Experience Chef Jongwon Son's Touch for Just 5,000 Won... "Impressive from the First Bite" [Tried and Tested]

Tasting Emart24 and Chef Jongwon Sohn's Ready Meals
Unprecedentedly Large Convenience Store Lunchbox
Dried Radish and Chinese Artichoke Among the Sides... Like a Homemade Meal
A "Carefully Crafted Meal" That Breaks Preconceptions About Convenienc

A new product has emerged to challenge the dominance of the "Hyeja Dosirak" in the convenience store lunchbox market. Emart24 launched six ready meals under the "Family Meal" concept in collaboration with Chef Jongwon Son on November 26, 2025. Instead of flashy restaurant-style dishes, the focus was on providing a warm and special meal reminiscent of comforting home-cooked food. I tried the flagship products: the "Tteokgalbi Jeongsik Dosirak" and the "Hambak Neapolitan Spaghetti."

The first impression was impressive. The visual quality was so high that it was hard to believe these were convenience store lunchboxes. The white packaging container drew attention to the side dishes and added a clean touch. The size was among the largest of any convenience store lunchbox on the market. The generous portions of rolled omelet, rice, and the large tteokgalbi patty left an impression of abundance.

Yonhap News Agency

The Tteokgalbi Jeongsik Dosirak featured Cheongyang chili peppers neatly placed on top of the tteokgalbi, enhancing its visual appeal. The side dishes included tteokgalbi, fish cake, rolled omelet, Chinese artichoke, gondre namul, dried radish strips, and stir-fried kimchi, making it a true "7-dish set." The inclusion of side dishes typically found only in Korean restaurants gave it a strong sense of being a "healthy meal." Instead of plain white rice, glutinous black rice was used to evoke a homemade feel.

Particularly noteworthy were the Chinese artichoke and dried radish strip side dishes, which were individually packaged in separate baking cups. The fact that these side dishes-best enjoyed cold-were packed in baking cups to be easily removed showed great attention to detail.

The Hambak Neapolitan Spaghetti contained as many as five additional ingredients. Bacon, sausage, onion, bell pepper, and peperoncino were generously included, and unlike typical convenience store spaghetti, the noodles were thoroughly coated in red sauce, making it even more appetizing. The Tteokgalbi Jeongsik Dosirak and Hambak Neapolitan Spaghetti are priced at 5,900 won and 5,550 won, respectively. Considering the quality rivals that of homemade lunchboxes priced in the 10,000-won range, the value for money is truly "Godseongbi" (God + value for money).

Emart24 launched the ready meal "Hambak Neapolitan Spaghetti" in collaboration with Chef Jongwon Sohn. Photo by Jaehyun Park

After heating them in a home microwave, it was immediately clear that these were "carefully crafted lunchboxes." Unlike the salty and overly seasoned side dishes typically found in convenience store lunchboxes, the seasoning was so well-balanced that it could easily be mistaken for food from a specialty side dish store. The harmonious combination of side dishes-such as pickled Chinese artichoke, which has never been used in a convenience store lunchbox before, and traditional Korean gondre namul-further enhanced the flavor. Each side dish seemed to have been prepared with great care.

The Neapolitan Spaghetti had a familiar taste but was on par with dishes sold at restaurants. The well-balanced mix of sausage, bacon, onion, bell pepper, and peperoncino provided a pleasant texture when eaten with the spaghetti noodles, and the sweet and tangy flavor was well-executed. The addition of a hambak steak made it a hearty and satisfying meal.

However, when it comes to the rice in the Tteokgalbi Dosirak, some moisture may evaporate during microwave heating. It is recommended to cover it lightly or cook it for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer than the instructed time.