house snack. It tasted like something out of Canmore... a little trip down memory lane. This... I basically ate all of it by myself..😲

Tomato cheese waterfall boneless grilled chicken thigh, 30,000 won

What I ordered was the tomato cheese waterfall boneless chicken thigh 🤗 It cost ₩30,000 and came with boneless chicken thigh in a tomato-sauce base, cheese, and rice cake.

You simmer it right at the table like this. Each table has its own burner, so you can keep eating it hot the whole time 🔥

True to the name 'cheese waterfall,' there was a ton of cheese in it 🧀

You can see it bubbling away deliciously 🥹

With the tomato sauce and cheese together, the whole thing gave off a pizza-like feel. Rather than a strong spicy kick, the sour tang of the tomato sauce and the savory richness of the cheese were the main flavors.

There was just a slight hint of spice at the end, not overwhelming, which I liked ☺️

Whole rice cake sticks were mixed in too, which made it fun to eat.

Topping the sliced chicken thigh with tomato sauce and melted cheese felt like enjoying pizza toppings 🤭 Alternating between the chicken and rice cake kept the dish from feeling one-note the whole way through!

Why skipping alcohol was fine: cherry cola

It's a dish that pairs well with soju or beer, of course

but I ordered a cherry cola instead 🍒

Besides alcohol, there were other drink options too, so it didn't seem hard to find something for a friend who doesn't drink if you visit together 👍

And when paying, there was even a candy for dessert 🍬

Final verdict on Budan Nampo Branch

Budan Nampo Branch was a Nampo-dong bar where you can enjoy an unusual snack menu in dim lighting and a hip atmosphere 🍺

• ✔ Tasty toast and whipped cream house snack
• ✔ Easy to eat since it's boneless: the tomato cheese waterfall chicken thigh skewer
• ✔ A pizza-like cheese combination
• ✔ Fun of picking through chewy rice cake
• ✔ Cherry cola as a drink option instead of alcohol

It's a dish worth trying if you like tomato sauce and cheese, or if you want something different from the usual bar snacks. I'd recommend Budan Nampo Branch to anyone looking for a Nampo-dong restaurant or a spot in Bupyeong-dong to visit with friends haha.