Bossam at Won Halmoni Bonga

While, perhaps not as famous as some of Korea's other fine cuisines, bossam (보쌈) is a uniquely Korean dish that can be found in restaurants and markets around the city. It consists of boiled pork which is wrapped with other vegetables and sauces in lettuce, cabbage, radish or kimchi.  On Friday night, I finally made it to 원할머니본가 , the original restaurant of the famous chain of bossam restaurants in Korea which happens to be around the corner from my house.

Kongnamulguk, Bean sprout soup

As with most typical Korean meals, some broth and side dishes (반찬) are served.  Here we received a bean sprout soup and some onions and hot peppers in soy sauce. Every restaurant will have their own special side dishes for you to try.

Onion and hot pepper in soy sauce

Boiled pork to make the bossam

Then came out the main course, the bossam. As you can see, there are two kinds of pork here. One is a fattier meat, samgyopsal (in the back), and a less fatty meat (in the front).

Wraps and vegetables to add to the bossam

Here are various wraps to make the bossam. To the left is kimchi, of course, above that is thinly sliced preserved radish, at twelve o'clock you can see fresh lettuce and Chinese cabbage. To the right of that is thin slices of ddeok (rice  cake) and below that at three o'clock is radish kimchi. Finally, at the bottom is preserved Chinese cabbage. Not pictured here are the various sauces that you can add on top for extra flavor. It seems like a lot, but this was a basic set. There are more elaborate sets available for bigger groups or for people willing to spend more.

 Wrapping the bossam

Finally, when you are ready to get to work, choose a wrap and add whatever you like to it. The meat is standard, but you can be creative and make each wrap to your liking. Add extra kimchi if you like spice, add extra bean paste for a saltier taste, or add extra veggies to be healthy. Or, try a little of everything!

You can arrive here by taking line 2 or 6 to Sindang station. Go out exit 2, walk up to the four way intersection, turn left and walk through the next intersection (황학사거리). It is about 100 meters from the intersection on the right. You can also arrive here by coming to Sinseol-dong station on line 1 or 2 and going out exit 10. Walk to the 5-way intersection and take a left. Walk down and cross the cheonggyechon. Cross the street and it will be on the right after passing E-Mart. Bus 421 also makes a stop here, get off at the E-mart bus stop and look for the bright yellow sign for the restaurant. Click here for the chain's website and to read about their history. Korean and Japanese only.


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