Ilshim Haejanguk Banghak Branch
일심해장국 방학점
About
Long-running neighborhood diner in Banghak-dong famous for budget-friendly ox blood hang-over soup and DIY stone pot bibimbap.
Tucked along Banghak-ro in Dobong-gu, Ilsim Haejangguk operates on an old-school brand of hospitality that feels increasingly rare. Open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., this neighborhood fixture has anchored the same spot for more than two decades, drawing early morning runners, local hikers, and solo diners into its clean, briskly rotating dining room. Parking in both the front and rear helps handle the steady stream of regulars who pack the tables by lunchtime. The kitchen maintains a focused, three-item menu: seonji haejangguk (clotted ox blood hangover soup), dolsot bibimbap, and kimchi jjigae. The undisputed centerpiece is the seonji haejangguk, priced at an astonishing 5,500 won. Steaming earthenware bowls arrive brimming with tender greens (ugeoji) and fresh, mineral-rich seonji devoid of any gamey odor, submerged in a rich, deeply savory broth. Embodying the generous spirit of a classic driver's tavern, the restaurant offers complimentary refills of the hot broth, greens, and blood curd upon request, while extra rice can be scooped directly from a central rice cooker. Those seeking a different profile often gravitate toward the dolsot bibimbap. The order lands at the table as a sizzling stone pot holding only white rice and a raw egg. Diners carry the vessel to a self-service banchan station to load up on seasoned namul vegetables before stirring in table-side gochujang, pairing each spoonful with cold bean sprout soup. Every table features small earthenware crocks filled with house-made baechu kimchi and crisp kkakdugi radish. Fermented on-site without artificial shortcuts, the punchy, clean bite of the radishes cuts cleanly through the richness of the ox blood. Ilsim Haejangguk delivers a quintessential Seoul comfort meal—unpretentious, deeply nourishing, and stubbornly resistant to inflation.
Menu
- Ox Blood Hangover Soup₩5,500
- Sizzling Stone Pot Bibimbap₩7,500
- Kimchi Stew₩8,500
Local tips
- Refills for soup broth and ingredients are available upon request.
- Order the dolsot bibimbap to customize your bowl with fresh vegetables at the self-serve bar.
- Opens early at 06:30 AM, making it ideal for morning hikers and early breakfasts.
- Dedicated parking spaces are available both in front and behind the building.
Details
Opening hours
- Sunday
- 07:00–22:00
- Monday
- 07:00–22:00
- Tuesday
- 07:00–22:00
- Wednesday
- 07:00–22:00
- Thursday
- 07:00–22:00
- Friday
- 07:00–22:00
- Saturday
- 07:00–22:00