Even though I wasn't always a fan of Mandu (dumplings), they quickly became one of my favorite foods after marrying a man who adores them. Is there any type of food that you hated as a kid but now enjoy?

Now, it seems like I enjoy it more than my husband does, and I am certain that I believe it is one of my favorite foods. I prefer mild-flavored Mandu (dumplings), such as those we can eat at Pyeongyang Naengmyun restaurants, more than Kimchi-Mandu or Beef-Mandu with strong flavors.

I went to a well-known Mandu restaurant in Buam-dong and had a wonderful meal there, but I have yet to find a Mandu-guk (soup) restaurant that meets my preferences.

I first heard about this spot thanks to Nayoung Kim's No Filter TV, one of my favorite channels on YouTube. Even though this eatery has been around for 30 years, it was my first time visiting Apgujeong Mandujip.

Nayoung Kim has a similar palate to mine, so I had high hopes that the cuisine would be great. Some reviewers say they parked at the Galleria department store across the street, but I had no trouble finding a spot in the paid lot next to the restaurant.

There is a bar with side dishes just next to the entrance. You can see sauces and some veggies.

I expected to have to wait quite a while, but perhaps because it was after lunchtime on a weekday (about 13:30), there weren't as many people as I had anticipated.

 

Menu

Only five menu selections are available. Restaurants that focus on a specific cuisine type are some of my favorites. Since this was our first time visiting, we ordered the house specialties: Mandu-guk (dumpling soup) and Bindaetteok (Korean-style pancake).

When I asked for Bindaetteok, they informed me that I could also get Gochu-jeon (pepper pancakes) as a half-and-half option. (Bindaetteok 1/2 + Goch-jeon 1/2)

And we added a bowl of steamed rice as well. I wish I could bring more people the next time I go for the Mandu-jeon-gol (dumpling hotpot) because it looked so delicious.

Surely this is the owner who opened this Mandu restaurant 30 years ago. Now, his son has taken over the restaurant.

You can also buy frozen dumplings in bulk for takeout. From the looks of the magnet on the fridge, he's probably Catholic.

 

Mandu-guk  14,000 won

The food arrived approximately 10 minutes after we ordered it. Even though I just asked for one serving of Mandu soup, they split it into two for us. We were touched by the kindness.

 

Side dish

Mu-saeng-chae (radish salad) and pickled cabbage.

​ They split the six dumplings in half and put three in each bowl.

The peppery flavor and the crunchy flavor of the bean sprouts were not overpowering. And those flavors went perfectly together with the meat.

 

Bindaetteok 1/2 + Gochu-jeon 1/2   22,000 won

Surely it would have been larger if I had ordered only Bindaetteok. The crunchy Bindaetteok and Gochu-jeon appear like a great combination on the menu.

Gochu-jeon had a lot of meat and vegetables inside. However, Bindaetteok was the winner in terms of flavor for me. Gochu-jeon is a great option for meat lovers. Try either—they're both crunchy and satisfying. ​

The Mandu-guk and Jeon (pancake) went along wonderfully. The beef broth Mandu-guk is seasoned with various spices. If you don't want your soup spicy, just let them know. But it's not that spicy, so go ahead and try it.

So satisfying was the Mandu-guk that I bought for my parents.

There are 12 dumplings in total. Don't be discouraged if your raw dumplings don't look particularly large; they will expand significantly when boiled in soup at home. Radish and pickled cabbage weren't included, unfortunately.

The Mandu-jeon-gol (dumpling hotpot) is on my list for the next visit.

 

Address : 338 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul OPEN GOOGLE MAP

Phone : +82-2-544-3710

Operation Hours : Monday-Saturday : 12:00 - 21:30 (Sunday closed)

Instagram : Click for images

 

Source : https://blog.naver.com/from_bella/223140754380

Writer : from_bella

Special thanks to from_bella

 

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