The Pungent First Taste and Mellow Aftertaste: Life-Reflecting Garlic Budae Jjigae... Visiting Yeouido Heejeong Restaurant [Jeon Jin-young's Old Restaurant Exploration]

Garlic Packed with Anticancer Effects
Clean Broth Without Greasiness
Secret Ratio Found After Numerous Attempts
Also Famous as a 'Son Seok-hee Restaurant'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] After having a few meals abroad, my stomach suddenly feels greasy. When I said I was dying from the greasiness, my colleagues laughed and said it was because the ‘maneul-ryeok’ (garlic power) of Koreans had weakened. Indeed, abroad, even in aglio e olio, which is made by stir-frying garlic, they only use about three cloves. I wondered if the greasiness was all due to the lack of garlic. On the return flight, I kept imagining myself sitting in front of a gas burner, pouring down a spicy stew with soju. Eventually, as soon as I got back, I sent an SOS to my friends: “Gather at Heejeong Restaurant in Yeouido by 7 PM.”

Heejeong Restaurant is located in the basement of a shopping complex near Exit 1 of Yeouinaru Station on Seoul Subway Line 5. It opened in 1988 and has been in business for 34 years this year. The restaurant’s signature dish is a budae jjigae (army stew) with a strong garlic flavor. When you first take a spoonful of the stew, a sharp taste fills your mouth, reminiscent of the garlic chicken braised stew broth from Gyerim. They don’t add cheese, which is commonly found in budae jjigae. The flavor comes from garlic, sausage, minced meat, and shredded green onions, making the broth clean without any greasiness. When I asked the owner why they use so much garlic, he replied, “Garlic has anti-cancer properties; it’s good for the body, so we have to put a lot.” He emphasized that just adding a lot of garlic wouldn’t make the stew tasty; after many trials, they devised a unique ratio exclusive to this place.

Budae Jjigae at Yeouido Heejeong Restaurant.

The stew with a lot of garlic tastes better the longer it simmers. This place is no exception. The minced garlic gradually transforms into a sweet flavor as it continues to boil, and the minced meat starts to produce an umami that clings to the tongue. It’s perfect for long conversations paired with alcohol. As the conversation deepens, the stew also develops a sticky and rich flavor.

Because of this, the restaurant is considered a sacred place for office workers in Yeouido. Especially, people from the Yeouido broadcasting stations visit frequently. There is a legend that Fin.K.L even lined up to eat here, but above all, it is famous as the ‘Son Seok-hee’s favorite restaurant’ from the MBC days. The owner has been running the business steadily for 34 years. He still personally serves the budae jjigae to customers and grills another menu item, the T-bone steak, directly on the iron plate. He carefully watches over each table, saying the fire needs to be toned down now. The name Heejeong Restaurant was originally taken over from the previous shop, but it is also the name of the owner’s eldest daughter who passed away early in childhood. This is why the owner is especially attached to the restaurant and warmly welcomes people.

While eating budae jjigae with my friends, we talked about life and work for a long time. Like all office workers, daily life is sharp and somewhat bitter, like raw garlic. We’ll become flavorful after boiling vigorously; after simmering for a while, people will recognize us as rich and mellow. We toasted with a lukewarm soju and beer mix in front of the gas burner.