Visiting Busan Haeundae Geumsubokguk Main Branch

If you are going to Haeundae, Busan and you're looking for a refreshing hangover soup, you might feel regretful that you didn't drink more the night before. It's not me saying this; it's what Baek Jong-won says on a recent cable TV show called "Baek Jong-won's Street Food Fighter." When we were younger, just having a Pocari Sweat was enough, but now I also need a hearty hangover soup. While hangover soups like pollack soup and bean sprout soup are delicious on their own, they become even more welcome after a night of drinking.

I used to go to "Geumsu Bokguk" in Apgujeong when I worked in Gangnam, and I visited "Chungmuhodong Bok" in Gangseo when I worked in Seoul. But now that my office has moved to Yeouido, I no longer have the opportunity to visit Apgujeong's Geumsu Bokguk, and Chungmuhodong Bok is gone, leaving only memories. I still remember the seaweed bibimbap at Chungmuhodong Bok; it was truly a work of art. I miss it. I also remember the anchovy side dish.

I used to visit smaller alleys, but coming to the main road feels different. After a night of heavy drinking in Haeundae, Busan, our destination for the second day naturally became the main branch of Geumsu Bokguk, the representative place for hangover soup. I had been there 15 years and 7 years ago, but I couldn't remember the main branch of Geumsu Bokguk. Vaguely, I remember it being in a small alley, but now there's a big building. When I passed the building, I saw the old main branch of Geumsu Bokguk. I was surprised by the number of people. When we went there, it was October, but there was a long line from the morning. It seems like everyone came for hangover soup. I was really surprised to see so many people in the morning. When I visited before, it must have been in the evening, and I didn't have to wait. But now, it's so crowded.

We wanted to have hangover soup and check out of the hotel, but we ended up checking out first. We chose the Geumsu Bokguk set, and as we were waiting, we heard an announcement. It said that those who ordered the Geumsu Bokguk set should come in. The Geumsu Bokguk set includes fried blowfish skin, fried blowfish, blowfish meat, and blowfish roe, and it's more expensive than the regular blowfish soup. It's also available at specific times. We got our ticket at 9:50 am, and the announcement came at 10 am, so they seem to be flexible with the timing. My mother-in-law heard the announcement and decided to go for the set, so we were seated right away. If we had ordered the regular blowfish soup, we would have had to wait another 30 minutes.

Since we had come all the way to Geumsu Bokguk in Haeundae, we agreed that it was worth trying the set. It was a great choice. It's a more attractive option for a family because you can enjoy various blowfish dishes together. Of course, the kids didn't love it as much, and for them, the blowfish soup was like bean sprout soup. We ordered one Kachi Bokguk set and two Mil Bokguk sets. For reference, we are a family of four.

Everything from the salad to the fried dishes and side dishes was delicious. The kids enjoyed the fried food, and the side dishes were also easy to eat. I had been to Apgujeong Geumsu Bokguk several times, but this was my first time trying the set course, and it was fun to try a variety of dishes. I noticed people at the table next to us having a glass of soju early in the morning, and I thought it would be nice to enjoy a glass of soju while eating a course meal when the opportunity arises.

The side dishes were simple. After eating the fried dishes and enjoying the blowfish soup, the side dishes didn't matter much.

The rice portion was really small, but since the focus was on the blowfish soup, the rice wasn't that important. I'm not a gourmet who can distinguish between Kachi Bokguk and Mil Bokguk, so both tasted great. The blowfish soup was incredibly refreshing, almost as if it washed away the beer and soju I had the previous night. I even drank up the leftover soup that my eldest left behind; that's how much I enjoyed it.

Finally, dessert! This was my third visit to the Haeundae branch, and it was my first time trying the set course. The kids weren't overly satisfied, but it was a really enjoyable breakfast for my mother-in-law and me. I don't know when I'll visit again, but next time I come to Haeundae, I'll have to try the course menu. When you visit Haeundae, going to the main branch of Geumsu Bokguk is a must. 

Geumsu Bokguk Haeundae Main Branch
23, Jungdong 1-ro 43beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan