Regular vs special beef gukbap at Yukjeon Gukbap, Seogyo-dong Seoul

Today I visited Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch, a great place to go in Hongdae when you want a warm, filling meal. The name itself had me curious — it's a menu with pan-fried beef yukjeon (thin battered beef slices) on top of the gukbap (rice soup), so it has a different charm from a regular gukbap.

• Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch
• 📍 9-1 World Cup buk-ro, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ Hours: 24 hours
• 🚗 Parking: Free for up to 4 cars in front of the store

Where is Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch, and what does it look like?

Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch is in a convenient spot for anyone looking for a gukbap restaurant near Hongik University Station. True to its name, it's a place where you can enjoy yukjeon and gukbap together, so it's great to visit when you're craving something hearty.

Inside Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch and its self-serve side dish bar

Walking into Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch, the atmosphere was clean and tidy. It looked fine for solo dining too, and the whole vibe was inviting for anyone stopping by for a warm bowl of gukbap.

There was also a self-serve bar, so I could easily grab side dishes or anything else I needed for my meal. Basic sides that go well with gukbap were all set out there.

Beef gukbap or yukjeon beef gukbap: what is the difference?

I was curious about the difference between the beef gukbap and the yukjeon beef gukbap at Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch — it seemed to simply come down to whether yukjeon is added on top of the beef gukbap or not. I ordered the yukjeon beef gukbap!

• Yukjeon Beef Gukbap: ₩11,000
• Yukjeon Beef Gukbap Special: ₩15,000

So I ordered two bowls like this. Yukjeon beef gukbap is a beef gukbap topped with yukjeon, which felt different from just adding yukjeon to a regular gukbap on the side, so I was curious enough to try it.

Side dishes and how the 11,000 won yukjeon beef gukbap tastes

The basic side dishes were kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and a soy sauce dip for the yukjeon. I also grabbed some extra yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) from the self-serve bar.

Here's the yukjeon gukbap that came out first! With the yukjeon sitting on top of the hot gukbap, it looked really generous. Most of all, the yukjeon was so savory and delicious. It tasted great lightly dipped in the soup broth, and just as good eaten on its own with that nutty flavor coming through.

Dipping the yukjeon in the soy sauce that came with it made it even more delicious. If you're a fan of yukjeon, I think you'd really like this combination.

The ingredients inside the gukbap were also varied. There was bean sprouts, radish, ugeoji (dried napa cabbage leaves), and beef, so every spoonful brought up a mix of different ingredients. Compared to a gukbap that's mostly broth, having varied ingredients gave it more texture to chew on and made it feel more filling.

How much more do you get in the 15,000 won special bowl?

The yukjeon gukbap special we also ordered came out just as generous. Eating the yukjeon and gukbap together was savory, warm, and filling, making for a satisfying meal. The nutty flavor of the yukjeon and the gukbap loaded with various ingredients went together better than I expected.

Is Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch worth a visit near Hongdae?

If you want to try a slightly different kind of gukbap in Hongdae, I'd recommend Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch. In particular, just as the name suggests, the yukjeon on top of the gukbap was really savory and delicious. With bean sprouts, radish, ugeoji, beef and more mixed in, I didn't get tired of it over the course of the bowl.

Eating the yukjeon and gukbap together made for a savory yet hearty combination that was satisfying as a full meal. If you're looking for a solid gukbap or a Hongdae gukbap restaurant near Hongik University Station, it's open 24 hours so you can drop by anytime without worry. If you love yukjeon like I do, I'd recommend trying the yukjeon gukbap!