Deulpul (들풀) Seochon Review 2026: Gyeongbokgung Family Dining

Gwanghwamun (광화문), Gyeongbokgung (경복궁), Inwangsan (인왕산), Bugaksan (북악산)

Cheong Wa Dae (청와대), Seochon (서촌), and even Tongin Market (통인시장),,

Nestled among these famous tourist spots is

a fantastic restaurant near Gyeongbokgung in Seoul (서울),

where I enjoyed Korean cuisine with a home-cooked feel, specializing in delicious hot pot rice (sotbap)!

Seoul Gwanghwamun

Jahaemun-ro 118 Deulppul (자하문로 118 들풀), Perfect for Family Gatherings

📍Location: 118 Jahaemun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

From Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station (경복궁역) (Line 3),

take bus no. 1711 or 7016 and get off at Gyeonggi Commercial High School (경기상고) stop.

✅Hours: Daily 11:00-20:30

Weekday Break: 15:30-17:00

✅Parking Available

This Korean restaurant is located amidst the serene scenery of Cheongun-dong (청운동).

It's Deulppul near Gyeongbokgung.

Its name, Jahaemun-ro 118, even includes its address,

making you naturally remember the road name and address of this unique place!

Haha!

I've heard Jahaemun-ro (자하문로) mentioned quite a lot before...

It's a rare gem that even offers parking right in front of the building!

Jahaemun-ro 118 Deulppul, a true Seoul culinary delight.

Deulppul: A Korean Restaurant Gem Near Gyeongbokgung

Inside Atmosphere

It seemed like a family gathering had just concluded.

As I walked in,

a large family was just finishing their meal and coming down.

Everyone looked so cheerful,

and it instantly lifted my spirits too!

The delightful aroma of freshly cooked rice wafted gently through the air〰️

Even with the chilly breeze outside, it was a moment that warmed my heart.

At the entrance, bundles of reeds (들풀, 'deulppul' means wild grass) live up to the restaurant's name,

giving it a lovely autumn vibe.

The spacious hall had plenty of tables,

and there were several private rooms too,

making it ideal for family gatherings or group dinners, I thought.

Apparently, it has over 80 seats!

A Korean Restaurant for Healthy & Delicious Food

Jahaemun-ro 118 Deulppul Menu

Deulppul's signature offerings are wholesome meals prepared with sincerity,

but that's not all!

From comforting hot pot rice (sotbap) to steamed dishes, bulgogi, and various sides, there's just

so much more on the menu!

Be sure to check the origin of the ingredients as well!

With its tranquil atmosphere

and truly healthy-feeling menu,

even though it was just "girls" (without elders) who came,

(read: actually, a group of 'aunties' in their prime! 😉)

we decided to order some healthy dishes.

We chose the Aromatic Natural Pine Mushroom Hot Pot Rice and the Eggplant Hot Pot Rice,

plus Yukjeon (pan-fried beef slices).

Dieting can wait for another lifetime!

Besides, pine mushrooms and eggplant are both great for you,

so we were just boosting our health, right?

Made from plums grown directly at Gapyeong Farm (가평농원),

this plum juice is lovingly prepared with organic sugar.

The friendly owner of Deulppul, this Gwanghwamun gem,

Seeing the plum juice available,

I drank it without much thought, but

it was so incredibly rich and concentrated, it felt less like juice and more like medicine!

It reminded me of when my mom used to give me plum extract in a small cup for indigestion as a child.

The concentration was exactly like that, so

I kept refilling, thinking, "This is medicine!"

Great for Family Gatherings in Seoul

Jahaemun-ro 118 Deulppul Menu Review

Although I couldn't bring my parents,

it was still a lovely family gathering with my sister!

When the dishes arrived,

my jaw dropped at the sight of the

sumptuous spread!

First, I tried to capture a full shot.

It just couldn't fit into the lens directly,

so I took it with 0.6x zoom!

A salad topped with brown rice crunch and savory sesame dressing,

perfect for whetting your appetite!

Then came the Yukjeon (육전) with plenty of green onion salad and geotjeori (겉절이) fresh kimchi on top...

It was absolutely incredible when eaten warm,

and while it's delicious dipped in the soy sauce they provided,

you HAVE to try it with the geotjeori and Kkwari-gochu (꽈리고추) pepper combination!

And why were the banchan (반찬) side dishes so amazing, too...?

Acorn Jelly Salad (Dotori Mukmuchim, 도토리 묵무침)

Stir-fried Mushrooms (Beoseot Bokkeum, 버섯볶음)

Diced Radish Kimchi (Kkakdugi, 깍두기)

Stir-fried Fish Cakes (Eomuk Bokkeum, 어묵볶음)

Salad

Kkwari-gochu peppers

They served only the most delicious banchan that you just couldn't stop reaching for!

We only ordered Yukjeon, though ^^;

Hehe!

They also gave us Buchimgae (부침개) pancake and Jeyuk-bokkeum (제육볶음) spicy stir-fried pork, plus a rich, hearty jjigae (찌개) stew.

It tasted like a doenjang (된장) soybean paste stew, but with Cheonggukjang (청국장) fermented soybean paste notes too,

so incredibly rich!

The Buchimgae really had wonderfully crispy edges,

and it was so delicious!

I thought, 'Will we really eat all of this?'

but somehow, miraculously, we ate every last bite...

This truly is a Korean food (Hansik, 한식) hotspot!

🚨Shocking, right?!

We hadn't even touched the hot pot rice yet!

The subtle fragrance of pine mushrooms (song-i, 송이) was delightful,

and it even had ginkgo nuts (eunhaeng, 은행), which I absolutely love!

(But stepping on ginkgo nuts is something I really dislike!)

The eggplant hot pot rice (gaji sotbap, 가지솥밥) also had ginkgo nuts,

and because it was cooked in a hot pot, the eggplant was incredibly tender.

They served it with seaweed (gim, 김), butter, and jeotgal (젓갈) fermented seafood paste,

and that jeotgal was truly something special! ‼️‼️‼️‼️

Miranda especially loved it so much,

that she even asked the owner what kind of jeotgal it was.

It was Toahjeot (토하젓), made from freshwater shrimp,

and they said they specially source it from Ganggyeong (강경).

I actually just visited Nonsan (논산) and the Ganggyeong Night Festival (강경 야행축제) not too long ago!

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It was a delightful coincidence, and it tasted amazing, too,

so I was in a great mood!

--> What's with my accent...? It almost feels like a Seoul dialect!

After seasoning the hot pot rice, what's next on the agenda?

Nurungji (누룽지) scorched rice, of course!

After heartily enjoying the nurungji,

we left, patting our full bellies!

It seemed like many locals came for family meals,

as the private rooms were full and the main hall was quickly bustling,

and of course, the parking lot felt completely packed, too haha.

(As an "open run" enthusiast, I was completely satisfied!)

Our stomachs were so full,

we decided to take a stroll through Tongin Market (통인시장).

It's close enough that you can walk there!

During the Chuseok holiday, Namjoon uploaded to his story...

the cat from Tongin Market (통인시장)!

And guess what? I met them, hehe!

How about a truly healing-filled

outing to Seochon (서촌), Gwanghwamun (광화문), and Gyeongbokgung (경복궁)?

Ready to explore it for yourself?

For lunch and dinner, how about

a healthy Korean restaurant that fits the local vibe,

like Deulppul (들풀) at Jahamun-ro (자하문로) 118.