Honam Jip Pyeodagwi Gamjatang
호남집뼈다귀감자탕
About
Long-running neighborhood spot near Nambu Bus Terminal serving tender pork backbone stew and soup alongside complimentary seasoned squid banchan.
Tucked along Hyoryeong-ro between Nambu Bus Terminal and the Seoul Arts Center, Honamjip Bpyeodagwi Gamjatang has held down its corner of Seocho-dong since around 2001. Marked by an aging, oversized storefront sign, the restaurant is built for utility rather than polished ambiance. Inside, the space fills with tightly spaced tables, the clamor of clinking ladles, and the warm, pervasive aroma of boiling pork spine broth and perilla seed. It is the kind of neighborhood fixture that draws office workers by day, exhibition-goers ducking in from sudden rain, and late-night diners nursing soju over a steaming pot. The core draw is the gamjatang, a communal hot pot loaded with thick pork backbones, soft braised cabbage leaves (ugeoji), potatoes, bean sprouts, and fragrant perilla leaves. The pork is simmered until tender, cleanly slipping from the bone under the nudge of a chopstick. Unlike versions that rely on aggressive, tongue-numbing spice, the broth here leans mild and deep, driven by savory pork bone richness and the earthy nuttiness of perilla seed rather than fiery chili. Solo diners typically opt for the individual ppyeohaejangguk, which packs the same tender spine cut and cabbage into a single earthenware bowl. Beyond the broth, the side dishes anchor the meal. Along with crunchy radish kimchi and mild green peppers, the restaurant serves an unexpectedly savory, sweet squid jeotgal—a salted fermented banchan so popular it is sold separately by the container. Another frequent fixture on tables is the gyeran-mari; arriving stacked thick across a broad platter, the rolled omelet is served simply with a whole squeeze bottle of ketchup, offering a mild, eggy counterweight to the rich soup. The final ritual belongs to the fried rice, scraped crisp from the scorched bottom of the pot after the meat and greens have disappeared.
Menu
- Pork Backbone Stew₩11,000
- Pork Backbone Stew with Potatoes₩48,000
- Rolled Omelet₩10,000
- Fried Rice
- Kimchi Stew₩10,000
- Country-style Cheonggukjang₩10,000
- 푸짐한계란말이₩12,000
Local tips
- Savory squid banchan (ojingeo-jeotgal) is a signature side and is also sold separately.
- Fried rice after gamjatang requires a minimum order of 2 portions.
- Popular for solo dining with hearty individual bowls of ppyeohaejangguk.
Details
- Nambu Bus Terminal
Opening hours
- Sunday
- 09:20–01:00
- Monday
- 09:20–01:00
- Tuesday
- 09:20–01:00
- Wednesday
- 09:20–01:00
- Thursday
- 09:20–01:00
- Friday
- 09:20–01:00
- Saturday
- 09:20–01:00