Traditional Kalguksu at Ssangdungi Bunsik in Namcheon-dong, Busan

SSangdungi Bunsik (ssangdungi means ‘twins’ and bunsik means ‘flour-based meals’) has long been a staple go-to for locals in Namcheon Beach Market for many years looking for a quick, affordable bite.

Three cool Busan halmaes (halmae is Busan dialect for grandma) are the owners/operators of this popular Korean eatery in the medium-sized market which holds 177 businesses.

Their traditional Korean homemade-style meals are all fresh, not salty, not strongly seasoned, and delicious.

After the market opens early in the morning, this cozy restaurant comes alive. Before opening, they prepare their ingredients and dough for the day’s diners. People shopping or working in and around the market drop by consistently throughout the day to eat, converse and enjoy a good home-cooked meal.

After ordering, the halmaes get to work preparing freshly made noodles from scratch and using their gimbap making skills they’ve honed over years of cooking. The friendly owners sometimes come over to the tables and talk to the customers like they are talking to their children or grandchildren who’ve come home to visit them.

Their menu is quite various and full of old Korean favorites, but Deulkkae kalguksu, which is a thick and tasty perilla seed powder soup is my favorite.

Though it is known to regulars who frequent here often, it is still kind of a hidden matjip for gimbap. Though the ingredients tend to change regularly, they do not use ham which is a bit unusual for a place specializing in it. I love their homemade-style gimbap and sometimes just take out a few rolls of gimbap if I’m looking for a quick lunch.

They serve different kinds of noodles ranging between 4,000 won to 6,000 won, including soybean soup during summer, and seafood kalguksu. The noodles are always perfectly cooked and seasoned.

It gets really busy during lunch time but when the halmaes get really crowded, they sometimes could forget or misunderstand your order, so you may need to double check you get exactly what you requested.

Restaurant Information
Ssangdungi Bunsik (쌍둥이 분식)
Open: 09:00 – 20:00 daily
Address: No. 77, B1, Namcheon Beach Market, Gwanganhaebyeon-ro 15Beongil 77, Suyeong-gu, Busan
Phone: 051-626-9528
Parking: Available
Take-out: Available for gimbap
Reservation: Possible