Haejuban, Dangsan: Clean, Hearty Gamjatang Under a Tower of Greens

I always thought of gamjatang as a late-night drinking dish. It is a Korean stew of pork back bones simmered with potatoes and greens. At Haejuban near Dangsan Station, though, lunch is the best time to go. The broth is clean and deep without being too spicy, which makes it great for a family meal or a date.

Name	Haejuban (해주반)
Address	1F, 50 Dangsan-ro 54-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 서울 영등포구 당산로54길 50 1층
Getting there	Dangsan Station (Lines 2 & 9), Exit 8, about 195 m (a 3-minute walk toward Dangsan Middle School)
Hours	Tue–Sun 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00) · Break 15:00–17:00 · Closed Mondays
Phone	0507-1360-8946
Price	Gamjatang small (2–3 people) ₩35,000 · bone soup for one ₩11,000
Paid by	Me — this is not a sponsored post

Three minutes from Dangsan Station

Leave Dangsan Station from Exit 8 and walk toward Dangsan Middle School. It is only 195 m. There are red chairs by the door, which seem to be for people waiting when it gets busy.

A hanok-style dining room

It feels different the moment you walk in. There are landscape paintings, a lot of warm wood and exposed rafters with soft lighting. Wooden screens between tables give you some privacy. The window seats are the best. Sunlight pours in at lunch, which is great for photos. There are also inner tables with traditional paper lattice windows, which suit family groups.

The self-service bar

Extra side dishes come from a self-service bar: kimchi, radish kimchi, peppers and garlic. With any gamjatang order, the ramyeon noodles are unlimited, and boxes of them are stacked by the bar. Grab an apron there too. Don’t miss the cold plum tea, which is refreshing between rich bites.

Side dishes

Each table gets kimchi, radish kimchi, minced garlic, ssamjang (dipping paste) and sesame. A note tells you to stir the minced garlic into the mustard sauce for dipping the meat.

Gamjatang with cabbage greens, small (₩35,000)

We ordered the small ugeoji gamjatang. Ugeoji means dried napa cabbage greens. It is listed for 2–3 people and was just right for two. When it arrived, I laughed, because the greens are piled up like a tower. According to the menu, it simmers in beef-bone broth for 80 minutes and then rests for 120 minutes. The broth is clean, not heavy or muddy, so you keep going back for more.

Tender pork bones and plenty of greens

It comes with potatoes, greens and pork back bones. Push the meat with chopsticks and it slides right off. We picked it onto a plate and ate it with the greens. The portion of greens alone is enough to fill you up.

Menu and prices

– Gamjatang with cabbage greens: small ₩35,000 (2–3) · medium ₩46,000 (3–4) · large ₩56,000 (4–5) – Gamjatang with aged kimchi: small ₩38,000 · medium ₩49,000 · large ₩59,000 (made with highland cabbage aged over 180 days) – Hangover soups for one: pork bone soup ₩11,000 · cabbage-green soup ₩8,000 – Add-ons: hand-torn dough or glass noodles ₩1,000 · rice ₩1,000 · perilla-oil radish-kimchi fried rice ₩3,000 · extra bones (4) ₩20,000 – Kids: bulgogi hot pot ₩7,000 – Drinks: soju or beer ₩5,000 · makgeolli ₩4,000 · soft drinks ₩2,000

Eating alone? The pork bone soup at ₩11,000 is a perfect single bowl.

Finish with fried rice (₩3,000)

You cannot leave a gamjatang place without this. They fry rice in the leftover broth with perilla oil and radish kimchi. It smells wonderfully nutty, and the radish keeps it from feeling heavy.

Zoapik’s verdict

– 195 m from Dangsan Station Exit 8 – Small gamjatang ₩35,000 is plenty for two, with a huge amount of greens – Clean, mild broth that works even for lunch – Pork falls off the bone, and there is lots of meat – Unlimited ramyeon noodles; self-service sides and aprons – Hanok-style interior with lovely window seats – Fried rice finish for ₩3,000 is a must – Heads-up: closed Mondays, break time 15:00–17:00

If you want to try gamjatang in Seoul without heavy spice, start here. Next time I am ordering the aged-kimchi version.