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A Taxi Driver’s and Salesman’s Delight: My Top 5 Kisa (Driver’s) Restaurants in Seoul

Hello, I’m [빚남 – debt repayment man]. I started my first job in 2016 and have been moving around ever since. I’m already at my fourth company! Over the years, I’ve been in charge of various districts within Seoul, including Jungnang, Gwangjin, Seongdong, Yongsan, Jung-gu, Gangseo, Geumcheon, and Seocho. Most of my work involves driving around, whether it’s sales or sales management, so I always end up eating lunch out. Discovering hidden gems in my assigned areas or enjoying delicious meals bought by senior colleagues who were already familiar with the local scene became a small but genuine pleasure in my working life.

There are countless restaurants, but today, I want to introduce you to five of my favorite kisa sikdang (기사식당) – driver’s restaurants – that are beloved by taxi drivers and salespeople alike. It’s been a while since I visited these places, and while they are already quite famous, just like how an old song can bring back memories, these restaurants trigger unexpected recollections. I’ll share a bit of my past work experiences along the way.

1. Songrim Restaurant (송림식당), Gwangjin-gu: The Pork Bulgogi Empire

First up is Songrim Restaurant, located in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. This place is legendary for supposedly building an entire building on the popularity of its dwaeji bulbaek (돼지불백), or pork bulgogi. It’s easily accessible, about a 15-minute walk from either Konkuk University Station or Guui Station.

Parking is available outside, but during peak lunch hours, it’s usually packed. There’s a massive parking tower available. One time, a group of six of us from my team, not knowing any better, parked all our cars in the parking tower during peak hours, and it took us over 30 minutes just to get our cars out! After that, we always minimized the number of cars and carpooled.

Despite the crowds, the restaurant has two floors and a fast turnover rate, so you can usually get a table right away. I came with a friend and ordered two servings of pork bulgogi. True to its driver’s restaurant status, the side dishes and main course were set on our table almost immediately. There’s kimchi, various seasoned vegetables (namul), lettuce, and you can refill these at the self-service bar.

The bulgogi comes on a round iron plate. It looks a bit empty at first, right? While the bulgogi is cooking, I head over to the self-service station and get some seonji guk (선지국), or ox blood soup. You can get unlimited refills!

Honestly, I liked the seonji guk more than the bulgogi itself! It’s not a spicy or sharp broth, but a deep and savory soup. It tasted just as good as I remembered. I even remember coming here specifically for the seonji guk after a company dinner when I needed a hangover cure.

“You don’t just eat it like that,” I told my friend, who was visiting this restaurant for the first time, trying to act like I knew everything. “You don’t just eat the rice and meat separately. Wait until it’s cooked a bit more, and I’ll show you.”

“The meat’s cooked enough, right?” I asked. “Now, cut the meat with scissors. Got rice? Just put it in. And the side dishes, too! All of them. Even the lettuce!”

Once the meat is cooked, you cut it into smaller pieces with scissors, then add rice, lettuce, garlic, side dishes, and gochujang (고추장), or red pepper paste. Mix it all up and eat it like a fried rice. That’s the signature way to eat it here!

Actually, the first time I came here, a senior colleague just started dumping all the side dishes in without even asking me! I thought, “I wanted to eat them separately…” But, well, there’s a reason why they’re the senior colleague, right? After a few visits, I started adding the side dishes the moment I sat down.

I scooped some into my rice bowl and tried it. It was delicious! It was a bit salty because I added too much gochujang, but still delicious. I also wrapped it in lettuce and refilled the seonji guk three times.

This place was a regular spot when I worked near Gunja Station for my first job. Your first job is like your first love. It’s bittersweet, tough, but when you look back, you miss it. I think about it sometimes. I had so much ambition and wanted to be recognized, but in reality, I was lacking and inexperienced, and every day was difficult. We had late-night gatherings, and I got scolded for stupid mistakes. Looking back, I wonder how I even survived! But in the end, I enjoyed that difficult time because of the people I worked with.

When work was particularly hard, I even thought, “I wish someone would rear-end my car so I could just rest without thinking.” I saw somewhere that those thoughts are an early sign of depression. When I told my teammates, they all said, “You too? I think about that all the time!” and we just laughed it off.

But those difficult times built resilience and made me stronger. Whenever I’m struggling, I think, “Whatever happens, it’ll be better than that time,” and that makes me feel like I can do anything. It’s like a mental spell that puts me at ease.

When you leave, they give you a yogurt drink for dessert, one for each person. Remember to bring 100 won if you want to buy an extra one!

