Songtan Budaejjigae | Gangnam

The history of how budaejjigae (army stew) created is a bitter story to Koreans. After the Korean war ended in 1953, food was extremely scarce, and the U.S. military bases provided Koreans with American-processed meats like luncheon meat, ham, bacon, and sausage. Koreans started to mix these ingredients into kimchi stew, and this became what is known today as budaejjigae.

Even though it holds a history that reminds many of impoverished times, it became one of the Koreans comfort food. Songtan Budaejjigae is a franchise and its branches all across hold a good reputation when it comes to the quality and taste of their food. If you like meat and spicy stew, this is a must-try food in Korea.

Information

Address: 서울 서초구 서초대로78길 34
Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00-22:00

Review

Last time I went shopping in Gangnam, I had a hard time choosing what to eat. While I was searching for food to eat on Instagram, I saw many Koreans dining at Songtan Budaejjigae near Gangnam Station Exit 5. So I chose this place without much hesitation.

However, this restaurant was not easy to spot. It is located in an alley and doesn't even have a big visible sign like other restaurants.  

The hidden alleyway is the entrance to the restaurant, and there are some of the signs outside, but you need to look for them carefully since they are not that noticeable. You have to order per person here, and there are other menus like bossam (boiled pork wraps) and jeon (Korean pancake).

We ordered three portions of Songtan Budaejjigae, which is their signature menu, which costs ₩12,000 per person. Wherever you go, Korean restaurants serve small side dishes like kimchi, soybean sprouts, and more.

When you lift the lid up, the smell of the Songtan Budaejjigae will make you drool. The main ingredients of this stew is luncheon meat, sausage, ground beef, various vegetables, kimchi, baked beans, and more. An interesting feature about Budaejjigae is that you can add other Korean ingredients such as rice cakes, or instant noodle!  😋 

The stew is slightly spicy just enough to enhance your taste buds. Eat with a bowl of rice which is the best combination. 

When everyone had enough of the meats and vegetables, we added the raw ramen (₩1,000). After 3 or 4 minutes, you can enjoy the noodles too! If the stew gets salty or boiled down, just ask the waiter for more stew and they will refill your pot free of charge. 

Budaejjigae is one of those dishes that are hard to fail. The portion is always more than you expect, so be aware! Are you ready to experience this Korean comfort food? We highly recommend trying this stew while you are staying in Korea. Also, there are many Songtan Budaejjigae branches across the country, so you can check other branches near you on Naver Map or Kakao Map by typing in '송탄부대찌개'.

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