This place has been around for years and is a chain restaurant all over Seoul and S. Korea. They specialise in pork bbq and pork kimchi jiggae. Their kimchi jiggae always hits the spot!
One of the dishes this place is known for: 7 minute kimchi jiggae (7 분돼지김치 찌개). A thick stew with chopped up kimchi and pork chuncks that is served boiling hot in just 7 minutes!
Put some roasted salted seaweed over your bowl of rice, and eat it together over the rice, or spoon it into a separate bowl if you please.
If you order a 1 portion, it will come in an individual pot already boiled and cooked for you. If you order a 2 or more portions, it will come out in a bigger pot and the remaining 7 minutes will be finished off on the fire at the table. Either way, bubbling goodness in just 7 minutes!
Breakfast of champions: Had the hot kimchi jiggae and the cold kimchi noodles (김치말이국수) to have a nice "balanced" meal of hot and cold dishes for breakfast one morning! Love that this place is 24 hours!
Love the smoke sucking vacuums Korean restaurants have to keep the place better ventilated. You can also get giant plastic bags here to put your belongings (jacket, purse, bags etc) in so they won't smell as much after you leave the restaurant!
열탄불고기 (YulTan BulGoGi) - Thinly sliced pork with a spicy sauce on top. Even though it says bulgogi which is usually beef, it is a pork bbq here. Pile on the rings of frozen meat on the hot grill as evenly as you can.
It cooks so fast so watch out! Give it a good stir so it doesn't stick and burn! Make sure to ask for garlic if they didn't already give it to you and add it to the grill along with the onion that you can find in the greens basket.
The menu of their famous 7 minute kimchi jiggae along with cold kimchi noodels, dwenjang jiggae, anchovy soup noodles.
The famous 열탄불고기 (YulTan BulGoGi). Thinly sliced spicy pork bbq.
Other pork bbq selections.
Look for the classic red on yellow sign board. This place is all around Korea!
I recently tried a different place for kimchi jiggae that's very well known amongst Koreans called 은주정 김치찌개 (EunJooJung Kimchi Jiggae). It was really good, but not as easily accessible as 새마을식당 (SehMaelShikDang) which is everywhere - I'll probably end up coming here more often again!
What? 새마을식당 (SehMael ShikDang) - New Town Restaurant. Known for their 7-minute kimchi jiggae and thinly sliced spicy pork bbq. They have other pork bbq items on their menu along with dwenjang jiggae and noodles.
Who? Anyone who likes spicy food, pork bbq (but not necessarily samgyupsal) and kimchi jiggae. Very casual but delicious!
When? Everyday, 24 hours!!! It is a chain restaurant though so it may depend on which location you go to.
Parking? Yes - depending on which location you go to. At the Hannam location, you can usually just park in front along the sidewalk.
Cards Accepted? Yes
Where? Many many many locations. Find out the how to spell the area you live in in Korean. Then match the area with the list here and copy and paste the address into google maps: http://www.newmaul.com/newmaul/store_domestic.asp?shop_region=1
The one I usually go to in Hannam-dong and it's 24 hours:
서울특별시 용산구 한남동 85-4. 85-4 Hannam-dong
Call: 02-794-9393
Directions: From Hangang-jin station, Exit 2, walk straight until you hit the main road. Turn right as if going towards Hannam-bridge. Just after the gas station (150metres), veer right. Keep walking straight, past the 4 way main street where SoonChang Hospital is, and then you'll see it on your left. It's across the street from Baskin Robbins and Kkangbu Chicken.