With the cute pumpkin on its sign (hobak is pumpkin in Korean) and lovely outdoor tables, Hobakgol welcomes diners looking for a warm meal.
The signature dish of this cozy place and also an easy choice for regulars is Ureong Ssambap Jeongsik, a rice and freshwater snails soybean soup that comes with pork bulgogi and vegetable for wraps. It is served for around 10,000 won per person and you need to order at least two.
The vegetables are usually more varied, but it seemed we got only lettuce because vegetables are so expensive in Korea these days due to the rising prices.
They use freshwater snails grown from clean rice fields of Jeolla province used in their soybean soup and soybean paste. The soybean soup is mild and light and it made a good balance with other side dishes with characteristic tastes.
The bulgogi is spicy, sweet, and a bit salty, which is great for wraps. You can make a wrap with the bulgogi, rice, and soybean paste in lettuce, or ingredients from the soybean soup, rice, and soybean pasted in lettuce.
The meal is not fancy, but its down-to-earth homemade taste had everything that I needed to satisfy.
If you’re looking to have some drinks, Korean alcohol, including makgeolli is available as well as some dishes to accompany.
They have around ten tables including two tables for bigger groups. This place is not very big and can get busy during lunchtime.
Restaurant information
Hobakgol (호박골)
Open: 10:30 – 22:00 daily (except Seollal and Chuseok)
Address: 1F, Centum Koa Bldg., 19, Centum2-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Phone: 051-731-3503
Reservation: Available
Parking: Available
