Sundae soup in Eunpyeong, Seoul: Samo Sundaeguk Nokbeon

It is on the first floor at 193 Eunpyeong-ro, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, and is 677 m from Exit 4 of Nokbeon Station. Hours are 07:00–22:00 every day.

An exterior with a “tradition since 1985” sign

Today I visited Samo Sundaeguk Nokbeon (삼오순대국 녹번점) in Nokbeon-dong, Eunpyeong-gu! Even from the outside, it had that unmistakable feel of an old, beloved local spot. What especially caught my eye was the phrase, “Samo Sundaeguk, tradition since 1985”!

Since 1985 means they had been simmering soup from back when I did not even know the first thing about gukbap (rice in soup), haha. With that much history, you start trusting the broth before taking a single spoonful 😆 Thinking, “A place that has lasted this long must have a reason!” I headed in.

Ordering mixed sundae soup and lean-meat sundae soup

As soon as I sat down, I gave the menu a quick scan 👀 There were plenty of choices, but that day we ordered the mixed sundae soup and the lean-meat sundae soup! One person wants a bit of everything, while the other wants a clean, meat-focused bowl. No need to fight over mismatched menu preferences in a moment like this. Just order one stone bowl each, and world peace is restored, hahaha.

The tables inside were neatly arranged, so it looked comfortable whether you were dining alone or visiting with a group.

Self-serve side dishes and sundae soup seasonings

And one thing I liked about Samo Sundaeguk! There is a self-serve bar where you can refill your side dishes as much as you like.

I picked up kimchi, onions, and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi)! It would be a shame to have sundae soup without these buddies, haha. After a bite of hot broth, that crisp kkakdugi somehow makes one bowl of rice suddenly look way too small 😂 You can take only as much as you will eat, then comfortably go back for more if you need it!

There was also a separate selection of seasonings to have with the sundae soup. You can add salted shrimp and seasoning sauce to suit your taste. Rather than loading in lots of seasoning from the start, though, I recommend tasting the plain broth first and adding a little at a time 👍

Mixed sundae soup loaded with offal

First up was the mixed sundae soup! 🍲 Looking inside the stone bowl, it was full of offal just as the name suggested. There was also a generous amount of meat and chives on top of the broth, so it looked filling before I even started.

I lifted up the ingredients with my chopsticks, and they definitely did not call it “mixed” for nothing, haha. There is no need to go on a long journey hunting for toppings—put your chopsticks in, and something keeps coming up 😎 With the rich broth, it felt like a properly satisfying bowl!

Lean-meat sundae soup without offal

Next was the lean-meat sundae soup! As the name says, it contained only lean meat and no offal at all, haha. If you do not enjoy the distinctive texture or aroma of offal, this menu item seems much easier to enjoy.

The meat came in nice big pieces, so a bite with the chives was very hearty 👍 A spoonful of broth was spicy and deeply savory, too! So the conclusion is: even if a mixed-sundae-soup fan and a lean-meat-only person come together, there is no need for a gukbap diplomatic dispute over the menu, hahaha.

Receipt review event and after-meal candy

I spotted a receipt review event at one side of the table, too! If you join the review event, you can receive one soft drink or six pieces of sundae as a free service, so keep that in mind.

After finishing and paying, I looked over and found candy for freshening up after the meal as well 🍬 Once you have had a filling bowl of hot sundae soup and grab one last candy, the meal course is complete, hahaha. I came for gukbap and left having taken care of dessert too 😆 Overall, Samo Sundaeguk Nokbeon was a good place for a hearty meal: you can choose mixed sundae soup or lean-meat sundae soup according to your taste, and there is even a self-serve bar! 😊