2. Ghana Tonkatsu (가나돈가스), Gangnam-gu: Retro Cutlet Memories

The second restaurant is Ghana Tonkatsu in Gangnam-gu. This place is already very famous. (Parking fee: ₩2,000)

Parking is available in front of the restaurant, but it’s hard to find a spot during lunch hours because it’s always full. Even though I went a little after the lunch rush, it was still packed. As soon as you sit down, you’ll notice the huge Korean chili peppers (oi-gochu) that this place is known for.

Usually, I order the tonkatsu (돈가스), or pork cutlet, but today I ordered the jeongsik (정식), or set meal, as an excuse to film the video. I think the jeongsik was less than ₩10,000 when I came here about five years ago, but the price has gone up along with everything else.

As usual, the food came out within five minutes. The jeongsik includes a retro Western-style tonkatsu, a fish cutlet, and a fried shrimp.

I start with the fried shrimp. The tonkatsu is good, but I prefer the old-school Western-style tonkatsu with sweet sauce.

I cut everything into pieces to make it easier to eat. It’s crispy because it was freshly fried, and the sauce makes it moist. When it gets a little greasy, I eat the Korean chili pepper to neutralize the greasiness. The fish cutlet is the classic kind with a sweet and tangy tartar sauce.

My second company was where I moved to from my first company as an experienced hire. I had considered changing my job, but a good opportunity arose to move to a larger company with a higher salary, so I managed to make the move. It wasn’t a huge corporation, but it was a decent-sized company. People congratulated me, and my salary increased, so I was feeling pretty proud.

But that only lasted for two months. I was no longer the new, inexperienced employee. I had to adapt quickly and show my abilities as an experienced professional. That’s when I realized that the days of laughing off mistakes were over. But I had a good team leader who took care of me, and sometimes when I was tired, a senior colleague who had also moved from my previous company would buy me tonkatsu here and comfort me.

3. Yangji Hambak Wang Tonkatsu (양지함박왕돈까스), Jangan-dong, Dongdaemun-gu: Nostalgic Flavors

Thinking of more budget-friendly tonkatsu places I went to another day to a kisa sikdang in Jangan-dong, Dongdaemun-gu called Yangji Hambak Wang Tonkatsu. As soon as you walk in, you can feel the history and tradition of this long-standing restaurant. The tonkatsu is ₩9,000 and the assorted set meal is ₩10,000. It still seemed like a good price to me.

I ordered the regular assorted set meal. As soon as I ordered, the soup came out first. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a tonkatsu restaurant that serves soup! The soup had a strong sweet taste.

While I was eating the soup, the bean sprout soup and rice came out. I also filled a bowl with radish kimchi (kkakdugi) from the container on the table.

This is the ₩10,000 assorted set meal. It comes with a large fish cutlet, a hamburger steak (hambak), and a tonkatsu topped with a fried egg. The portion size is excellent.

Back in the day, you could customize the set meal, like replacing the fish cutlet with a hamburger steak, but I don’t know if you can still do that now.

I cut everything up and get ready to eat. I move the fried egg onto the rice and eat it together. The egg was cooked just the way I like it. The tonkatsu isn’t super thick, but it’s still tasty. I prefer the hamburger steak and fish cutlet more than the tonkatsu. Dipping the crispy, freshly fried fish cutlet and the thick, old-fashioned hamburger steak in the sweet sauce.

But as I was eating, I suddenly felt like I was getting old. I used to love the sweet soup and tonkatsu sauce, but now it felt too sweet. As time passes, my tastes and preferences change little by little. It made me realize that I’m changing too.

But I still finished it all!

4. Jangsu Seolleongtang Haejangguk (장수설렁탕해장국), Jamsil: 24/7 Comfort

The fourth kisa sikdang is Jangsu Seolleongtang Haejangguk, located near Jamsil. It’s a rare 24-hour restaurant where you can get a bowl of hot seolleongtang (설렁탕), or ox bone soup, for only ₩6,000.

I went around 9 PM because I finished work late, but there were still quite a few customers. I was very hungry, so instead of the regular ₩6,000 bowl, I ordered the special for ₩8,000. Other menu items are also cheap. The prices are really old-school!

I saw an article that said the seolleongtang was ₩5,000 in 2011. It’s even more amazing that it’s only ₩6,000 in 2025!

The side dishes were set on the table as soon as I ordered. They give you kimchi and radish kimchi (kkakdugi). The kimchi is freshly made, and I like it more than the radish kimchi. You can refill the kimchi at the self-service bar.

