The best Budae Jjigae in Seoul
Does it sound crazy to you to grab everything in your kitchen and put it together? Actually, this is the secret to one of Korea’s most famous dishes: Budae Jjigae!
Budae Jjigae translates directly to “Army Stew” (after the Korean war, soldiers just mixed their very few ingredients with whatever they could find at the US bases… and this American-Korean fusion dish was born). Despite its’ modest roots, Budae Jigae an all-time favorite. Next to traditional Korean ingredients like Kimchi pepper rice cake and Gojujang, there are a million others like spam, sausages, cheese, tofu and Ramyeon. Sounds delicious, right? ;D
Everything is put together in one big pot and this is where the magic happens.
After trying a fair amount of different restaurants, I found that the best Budae Jjigae in Seoul is available at Jeju Bonga near Euljiro-ibgu.
The staffs are super friendly, the atmosphere is nice and the food is DELICIOUS. Also, each person gets a bowl of rice and some tasty side dishes.
A friendly Ahjumma prepared the Jjigae directly at our table! The Ahjumma told us that they use a special pot to cook the Jjigae, which is more traditional than in other restaurants. As you can see, we added some Ramyeon but you can order a variety of other things as well. Budae Jjigae might be the most flexible meal in the world 😀
What makes Jeju Bonga different from other Budae Jjigae places is that they put in a LOT of ingredients. And the broth tastes different, it is really unique and just the right level of spicy and savory. The portions are huge but we always finish everything!! The atmosphere is great as well and you probably won’t see any other tourists. It’s a secret between the Korean businesspeople working nearby 🙂
By the way, Budae Jjigae is not meant to be eaten alone so bring some company! And make sure to enjoy your meal with some Korean booze, like rice wine and Soju!
Read What you can expect in this food tour, or check our other posts to find out where to get the best Bingsu and Korean BBQ in Seoul!
Let’s go for a Seoul food tour? Join this tour: The Best Food Tour in Seoul: Tradition vs. Modernity
Check out more about Korean food:
Hanjeongsik – A meal for the Kings
More food tours:
Korean Street Food Walking Tour
Half day Royal Palace and Food Market Tour
Food Tour at Noryangjin Fish Market
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