Makgeolli and pancake pub by Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station: Buchigom

Buchigom, a jeonjip near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office

Hi, this is Gurime, resident drinker. The weather's been getting a little cooler lately (let's just say it has), and I've been craving makgeolli with something like jeon (Korean savory pancakes) as a side.

So after a while, my partner and I went looking for bars near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office and ended up at a jeonjip called Buchigom.

Where Buchigom Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Branch is, and its opening hours

Buchigom is located at 7 Dangsan-ro 32-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, in the Heungbu Building, a 2-minute walk from Exit 4 of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station. It's open daily from 16:00 to 01:20 the next day, with no regular closed day. Wi-Fi, reservations, takeout, and delivery are all available.

We came after work but the place was fully booked, so I didn't get to take interior photos. It's a great spot for groups of 2 to 4.

Buchigom's menu: set courses and the makgeolli lineup

There's a good variety of set menus. I tried the first set. The a la carte side dish menu was also pretty diverse.

I really liked that they had everything from local regional makgeolli to all kinds of other makgeolli. I was curious about what Buchigom carries, so I ordered one.

For the Naver receipt review event, they give you injeolmi (sweet rice cake) ice cream as dessert — you have to try this.

The origin-labeling sign was posted somewhere clearly visible. Unfortunately the restroom isn't inside the shop — you use the shared building restroom instead. Still, it was well kept, which I appreciated.

Here's the basic side dish and water they provide. The water had a slight hutgae (oriental raisin tree) tea vibe to it, cool and refreshing. The combo of raw cabbage and ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) was surprisingly good too.

Since we ordered bossam (boiled pork wraps), whelk soup, and pancakes, they gave us sauces suited to each dish. Honestly, when I think of a jeonjip, I picture ordering a couple of pancakes and a bottle or two of makgeolli — but that day the spread was way more substantial than expected, and we left very satisfied.

What comes with the 54,000-won Buchigom jusangsang set

What we ordered that day was the Buchigom jusanggang (drinking table) set. The set I picked came with minari (water celery) pancake + whelk soup + bossam, priced at ₩54,000. I'd never seen this combination before so I was a bit puzzled at first, but once it arrived, it turned out to be a great lineup for drinking food.

Minari pancake: fragrant and crisp at the edges

Naturally, the first thing I reached for was the minari pancake. When you're at a jeonjip, you eat the pancake first, that's just the law. The distinct minari fragrance came through nicely, making it noticeably more aromatic than a regular buchimgae (pan-fried batter dish).

It was also super crispy, which surprisingly made me think of beer too.

Personally, I love this kind of jeon when I'm drinking makgeolli, so this hit the spot. It made me curious about their other pancakes too — recommended!

Whelk soup: our top pick of the night

This whelk soup was my personal number one pick. Eating pancake after pancake can get a little heavy, but having hot broth in between felt like the perfect drinking-food combo.

I felt like this dish would pair well not just with makgeolli but with soju too. Once the soupy dish came in, the whole balance of the spread just clicked.

The whelks were fresh, with a nice bouncy texture that made them easy to eat. There were clams in there too, which made the broth pleasantly refreshing.

Bossam: tender pork piled with minari, no gamy smell

Third up was bossam. This one also came piled high with minari.

As someone who loves meat-based drinking food, this was an especially welcome dish, and switching between the pancake, soup, and bossam kept things feeling fresh the whole meal — good stuff!

The quality was good enough that I thought you could skip dinner and just come here for drinks with food. No gamy pork smell at all, and the meat was tender.

What does the signature Buchigom makgeolli taste like?

And of course, we couldn't skip the signature Buchigom makgeolli. Once we heard they had their own signature makgeolli, we ordered it immediately. It comes served in a water bottle-style container with a pretty glass.

Buchigom's makgeolli was on the sweeter, lighter side, and I got the sense it would appeal broadly, even to people who don't usually love makgeolli, including women who might be pickier about it.

It was one of those moments that reminded me: this is exactly why you drink makgeolli at a jeonjip. A flavor I'd recommend trying at least once!

Remember I mentioned craving soju while eating the whelk soup? So I caught my partner's eye across the table and was like, 'Cham-isul Fresh, shall we?' and ordered it right there.

And then the service snack arrived — yuzu-honey tomatoes! The sweet, tangy yuzu with fresh tomato made for a great palate cleanser after the last of the drinks.

Verdict: the playlist and the drinking snacks both hit the spot

Just as memorable as the food were the cheerful, friendly staff. They never felt overbearing or pushy, but were attentive about anticipating what we needed, and kept the mood light and upbeat.

I tend to care about this kind of thing quite a bit, so it added just as much to my satisfaction as the food did. If you're like me and enjoy ordering a bunch of different snacks with your drinks, or if you love jeon, I'd recommend the set menu. I'll be back next time for another dose of good energy!