Bone soup restaurant near Meokgol Station, Seoul: Wanttuk Gamjatang

The temperature swings have been so big lately that I keep craving something hot and spicy. So to wrap up the weekend, I went with my family to Wanttuk Gamjatang Meokgol Main Branch, a place near Meokgol Station with quite a reputation. I heard it's run by someone with 20 years of gamjatang (pork bone potato stew) experience, so I went in with high expectations — and it did not disappoint. Let me introduce it right now! (Actually... this is my second visit because it was that good haha)

Where is Wanttuk Gamjatang Meokgol Main Branch, and what are the hours?

• 101, 941 Dongil-ro, Jungnang-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Daily 10:30–22:30
• Break time: 15:00–17:00 (except weekends)
• Reservations available via Naver (groups of 8–20 possible)
• Notification coupon: Follow on Naver Place for a coupon good for one free additional menu item
• Parking: Available (basement parking in the building)
• Other amenities: Group seating, takeout, delivery, reservations, baby chair available, separate men's/women's restrooms, Wi-Fi

Parking tips near Meokgol Station

Here's a little parking tip — if you park at the E-Mart Meokgol branch across the street and do some shopping, you can use their parking lot for free. If even that feels like too much, buying just one drink at the Mega Coffee across the street also gets you free parking support :-)

Inside Wanttuk Gamjatang: seating, atmosphere and dining with kids

Unlike the old-school, homey feel you'd usually picture for a gamjatang place, Wanttuk Gamjatang Meokgol Main Branch had a really trendy, clean interior. There's a baby chair and group seating is available too, so it would work well not just for family meals with kids or company dinners but for all kinds of gatherings.

There's a drawer next to the table with spoons, chopsticks, tissues, and wet wipes ready to go. And you know how eating gamjatang can be risky if you're wearing something light-colored and the broth splashes? They also had disposable aprons, which was really convenient~

Apparently there are perks for takeout orders. In fact, a few people picked up takeout orders while I was eating. There's also a restroom nearby — it's outside the store, but handy if you're in a hurry.

They say the interior and hygiene are kept clean, which is a definite plus for customers on top of the taste, right?

Wanttuk Gamjatang Meokgol Main Branch menu and prices

The menu was really packed, so there's genuine fun in picking based on your taste! The signature ppyeo-daegwi gamjatang (pork bone potato stew) is a must-try thanks to its rich broth and generous meat.

Pairing the spicy braised pork bones with crispy whole fried squid or king prawn tempura makes for a perfect special combo. There's also bone soup and rice soup that are great for solo dining, plus a pork loin cutlet for kids, making this a solid choice for a family meal. Finish it off by adding noodles or making self-serve fried rice at the end, and you've got the perfect meal!

• Ppyeo-haejangguk (bone soup) ₩11,000
• Wanttuk pork cutlet ₩11,000

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

Once you sit down and order, the basic side dishes get set out. Well-fermented diced radish kimchi, crisp onion, cheongyang chili peppers, and ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) all come out neatly.

If you run low while eating, you can freely grab more from the self-serve bar set up on one side of the store. Especially for a soup place, the diced radish kimchi is everything — here it's just the right amount of sweet-tart and crunchy, and it paired really well with the spicy gamjatang broth!! Even I, who can't handle much spice, ate it very happily.

Ppyeo-haejangguk at 11,000 won: how were the broth and the meat?

Finally, the main dish I ordered — the ppyeo-haejangguk (bone soup) — arrived bubbling away in its stone pot!

There's healthy ugeoji (dried napa cabbage leaves), finely chopped green onion, and a generous, generous heap of ground perilla seeds for that nutty aroma. When I tried to fish out a bone, I found sizable bones with meat clinging thickly to every joint. It must have been simmered for a long time, because the meat pulled apart smoothly along its fibers with just a touch of the chopsticks.

Dipping a bit of rice in the broth and taking a big bite with the now-moist meat — this is exactly why you eat ppyeo-haejangguk. The broth isn't overly harsh but has real depth, so it never gets tiring and you just keep eating. Wrapping it with the well-cooked, soft ugeoji doubles the savory, clean flavor.

Wanttuk pork cutlet at 11,000 won, the pick for kids

The pork cutlet, freshly fried to a golden brown, had a coating that stayed nice and crispy, with plain, lean meat packed inside. Dipped generously into the sweet cutlet sauce, it tasted like something kids would really love. After eating the spicy bone soup, taking a bite of the sweet, crispy cutlet shows off a great sweet-and-savory balance. If you're visiting with a group, I'd definitely recommend adding this as a side!!

Verdict after a second visit to Wanttuk Gamjatang

True to an owner who has stuck to gamjatang alone for 20 years, the broth was rich and deep, and the meat was thick, tender, and soft in the best way. I'm calling it: this is a genuine gamjatang and bone soup spot!! Now that mornings and evenings are turning chilly, how about visiting Wanttuk Gamjatang Meokgol Main Branch with your family?