Sulgo-rae

About

A budget-friendly Cheongnyangni buffet and drinking spot, known for unlimited side dishes and a free stew offer with a two-bottle order.

At 술고래, the line between a hearty lunch and a long, easy drink is pleasantly thin. This Dongdaemun spot pairs a Korean buffet with the spirit of a neighborhood drinking house: build a plate from the changing spread, then settle in for another round of familiar, savory bites. Recent visitors describe a 10,000-won buffet, with rice and a broad selection of banchan and anju-style dishes. The lineup has included seasoned vegetables, japchae, salad, stir-fried pork, fried rice, egg roll, fish cutlet, tangsuyuk and sweet-spicy dakgangjeong. The appeal is in the mix: pile rice with namul for a quick bibimbap, add a piece of egg roll, then go back for the crisp-edged, sticky chicken that one diner singled out as a favorite. The selection can vary, so think of these as snapshots rather than a fixed menu. 술고래 also gives drinkers a reason to order beyond the first glass. Visitors report that ordering two bottles brings a complimentary choice of kimchi stew or budae jjigae; some also mention seasoned crab or soy-marinated shrimp as a service, so it’s worth asking what’s available that day. For a more traditional, made-to-order meal, an earlier visit noted dishes such as pork kimchi stew, spicy stir-fried pork and kimchi pancake—but the buffet is the defining draw in the more recent accounts. The mood sounds practical and convivial rather than polished: a place for a generous plate, a cold drink and one more pass at the buffet. Recent reviews describe a room that feels cleaner and more spacious after a move, with eating and drinking areas separated enough to make a meal feel less hectic. Solo diners and people stopping in for daytime drinks have also been reported. Come hungry, and come ready to graze. 술고래 is most compelling when you treat the buffet as a spread to explore, not merely a quick lunch—and let the stew turn a simple meal into a lingering table.