Daewoo Budae-jjigaea Teheran-ro army stew with sirloin beef on the menu

Two versions of the same stew

There's the regular budae-jjigae, and a beef sirloin version. The beef one runs ₩25,000 per person — ₩50,000 for two. Even so, most tables order the regular one, which, true to the shop's premium billing, still costs ₩16,000 per person — noticeably more than a neighborhood budae-jjigae.

What it looks like

Budae-jjigae is boiling hard in a wide silver pot. Sliced ham lines up in the middle over the red broth, surrounded by sausage pieces, tofu, half a boiled egg, ground meat and green stalk vegetables. Bubbles rise on the surface, and the ingredients are so plentiful they rise above the broth. The pot sits on a black heating plate, with a rice bowl just visible beside it.

Menu words

• Budae-jjigae is a Korean stew of ham, sausage, tofu, kimchi and more, simmered spicy; "budae" means a military unit
• Minari is a fragrant water vegetable that takes the edge off the stew's heat

Looks heavy, tastes clean

The broth is loaded with minari and looks thick and rich just from the color. Taste it, though, and it's cleaner than expected. The flat, wrinkled sausages and ground meat come in generous portions.

The one thing in short supply was the pink ham slices (the Spam-like kind) — only about four pieces were visible. I ended up ordering extra ham.

Before you go

• Location — Teheran-ro 25-gil, about a 2-minute walk from Yeoksam Station.
• Parking — Free for 40 minutes at the Hyundai lot right below the restaurant.
• Hours — Weekdays 11 AM-9 PM (break 3-5 PM), Sundays 11:30 AM-9 PM. It's closed on Saturdays — worth a quick call to confirm before heading over.
• Menu — Budae-jjigae starts at ₩16,000; the sirloin version is ₩25,000. Ramyeon noodles add ₩1,500.
• After — for a coffee to reset the palate, L'OISEAU Yeoksam is in the same Yeoksam area.

About the broth

The broth is built on simmered vegetables, with minced Korean beef and a generous amount of minari (water dropwort) to take the edge off the heat. That matches my own impression — heavy-looking but clean. If you expect a kimchi-red, fiery pot, this is a different style.

For international visitors

• Budae-jjigae means "army-base stew." It is generally traced to the years after the Korean War, when sausage, ham and other processed meats from US military bases were simmered together with Korean flavors
• Minari is a fragrant leafy green (water dropwort), and this shop uses plenty of it
• Prices are quoted per person (₩16,000 regular, ₩25,000 sirloin), so ordering by head count keeps the math simple. Ramyeon noodles can be added for ₩1,500
• The shop is closed on Saturdays. If your trip falls on a weekend, go on Sunday (11:30 AM–9 PM)

Who it suits

• ✅ People who want a fragrant, clean-tasting budae-jjigae rather than a fiery one
• ✅ Anyone near Yeoksam Station who needs a lunch or dinner — and drivers can use the 40 minutes of free parking
• ⚠️ People watching their budget — it costs clearly more than a neighborhood budae-jjigae
• ⚠️ People planning to come on a Saturday — it's closed
• ⚠️ People hoping for a spicy, kimchi-heavy stew