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Hadongkwan(하동관) is a seoul gomtang restaurant selected for Bib Gourmand. It has four branches in Seoul, each located in Myeong-dong, COEX Mall, Yeouido National Assembly Building, and Yeouido Station.

If you plan to travel to Korea, all of the above places are in a location where tourist visit a lot, so if you go to a nearby location, this is a Korean restaurant that I recommend you to visit together. In particular, except for the Coex store, all stores open at 7:00 in the morning, so it is also recommended for breakfast.

Hadongkwan

What is gomtang(곰탕)?

Hadongkwan gomtang

Gomtang means soup that boiling cow bones for a long time. The broth tends to have a milky-white color and have rich flavor. The soup is made by simmering beef bones to extract their flavors and create a rich, hearty broth. It is a popular dish in Korean cuisine and is known for its warm, comforting flavor.

Hadongkwan makes this gomtang using Korean beef. Hanwoo is a breed of beef cattle that is raised in South Korea. It is known for its high quality and is considered to be one of the best types of beef in South Korea.

How does Hadongkwan Gomtang taste?

Hadongkwan, Coex mall

When I first tasted Hadongkwan’s gomtang, I felt that it tasted neat than other gomtang I’ve eaten. Also, there was a feeling that I was eating almost meat broth rather than the taste of beef bone broth. Since it has a light taste that does not contain any special spices, I thought that even non-Koreans would like it. Also There were young people in the restaurant, but I saw a lot of older people eating. If you are traveling with your parents or adults, this is a good restaurant to visit.

The regular size of gomtang serves only the meat, but if you order the special menu, intestines are included. I ordered the special size and tasted both the meat and intestines. The meat and intestines that came with it were very tender, neat and delicious. The texture of the intestines was chewy, soft and savory taste. If you order regular size, the amount of meat provided is small, so if you like meat, I recommend ordering more than special size. In addition, it is recommended to try the intestines, but if you do not want it, ask for only meat then they will replace the intestines parts with meat.

how to eat?

Hadongkwan gomtang
salt, pepper, Hadongkwan
  1. Hadongkwan pays in advance, so order the menu first and pay.
  2. When you order, you will be served Hanwoo beef gomtang, kimchi, and chopped green onions almost immediately. Gomtang is served in a brass bowl, a traditional Korean bowl. It is a traditional way to keep gomtang warm for a long time. Spoons and chopsticks can be received together on top of the gomtang bowl. Be careful as the bowl is hot.
  3. First, try eating a spoonful of soup with a spoon. If the taste feels bland, add the salt next to it one by one and season it to yourself. It felt a bit bland by my taste, so I added a little salt and it tasted very good. Also, if you like pepper try to sprinkle it on gomtang, it will show another taste.
  4. Next, add the chopped green onion to the soup. As you taste the gomtang, you can smell the green onion scent, and the texture of the slightly cooked green onion in the hot soup is wonderful.
  5. Eat with kimchi. At Hadongkwan, cabbage kimchi(baechu-gimchi, 배추김치) and radish radish kimchi(kkagdugi, 깍두기) are served in one bowl to each person. Free refills of kimchi are available, so you can add more by asking the clerk.
  6. If you like the taste of kimchi, we recommend adding it to gomtang of kimchi and kimchi soup.

Location/Hours

Except for the Coex store, which operates inside a large mall, all open early in the morning and close at 4:00 before evening.

All four branches are crowded with companies around them, so it gets very crowded during lunchtime. If you avoid 11:00-13:00, the main lunch time for companies, you will have less wait.

Myeong-dong :12 Myeongdong 9-gil, Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Yeouido Station : 50 Yeouinaru-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

Yeouido National Assembly Station : 3 Eunhaeng-ro, Yeoeuido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

  • Monday 7AM–4PM
  • Tuesday 7AM–4PM
  • Wednesday 7AM–4PM
  • Thursday 7AM–4PM
  • Friday 7AM–4PM
  • Saturday 7AM–4PM
  • Sunday Closed

COEX Mall : 513 Yeongdong-daero, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

10:30 – 19:30
(15:00 – 16:30 Break Time)

Hadongkwan menu

(This is a price list based on the Coex branch, and the price may different depending on the branch.)

“25 and 30” are menus with more meat.

“Boiled beef” is a menu where meat and intestines are served in separate bowls. When you want to eat more meat, you can order it and eat it with your group.

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