Songjeong 3(sam)dae Gukbap — Restaurant in Busan

I have never tried Gukbap before and I heard there are a few good ones in Busan so decided to try 1. The particular stretch in the small street has a few but I decided to pick this particular as it seems to have more better reviews online. There wasn't many people in the shop maybe because it was pretty late and I just decided to order the recommended one which was the dwaejigukbap. Looking at the menu, the set only costing 8000 won is really cheap, and I was waiting excitedly for the food to arrive. I didn't see other people really ordering and eating the same stuff I ordered, most of them were drinking and having BBQ. I was quite shocked when the meal arrived and it came in a big tray. There are so many items on the tray but the 1st thing which caught my attention was the smell of the soup. It smelled so good I just had to take the spoon quickly to get a quick sip. Oh my, it is so light but its so good! I could literally have this everyday. Just as I was thinking what could go well to the soup I saw a bowl of rice and some yellow noodles. One can actually pour the rice or noodles into the soup and mix and eat it. I tried a little of the rice first then some noodles. Both were equally good! Didn't try to take too much rice or noodles because it was already very late, but it was a really tasty and enjoyable meal. Not sure how traditional this dish is but it really warms the heart on a cold night. I guess this could be a dish passed down for generations since the sign of the shop mentioned something like 3 generations? Correct me if I am wrong. There are so many other items on the tray which can be thrown into the soup and mix, which I did for the sauce which turned the soup orange the last bit. But frankly speaking, I loved the original version the most. Highly recommended and it is definitely thumbs up! Thumbs up for the good food and the...

Before my trip to Busan, I watched a Netflix show about Korean cuisine, and one episode highlighted the city's signature dish: pork soup rice. After seeing that, I promised myself that I had to try it when I got to Busan. However, with so many delicious options available, I often found myself too full to enjoy it.

Today, my itinerary included a visit to Spa Land for a jjimjilbang (Korean sauna). I had intended to enjoy instant noodles at the spa, but I figured I could easily make those at home and didn’t want to waste precious travel time. After finishing at the spa, I returned to my hotel area, and luckily, there was a 24-hour pork soup rice restaurant nearby. Finally, I could fulfill my craving!

This restaurant has a long-standing tradition and doesn’t boast fancy decor; it focuses on providing authentic, hearty food. I ordered the traditional pork soup rice and a bowl of white rice with pork, along with a plate of boiled pork belly. The two dishes were quite similar, with the latter just missing the pork in the soup.

One of the restaurant's highlights was the Korean side dishes, including unlimited kimchi. What stood out was that they offered noodles to add to the soup, ensuring you wouldn't leave hungry.

Now, about the soup: it was initially unsalted, but as you sip it, the rich flavor of the pork comes through. You can add a bit of shrimp paste from the table to enhance the taste and saltiness. Adding a generous amount of chives is the most authentic way to enjoy it.

This meal warmed my heart and filled me with a sense of comfort. Throughout my trip, the most memorable experience for me was definitely the pork soup rice. I even had it again later at Haeundae, and it was just...

As a Busan local, I was honestly ashamed. If foreign visitors eat this gukbap and think, ‘So this is the taste of Busan’s gukbap,’ it would be an embarrassment. The taste was extremely disappointing and does not represent Busan at all. Foreign visitors, please go to another gukbap restaurant.

If the owner reads this, I strongly suggest tasting your own gukbap. It tastes like plain water. Even after adding chili paste, pepper, and salted shrimp, it still tasted like nothing but water.

And it’s not just the taste — the service was the worst as well. There was no notice that side dishes were self-serve, and only after we asked, ‘Oh, are the side dishes self-serve?’ did the staff excuse themselves by saying, ‘That’s how it is these days.’ We even made a group reservation in the morning, but when we arrived, some of our party had no seats because they had taken in other customers. On top of that, the staff even complained in a negative tone, saying that when we make morning reservations like this, it prevents them from serving other guests. Is this really acceptable? Truly disappointing.

Everyone in our group said it was the worst experience, and I believe the restaurant must seriously reflect on this. I also run a business myself, but you cannot run it this way. Even if the cast of the TV show ‘Delicious Guys’ came back here, they would be...