Honest Review of the Best Value All-You-Can-Eat Hot Pot Restaurant in Hongdae - 진화쿵푸마라탕

A Rainy Weekend Adventure to Hongdae's Hot Pot with Friends

In this humid and sticky weather, something spicy and hot is just what you crave. While pondering with my friends, 'What should we eat today?' that red broth I kept seeing on Instagram came to mind. It's called 진화쿵푸마라탕 in Hongdae!

It's a 3-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit 9. We found it quicker than expected. It's on the second floor, so climbing the stairs adds to the experience, haha.

First Impressions: Authentic Chinese Vibe

As soon as we walked in, I thought, 'Ah, this is really Chinese style.' From the interior to the menu, it had a strong local feel, which raised my expectations.

The inside was more spacious and clean than I expected. The tables were spaced generously, making it a perfect atmosphere to chat with friends while eating.

Finally Ordering! Choosing Between Mala Soup and Tomato Soup

After some deliberation, we ordered half mala soup and half tomato soup. It was 19,800 KRW on a weekday evening, and since it's all-you-can-eat, it seemed like a really good deal.

You can adjust the spiciness, and as someone who can't handle spicy food, I went with level 1. But even level 1 was surprisingly spicy! The tomato soup was really smooth and savory, perfectly balancing out the intense flavor of the mala soup.

The Fun of Exploring the Self-Serve Bar

Wow, this is truly the charm of all-you-can-eat. From meat to seafood, various vegetables, and noodles, the variety is immense.

Especially the beef, lamb, and brisket were sliced thinly, so they cooked quickly when dipped in the hot pot. The quality of the meat wasn't bad either!

Mushrooms, fish cakes, cheese rice cakes, shrimp, squid... there's real fun in choosing what to eat. Personally, I love the konjac and wide noodles, so I think I went back for those at least three times, haha.

Creating Your Own Sauce is Another Fun Aspect

The real highlight of hot pot is the sauce! You mix and match ingredients like garlic, sesame oil, peanut powder, oyster sauce, etc., to create your own sauce, but it's harder than it seems.

At first, I added too much garlic, so my mouth was filled with garlic flavor, but from the second time, I adjusted it properly and made a decent sauce.

Time for the Main Hot Pot!

Finally, the hot pot is boiling! The red mala soup was really spicy and hot, making me exclaim 'Wow!' at the first bite. But as I kept eating, it became addictive.

We went as a group of three, and we ate until we were really full. We refilled the meat several times and tried various types of noodles... 90 minutes passed by quickly.

Ending with Egg Fried Rice

At the end, we each had a bowl of unlimited egg fried rice, which was also savory and delicious. The fried rice soaked in hot pot broth had a deeper flavor.

Honest Overall Review and Visit Tips

Value for Money

All-you-can-eat for 19,800 KRW on a weekday evening... it's really worth it. The quality of the meat isn't bad either.

Taste

The mala soup is really spicy, so I recommend it for those who like spicy food! The tomato soup was smooth and savory, which was nice.

Atmosphere

It's noisy because it's in Hongdae, but it's perfect for chatting with friends while eating.

When Should We Go Again?

Honestly, I want to go again next week, haha. All my friends were satisfied, and especially because it's all-you-can-eat, we could eat until we were full without any burden.

I recommend it to those looking for a good value hot pot place in Hongdae. However, if you can't handle spicy food, focus on the tomato soup, or note that there's also a plain broth option!