Seocho Japanese restaurant, Kiso curry tonkatsu set: Baek Sojeong

A clean, repeat-worthy spot where picking between mazesoba and curry is half the fun

What kind of restaurant is Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal?

Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal is a Japanese restaurant at 39 Hyoryeong-ro 55-gil, 1st floor, unit 3, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea, serving mazesoba, curry, and soba paired with tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) in full set spreads. It's open daily 11:00-21:00 with a break time from 15:00-17:00, has one parking spot right in front, and even has a baby chair available. If you're looking for a clean, satisfying meal near Nambu Bus Terminal, I'd recommend Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal.

This was actually our second visit. The first time was good, but on this second trip I really noticed how varied the menu is. Usually when you revisit a restaurant you end up ordering the same thing again, but here I noticed something different each time — it's the kind of place that makes you wonder what to try next.

It's an easy walk from Nambu Bus Terminal Station, and there were plenty of solo diners too, so it's a good fit if you're looking for a solo-dining spot near Nambu Bus Terminal.

What we ordered on the second visit, and what it cost

This time at Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal we chose mazesoba+tonkatsu for ₩15,900 and kaesoba curry+tonkatsu for ₩13,900. My husband and I went together and ordered a different menu each.

When you think of Baek Sojeong, tonkatsu and mazesoba usually come to mind first, but they also have curry, so I tried the kaesoba curry for the first time. Because everything comes out as a full spread, the meal felt much more substantial than just one main dish sitting alone. The mazesoba set came with tonkatsu, salad, sweetened condensed milk cheese rice cake, and rice, and the kaesoba curry set was arranged nicely to eat alongside tonkatsu too — great for sharing between two people.

How to eat mazesoba, following the table instructions

The tables at Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal have instructions printed on them for how to enjoy mazesoba properly. This was actually one of the most memorable parts of this visit.

I followed the instructions exactly as written. First, I mixed the noodles, toppings, and sauce well, then added the extra ingredients provided on the table little by little as I ate.

Honestly I don't eat mazesoba that often, so at first I wasn't sure how to approach it!! But once I followed the guided method, the toppings and sauce mixed evenly through the noodles and the flavor became so much richer. Later you can ask for free rice and mix it with the leftover sauce — that's exactly why they wrote the instructions on the table. If you like mazesoba, don't just mix the noodles on your own — try the guided method. This time I really enjoyed it.

Why tonkatsu is the safe bet in every set

I also loved being able to eat tonkatsu alongside mazesoba. Pairing the rich, savory mazesoba with crispy tonkatsu made for a really filling meal.

And the kaesoba curry with tonkatsu combo needs no explanation. Crispy tonkatsu on top of curry is hard to get wrong.

The soft, rich flavor of the curry plus the savory crunch of tonkatsu meant the rice just kept disappearing. So that day my husband and I swapped bites and tried both the mazesoba and the curry. If you're after tonkatsu near Nambu Bus Terminal but also want noodles or rice, this kind of set combo seems like a pretty solid choice.

How filling is the full tray at Baek Sojeong?

One of Baek Sojeong's strengths is how neatly the food comes out as a full spread. Each set comes with sides like tonkatsu, salad, rice, and sweetened condensed milk cheese rice cake.

You know those days when tonkatsu alone feels like not quite enough, but ordering a bunch of separate dishes feels like too much? That's when ordering one set menu lets you enjoy several things at once, and the meal feels pretty substantial. With salad, rice, and the cheese rice cake all included, it looks quite appetizing too.

Especially when dining alone, it's hard to order multiple dishes, so having a well-rounded set within one menu item actually becomes an advantage. The Nambu Bus Terminal branch is in fact known for its solo-friendly set compositions and neat presentation, which is worth keeping in mind if you're looking for solo-dining restaurants near Nambu Bus Terminal.

Is Baek Sojeong comfortable for eating alone?

Baek Sojeong Nambu Bus Terminal uses kiosk ordering, and solo diners are a natural part of the atmosphere, so there's no pressure eating alone. We went together with my husband this time, but looking around the restaurant, plenty of solo diners were eating comfortably too.

One thing that quietly matters when dining alone is whether you feel self-conscious sitting by yourself, and Baek Sojeong has no such pressure. The table spacing and overall atmosphere are clean, and ordering through the kiosk is easy, so visiting solo shouldn't be an issue at all.

So I'd personally recommend it to anyone looking for a solo-dining spot near Nambu Bus Terminal. It seems well suited for office workers who need a quick solo lunch before heading back out, or anyone running errands near Nambu Bus Terminal who wants a simple but filling meal.

How fast does the food come out, and how is the service?

Another thing I liked on this second visit was how relatively quickly the food came out. It's not the type of place where you wait forever after ordering — we waited only a little before the full spread was set down.

Lunchtime is always a bit tight on time, and it's stressful when food comes out late. In that sense, this was a comfortable meal, and the staff were friendly too, which made the whole experience feel pleasant. Beyond just the taste, these small details quietly influence whether I come back.

Finding a different menu item on every visit

This is exactly why I ended up coming back to Baek Sojeong. I went in thinking of the dish I had on my first visit, but looking closely at the menu, there were far more options than I expected.

Beyond mazesoba and tonkatsu, there's also curry, soba, and more, so you can choose based on your mood that day. This time I tried the kaesoba curry, and now I'm already wondering what to try next time.

It's the kind of place where you go in craving tonkatsu near Nambu Bus Terminal and end up discovering something else entirely.

Verdict: a clean, filling Japanese meal near Nambu Bus Terminal

Overall, this felt like an easy place to enjoy a clean, tasty meal without much fuss. The mazesoba+tonkatsu we had this time tasted even better after following the mazesoba instructions, and the kaesoba curry+tonkatsu was, as expected, a foolproof combo!

I'm already flipping back through the menu wondering what to try next. A place that's fast and filling in a clean setting, comfortable alone and good with company too — for me, this is both a solo-dining favorite and a tonkatsu spot near Nambu Bus Terminal I want to keep coming back to.