Some days you just want a warm, comforting meal that actually feels satisfying.
While wandering around Sri Hartamas during lunchtime, we came across Gamtan Meat Shop, a Korean restaurant that takes pork very seriously.
Unlike most Korean spots where pork is just one of many options, here it’s the entire concept.
From slow-simmered pork bone soup during the day to premium pork BBQ at night, every dish revolves around one idea: respecting the pig and mastering every cut.
Recently, they introduced a weekday lunch menu, so we decided to stop by and see what it was like.
The pork expert
At Gamtan, pork isn’t treated like just another ingredient.
The team focuses heavily on sourcing and preparing pork the way premium steakhouses handle beef.
Their meats are rested and matured in a professional chamber to deepen flavour and tenderness before being carefully trimmed by butchers for different dishes.
During dinner, the restaurant becomes more of a Korean BBQ experience with charcoal-grilled pork cuts. But during the day, the focus shifts to comforting Korean meals that are perfect for lunch.
One dish in particular stands out.
18-hour simmering
The highlight of Gamtan’s lunch menu is their Busan-style Pork Bone Soup (돼지국밥).
This dish is a staple comfort food in South Korea, especially in Busan, where it’s commonly eaten by fishermen in the morning or taxi drivers after long shifts.
Gamtan’s version is made by simmering pork bones for at least 18 hours, slowly extracting collagen, marrow, and deep umami flavour from the bones.
The broth turns a rich milky white and is served piping hot with pork slices, rice, kimchi, and salted shrimp so diners can adjust the seasoning themselves.
Interestingly, the restaurant only prepares 50 bowls a day. Because the soup takes almost a full day to prepare, once those bowls are sold out, that’s it for the day.
Naturally, we had to try it.
What we ordered
During our visit, we went with a mix of dishes from the lunch menu including the Pork Bone Soup Gukbap Set, Eel Sotbap, and a Seafood Pancake.
Pork Bone Soup Gukbap Set
The Pork Bone Soup Gukbap Set turned out to be quite a generous meal.
Besides the soup and rice, the set also comes with an additional plate of sliced pork, which made it feel quite worth it.
The soup itself had a thick, collagen-rich texture with a creamy milky colour that shows how long it had been simmering.
Despite the richness, the broth wasn’t overly salty and felt very comforting to drink.
The pork slices were tender with a good balance of lean meat and fat. The fatty parts were soft without feeling greasy, and pairing the pork with kimchi or raw garlic gave it a really nice balance of flavours.
That said, we did notice that there was a slight pork aroma in some bites, which might stand out to those who are more sensitive to it.
Still, overall it felt like the kind of dish you’d crave on a rainy day or when you just want something hearty.
Eel Sotbap
Next came the Eel Sotbap, which arrived sizzling in a hot claypot.
The grilled eel tasted fresh and thankfully didn’t have any small bones to deal with, making it very easy to enjoy with the rice.
The seasoning was nicely balanced and worked well with the warm rice beneath it.
Because it’s served in a pot, the rice stays hot throughout the meal, which made the dish feel especially comforting.
The toppings of spring onions, sesame seeds, and shredded egg added a nice aroma and extra texture.
The set also came with a soup, although the beef flavour in it was quite strong and might be a little overwhelming depending on your taste preference.
Seafood Pancake
We also tried the seafood pancake, which was served cut into four pieces.
The pancake was quite thick and packed with seafood and vegetables, making it feel quite substantial.
While it wasn’t the super crispy type of pancake some people prefer, the texture was still enjoyable, and the portion size was just nice for sharing between a few people.
The dipping sauce paired well with it, too, without being overly salty.
Side dishes
Like most Korean meals, the table slowly filled up with a range of side dishes once the food arrived.
We were served kimchi, radish kimchi, glass noodles, fried egg roll slices, sausages, and a chilli oil condiment that added a little extra kick to the meal.
Most of them were enjoyable and worked nicely alongside the main dishes, especially the kimchi, which helped cut through the richness of the pork soup.
A comforting Korean lunch spot worth trying
Overall, the experience at Gamtan felt less like a quick lunch and more like sitting down for a proper Korean comfort meal.
The 18-hour pork bone soup clearly stands out as the star of the menu, especially for those who enjoy rich, collagen-heavy broths.
Combined with the generous portions and variety of dishes, it’s the kind of meal that leaves you feeling properly full and satisfied.
And if you’re curious to try their pork bone soup, you might want to head there earlier in the day.
After all, once the 50 bowls are gone, they’re gone.
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