Gamjatang with ramen noodles at Chungsilok, a Sejong restaurant

With the weather turning pleasantly cool in the mornings and evenings, I was craving a steaming bowl of soup, so my husband and I went for gamjatang (pork bone stew) at Sejong favorite Chungsilok Ppyeohaejangguk (충실옥 뼈해장국) 🤍

Chungsilok Ppyeohaejangguk location and parking in Naseong-dong

Chungsilok, a great haejangguk (hangover soup) spot in Naseong-dong, is on the main BRT road, so it was easy to find. The underground parking garage had plenty of space too, so we parked comfortably and headed up :)

Busy even at weekday lunch

We arrived right around noon on a weekday, at peak lunch time, and there were seriously so, so many people that I couldn't take photos at first. I was only able to photograph the interior after things thinned out a little, haha. Even then, customers kept streaming in, so I could really feel how popular this Sejong gamjatang spot is 👍🏻

Even with all those customers, the turnover was quick, so you could get seated soon even if you had to wait. The restaurant was clean and tidy overall, with plenty of seating, making it perfect for dining alone as well as coming with a partner, family, or coworkers 🤍 There were actually quite a few people eating by themselves :)

Gamjatang and ppyeohaejangguk menu

Here is the menu at Chungsilok, a Sejong gamjatang favorite. True to its specialty, it sells just two main dishes: gamjatang and ppyeohaejangguk! Ppyeohaejangguk came in regular (₩11,000) and special (₩14,000) sizes, while gamjatang was available in small, medium, and large depending on the number of diners, with various add-ons :)

Especially! For takeout, ppyeohaejangguk is just ₩9,000 and the small gamjatang is ₩24,000, which is such a good price. I thought it would be wonderful to take home later or bring along on a camping trip ✨

The sauce containers were so cute—snap!

At a good haejangguk restaurant, the kimchi has to be good as a basic rule, and Chungsilok's kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) were nicely fermented and really delicious with the gamjatang!

And at the self-service bar, there were not only kimchi and kkakdugi, but also onion, chili peppers, and yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) :) Just take as much as you will eat.

Small gamjatang with ramen noodles

• Small gamjatang ₩28,000
• Ramen noodles ₩2,000
• Steamed rice ₩1,000

After ordering and waiting a little, our food came out quickly. The small gamjatang is meant for two people, and it was quite generous. The large hot pot was piled high with pork bones and topped with lots of perilla leaves, so it looked absolutely appetizing 🤍

They said we could eat the meat right away, but we ladled broth over it and let it boil a little longer so the seasoning on top could melt in well :)

When I lifted up a big bone, it felt incredibly hefty, and it had such thick meat attached ✨ It came right off with the slightest touch of chopsticks too, so I could tell it had been simmered for a long time.

Spicy broth and tender pork bone meat

Then it was time to portion it into our small bowls and really dig in! First, I served myself a large bone and deeply cooked ugeoji (seasoned dried cabbage leaves) :) And then, the heart of gamjatang—the broth!!

Poorly made ppyeohaejangguk or gamjatang can taste dull and muddy, but Chungsilok Ppyeohaejangguk had just the right spicy kick and a rich meaty broth that would completely settle your stomach after drinking the night before 🤍 If you want a hangover cure in Sejong, come to Chungsilok, haha.

I dipped the meat into mustard sauce, and it was moist, delicate, and incredibly tender. The ugeoji had soaked up the broth well and was soft with no tough bits; eating it with the meat gave a lovely texture and made the gamjatang even better 🤍

The gamjatang also had all sorts of extras inside—potatoes, sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes), and glass noodles—so it was fun picking through them! I especially loved the chewy sujebi, which had absorbed the broth so well :)

Meat + kkakdugi + rice—what more is there to say? So delicious ✨ The kkakdugi was crunchy and nicely fermented, so it went perfectly with everything.

Ramen noodles soaked in the broth

Glass noodles came in the stew as standard, but ramen is a whole different thing, right? Once you've eaten some, add the ramen noodles!

Let them boil so they can soak up all that broth :)

And with kimchi, why was it so delicious?! I put a piece of nicely fermented, savory kimchi on ramen noodles that had soaked up the gamjatang broth, and it was seriously, seriously heavenly 🤍 I topped it with the remaining tender meat too and enjoyed every bite.

The portions are generous, the meat is tender, and if you need a hangover cure or are craving a hot bowl of soup, be sure to visit Chungsilok Ppyeohaejangguk in Naseong-dong, Sejong at least once!