Somunnan Gamjatang (seongsu-dong)
Located on one of the trendiest streets in Seongsu, Somunnan Seongsu Gamjatang (pork bone stew) is a local favorite where there’s almost always a line, even tourists passing by stop to take a look.
Even if you’ve never tried their gamjatang, you’ve probably seen the crowd while walking through Seongsu. We hadn’t been in a while, but the wait was still just as long as ever.
Everyone in your party must be present before you can be seated, and there are no numbers or waiting tickets. People just line up in front of the restaurant, rain or shine. Honestly, this is the part I dislike the most, but hey, if you can’t stand it, you simply don’t eat here.
Gamjatang is a great meal on its own, but it’s also a popular dish to pair with drinks, which usually makes time limits tricky. But since this place is so popular and always packed, they recommend a two-hour dining time.
We ordered the small size gamjatang, and it’s gone up by ₩5,000 since last year.
The portion size is the same. It comes with kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and a wasabi-soy dipping sauce with chopped onions and green chili, perfect for the meat.
The food comes out almost instantly after you order, it’s impressively fast.
Gamjatang (small size) 32,000 won
Compared to gamjatang chain restaurants, those places usually have a bolder, more intense broth and the meat clinging to the bones tends to be thicker, probably because they use imported pork bones.
Here, they use local pork bones, so there isn’t a lot of meat, but the broth has this deep, savory flavor. That’s probably why older, traditional spots like this, which use Korean ingredients, tend to have a milder, more comforting taste compared to chain restaurants.
The pot is on the smaller side, so the broth is bound to spill over if you're not careful.
They told us there’s no need to boil it too long, it’s ready to enjoy as is.
Gamjatang is one of those dishes you’re meant to eat with your hands, not just picking at it with chopsticks, but really grabbing the bones and digging in.
We also ordered the fried rice. It’s stir-fried simply with seaweed and perilla leaves, but I really enjoy the flavor; it’s a satisfying finish.
For me, the broth here isn’t especially rich or deep in flavor. But in the end, what matters most is that it suits your own taste, and many people clearly love it.
Address : 45 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongsu-dong 2(i)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Phone : +82-2-465-6580
Operation Hours : Everyday 24hours
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Source : https://blog.naver.com/cjssus2679/223787086789
Writer : cjssus2679
Special thanks to cjssus2679
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