I was suddenly craving Itaewon bbyeojjim—
spicy braised pork bones—the kind of craving you can’t ignore.
So I started looking nearby
for a good place to get my fix
and found Nurimaeul Gamjatang’s Itaewon branch in Seoul, South Korea!
I’d heard people around me
rave about the bbyeojjim here
more than a few times,
so it had been on my
mental list of places to try.
With that craving hitting hard,
there wasn’t much to debate:
I headed straight over.
Before I’d even ordered,
I was excited to find out
whether it lived up to the hype.
Itaewon Bbyeojjim: Essential Visitor Information
Restaurant: Nurimaeul Gamjatang, Itaewon Branch
Address: 2nd floor, 176 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: 02-792-9321
Hours: Open 24 hours daily
Parking:
No on-site parking
Use a nearby parking lot
Restaurant highlights:
Gamjatang (Korean pork-bone soup), bbyeojjim, ppyeo-gui (grilled pork bones), ppyeo-haejangguk (pork-bone hangover soup), and more
A gamjatang specialist with plenty of choices
The menu covers individual meals
as well as shareable pots of gamjatang and pork-bone dishes
A self-service station makes it easy to grab extra side dishes
A spacious, clean dining room
that’s well suited to groups
About a one-minute walk
from Exit 4 of Itaewon Station
An Easy Location Right by Itaewon Station
Nurimaeul Gamjatang’s Itaewon branch
is just outside Exit 4
of Itaewon Station.
It’s on the main road,
so even if it’s your first visit,
it should be easy to spot.
Once you leave the station,
you’re practically there—
getting here by subway couldn’t be much easier.
The restaurant doesn’t
provide parking, though,
so arriving by car
could be a little inconvenient.
Looking at the location,
I also thought it would be handy
for a restorative meal
after drinks nearby.
If you’re out late in Itaewon
and start craving hot soup or bbyeojjim,
this seems like a convenient stop.
An Exterior That Clearly Says “Gamjatang”
Nurimaeul Gamjatang occupies
the building’s second floor.
Even from the entrance,
you can see the big sign—
there’s really no mistaking
this place
for anything other than a gamjatang restaurant.
Around the entrance,
banners featuring gamjatang and bbyeojjim
lined the way in.
You could get a good idea
of what was on the menu
before even stepping inside.
Rather than anything flashy,
it had that familiar, casual gamjatang-restaurant feel,
which made it easy to walk right in.
A Spacious Dining Room for Group Meals
After heading up to the second floor
and stepping inside,
I found a bigger dining room than I’d expected.
It felt comfortable and airy,
with plenty of tables
throughout the space.
There were also larger tables
where several people could sit together,
making it a good option for friends
or even
a team dinner after work.
Gamjatang and bbyeojjim
are both made for sharing,
after all.
Given the size of the restaurant,
I figured tables might turn over fairly quickly
even when it got busier.
It’s not an elaborately decorated spot;
it’s more somewhere to settle in for a meal
and a drink without any fuss.
The Menu: Gamjatang, Bbyeojjim, and More
Once we sat down,
I took a look at the menu.
As you’d expect, there was Nuri Gamjatang,
plus spicy Eolkeun Gamjatang and Mala Gamjatang,
so the soup selection was pretty extensive.
There was also Mugeunji Gamjatang, made with aged kimchi,
and Kong Cream Gamjatang, a bean-cream version—
a couple of more unusual options.
Beyond gamjatang,
they offered jeyuk-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork), seoksoe-bulgogi (grill-cooked marinated meat),
and sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew)
as individual meal options.
The bbyeojjim I’d come for
came in soy-sauce and spicy versions,
as well as an aged-kimchi version.
There were two of us,
so we ordered a small Eolkeun Bbyeojjim, the spicy version,
and added dangmyeon, Korean glass noodles.
Since we’d come specifically
for the braised pork bones,
we decided to keep our attention on those.
There were several varieties of haejangguk, or hangover soup, too,
so it also looked like a reasonable choice
for a solo meal.
It wasn’t a gamjatang-only menu:
there were plenty of other meals to choose from,
which made browsing the options fun.
Side Dishes While We Waited for the Bbyeojjim
After we ordered,
the staff brought out the basic side dishes.
We got kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and cabbage kimchi,
plus some haejangguk broth—
possibly because we’d ordered bbyeojjim.
Before the main dish arrived,
that first sip of hot broth
was wonderfully soothing.
