Poi-dong lunch spot with mustard-sauce pork bone soup: Chomu Gamjatang

That craving for hot soup once it gets cooler out

Is it just me, or does a cool breeze always make you crave soup? Haha.

The air's gotten noticeably cooler in the mornings and evenings lately. When we were deciding on lunch at the office, someone said "how about something hot and soupy today?" and everyone nodded along.

Look at that blue sky... (how many days like this do we even get in a year, sigh). It was such a good day for walking that we walked about 10 minutes from the office to Chomu Gamjatang. Spoiler: the walk was absolutely worth it — a real Poi-dong find.

Chomu Gamjatang location and parking

Address: 59 Nonhyeon-ro, 1F, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea / Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00, last order 21:30

It's tucked in an alley near Yangjaecheon Stream in Poi-dong, and it's also walkable from Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station.

The hanok-style tiled roof exterior stands out right away in the alley.

There's space for about 4–5 cars in front of the restaurant. That said, it fills up fast at lunchtime, so if you work nearby, walking is the less stressful option.

How long is the lunch wait?

We got there a little after noon, and I could already see people waiting through the window. 'Wait, is this the right place...?' It surprised me a bit to see a line even tucked away in the alley. We put our names on the list and waited a short while before getting seated.

The dining room was bigger than I expected, with everything from 2-person tables to group seating — great for a team lunch, but it'd also work well for a company dinner.

The ceiling has a hanok rafter design, which gives the place an old-fashioned, elegant feel.

It's an interior that somehow pairs really well with hot soup dishes.

Every table came with a call bell, a bone-discard bowl, small plates, and a sauce dish, so nothing was a hassle during the meal.

Menu and prices

The menu is simple.

• Pork bone soup ₩12,000
• Spicy pork bone soup ₩13,000
• Jeju handmade pork cutlet ₩12,000
• Gamjatang (pork bone stew) Small ₩35,000 / Medium ₩43,000 / Large ₩51,000
• Bbyeojjim (steamed pork bone) Small ₩36,000 / Medium ₩44,000 / Large ₩52,000
• Add-ons like ramyeon and sujebi around ₩3,000

We went with the pork bone soup and the handmade pork cutlet.

Self-serve bar and disposable aprons

You can refill the kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) at the self-serve bar without worrying about it.

There's a disposable apron — wear it once and toss it, which felt hygienic and tidy. Given how red and splattery this soup can get, I'd have ended up with pepper flakes all over a white shirt without it, haha.

'Actually, I love this!'

They also give you a 500ml bottle of water each. Way more hygienic than pouring from a shared jug into cups, and they'll bring more if you run out.

Wet wipes at every table too — thoughtful touch, don't you think?

Thanks to the disposable apron, you can eat worry-free even in a white shirt.

How's the Poi-dong pork bone soup?

The side dishes are just kimchi and kkakdugi — that's it. Simple, but it's exactly the right combo for a soup dish. The kimchi was especially good, and I ended up going back for a refill, haha.

And finally, the pork bone soup arrives! A whole perilla leaf sitting on top of the hot stone bowl made quite a visual. I took a spoonful of the broth first — clean but spicy, the kind that instantly hits the spot.

The meat was so tender that just a slight twist of the bone made the meat fall right off.

Barely any effort needed to pick the meat off the bone.

The trick is dipping the meat in the mustard sauce. That sharp kick keeps you going without getting sick of it, even by the end.

Jeju handmade pork cutlet at a gamjatang restaurant

('Pork cutlet... at a gamjatang place?') I ordered it half-skeptical, but it turned out to be a genuine standout.

Old-school gyeongyangsik (Korean-style Western food) plating, with sauce poured generously on top and thick, satisfying cutlet.

It came as a full plate with cabbage salad, rice, and pickles, so even a coworker not in the mood for soup ate well. Perfect combo for a team lunch split between soup fans and cutlet fans.

Side note: the restroom

The restaurant has its own restroom, and it was kept clean inside too.

Final thoughts

On the way out after paying, I learned something interesting —

They boil the meat twice a day here, apparently.

(No wonder there was zero gamey smell and the meat was so tender, haha.)

Hot soup, tender meat, all for around ten thousand won — hard to beat for an office lunch. This was a real Poi-dong find. That said, there's usually a wait around lunchtime, so I'd recommend visiting before noon. Next time I want to try the medium gamjatang with fried rice added in! I'll be back with another review :)