The special seolleongtang came out quickly. It has a milky white broth, a serving of glass noodles (somyun), and slices of beef.

I add a generous amount of salt and pepper and some chopped green onions. Time for a taste!

With the green onions, it looks like proper seolleongtang! The special size has a decent amount of meat and noodles.

It’s not a super deep broth, but a moderately savory, light, and clean seolleongtang. The crisp and refreshing kimchi goes well with the seolleongtang. The kimchi has a hint of garlic and looks very red, but it’s perfect to eat with the plain seolleongtang.

This is where I often stopped to eat on my way home from my second job when I started doing side hustles near Jamsil every Sunday. I never thought I could do a side hustle while working, but I was inspired by one of my closest friends who was doing three jobs while working. At the time, I had a girlfriend, and it was tough working during the week, meeting my girlfriend on Saturday, and going to my side hustle on Sunday, but I got used to it. I did it consistently for over a year. I realized that things I thought I couldn’t do weren’t that difficult, and that I could do anything.

5. Songjeong Dolsotbap (송정돌솥밥), Jeonong-dong: The Stone Pot Finale

Finally, the last kisa sikdang. you can’t leave without the dolsotbap(돌솥밥), or stone pot rice, so I went to Songjeong Dolsotbap in Jeonong-dong. The menu is very diverse. I ordered the grilled mackerel for ₩10,000. I wondered what was going on when something unfamiliar was served, so I wondered if the configuration changed? It was soybean stew that was delivered incorrectly.

After waiting a bit, various side dishes, well-grilled mackerel, and a stone pot of rice (even when you order for one person) came out.

I leave some rice in the stone pot on purpose to eat with the mackerel. I also pour in a generous amount of water, i want to make the scorched rice soup.

Before eating the fish, I eat some rice with green onion kimchi (pakimchi) to stimulate my appetite. I like the crispy and oily fish skin, so I eat that first. The whole mackerel is grilled, and it’s not too salty and is nice and moist. The side dishes come with soup, and there are six types of dishes with vegetables or something red that goes well with the grilled mackerel and rice.

When I was working at my third company, my self-esteem was low for various reasons. After doing my own business, I was able to communicate and socialize with people, regain my energy, and gain a lot of confidence by working in an organization again. At the time, I had to give training and explanations in front of many people, which I didn’t like to do and avoided. But I just faced it head-on, and after doing it, I was praised for doing a good job. It made me think, “Oh, I can do this!” That memory inspired me to start a YouTube channel where I talk in front of people.

After finishing the rice, I move on to the stone pot scorched rice soup for the second round. It’s cooked perfectly. The warm scorched rice soup is easy to eat even if you just eat the rice. I also put mackerel on top of the rice and eat it with the spicy side dishes.

This is a taste that makes you give a thumbs up without realizing it! I enjoyed the meal without leaving anything behind. Wouldn’t this qualify as a level 2 expert in deboning mackerel?

I got a free coffee on my way out. Today, I introduced five of my favorite kisa sikdang that bring back memories. I’m not a food critic. I’m happy to just have a filling meal. It was fun to revisit these places after so long, and they were tasty and enjoyable. This time, I visited places that were relatively close. There are many other places that I haven’t introduced, but I’ll try to make a video whenever I eat out. Thanks!

(In fact, this place is a Seonji Guk 맛집)

(One shot)

(Great)

(The yogurt they give you on the way out)

Google Search & Assessment of Location

To provide a more comprehensive overview, let’s consider a sample Google search for “송림식당 광진구” (Songrim Restaurant Gwangjin-gu):

• Search Results: The search results would primarily consist of blog posts, restaurant reviews on platforms like Naver and Kakao, and potentially news articles featuring the restaurant.
• Naver/Kakao Reviews: These reviews typically offer a more in-depth look at the dining experience. They include photos, detailed descriptions of the food, and ratings based on taste, service, and atmosphere.
• General Assessment: Based on a typical Google search result for Songrim Restaurant, the general assessment would likely be overwhelmingly positive. The consistent theme would be the generous portions, the unique way of eating the Pork Bulgogi mixed with side dishes and kimchi, and the hearty Seonji Guk that accompanies the meal. Potential drawbacks noted in reviews might include the crowded parking situation during peak hours and the possibility of a wait time.

The assessment is the same for other restaurants as well: the result would primarily consist of blog posts, restaurant reviews on platforms like Naver and Kakao, and potentially news articles featuring the restaurant.