Since the bbyeojjim was spicy,
it was also nice to take
a sip of broth between bites.
Beyond the sides brought to the table,
there were pickled onions
and chili peppers
at the self-service station,
where you could help yourself.
Rather than having a huge spread
placed on the table from the start,
we could grab just what we wanted.
I found that setup convenient.
A Generous Small Order of Spicy Bbyeojjim
After a short wait,
our Eolkeun Bbyeojjim
finally arrived.
It came on a large iron platter,
filled with braised pork bones.
Even though we’d ordered a small,
the portion was much more generous
than I’d expected.
I’d wondered whether a small
would be enough for two,
but one look at the platter
put that worry to rest.
The bones and noodles were coated
in a rich red sauce,
and the whole thing looked seriously appetizing.
After hearing this place mentioned
so often for its bbyeojjim,
I couldn’t wait to dig in.
With the sauce still bubbling,
it seemed best to get started right away,
so I picked up a pork bone first.
Big Pork Bones with Plenty of Tender Meat
Our small order of Eolkeun Bbyeojjim
had roughly
seven large pork-bone pieces.
Each piece
was a substantial size,
and, best of all,
there was plenty of meat attached.
While everything was still hot,
I pulled off a bite of pork.
It wasn’t tough at all:
the meat came away easily and was beautifully tender,
just the way I like it.
Dry meat can make bbyeojjim
lose its appeal pretty quickly,
but the pork here was tender enough
that I kept going back for more.
The sauce had a spicy kick
along with a noticeable sweetness.
It wasn’t just heat for the sake of heat;
that sweet edge balanced things out
and kept me reaching for another bite.
Personally,
I love a sweet-and-spicy sauce like this,
so it was right up my alley.
As we ate, I started wondering
what the soy-sauce bbyeojjim
would taste like, too.
If I come back,
I’d like to give
that version a try.
Why the Glass Noodle Add-On Was My Favorite
It wasn’t just the pork bones that were plentiful:
the noodles and other extras
offered more variety than I’d expected.
Udon noodles seemed
to come with the dish,
and the glass noodles we’d added
were thoroughly coated in sauce,
making them look especially tempting.
I tried both the udon
and the glass noodles,
and for my taste,
the glass noodles won hands down.
That sweet-and-spicy bbyeojjim sauce
soaked right into the dangmyeon,
turning them into a standout part of the meal.
Pulling off a piece of pork
and eating it with the glass noodles
made an excellent combination, too.
If Itaewon bbyeojjim brings you
to Nurimaeul Gamjatang,
the glass noodle add-on is worth considering.
If you already love dangmyeon,
I’d definitely add them.
There were also tteok (Korean rice cakes)
and sujebi (hand-torn dough pieces)
mixed into the dish.
Between bites of pork and noodles,
I’d pick up a rice cake,
so there was always something else to enjoy.
I’d thought a small
might be a modest portion,
but with those big pork bones
and all the generous extras,
it was easily enough for two.
In the end, the two of us
ate until we were absolutely stuffed
and left thoroughly satisfied.
Overall, Nurimaeul Gamjatang
was a solid choice
for a generous bbyeojjim meal.
Even the small order
included plenty of sizable pork bones
and a good amount of noodles and other extras,
so between the two of us,
it made for a very filling meal.
With portions that generous,
especially split between two people,
it felt like pretty good value.
The tender meat
and sweet-and-spicy sauce
were particularly well suited to my tastes,
and adding glass noodles
that soaked up all that flavor
made it even better for me.
The lack of parking
was a small downside,
but being right outside Exit 4 of Itaewon Station
made it very convenient
to get here by public transit.
With a spacious dining room and plenty of tables,
it also looked like a good place to share bbyeojjim or gamjatang
over drinks with a group.
If you’re looking for Itaewon bbyeojjim
with generous portions
and decent value,
Nurimaeul Gamjatang’s Itaewon branch
is worth
a visit.
Who I’d Recommend It To
Anyone looking for good bbyeojjim in Itaewon
Fans of sweet-and-spicy Eolkeun Bbyeojjim
Anyone who wants generous portions and good value
Groups planning a get-together or team dinner in Itaewon
Anyone near Itaewon Station looking for
a filling meal late at night
That’s my honest review—not actually a paid-out-of-my-own-pocket visit,
despite the usual “self-funded review” sign-off!
Likes and comments are always welcome.
Happy to connect as mutual blog neighbors, too!