Gangnam. A place teeming with people, day and night. Restaurants are just as numerous. Finding the real gems in this flood isn’t easy. This is a story of restaurants a Gangnam local trusts, the ones I return to.
Cheonggan Makguksu: A steadfast choice, summer or winter
On the second floor of the Hongwoo Building near Gangnam Station, there’s Cheonggan Makguksu. Lunch, dinner. Always crowded. They serve makguksu (buckwheat noodles) in the summer and seolleongtang (ox bone soup) in the winter. The seasons don’t matter. I went for makguksu that day. I tried to avoid the peak mealtime, but it was still busy.
I ordered myeongtaehoe bibimmakguksu – spicy mixed buckwheat noodles with pollack. The bright red sauce sat atop 100% buckwheat noodles. I poured in a little of the dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth that accompanied it and mixed. One bite. My tongue tingled. It was spicier than I expected. I cooled my mouth with more dongchimi broth. Looking at the empty bowl, I briefly wished I’d ordered dumplings. The sweetness was adequate, but the sauce was a bit overpowering.
My companion chose the dongchimi makguksu. Icy dongchimi broth. It looked refreshing. They mentioned the air conditioning was so strong it felt cold while eating. The broth was a pleasant mix of sweet and sour, the noodles plain. Trying both, the bibim was too spicy, and the dongchimi alone felt like something was missing. Next time, I’ll order dongchimi makguksu and add a side of muchim (seasoned vegetables). That seems the best approach. They also sell whisky here, and there are private rooms, good for a quiet drink. I’ve heard the gukbap (rice soup) is decent too.
Location Info
- Name: Cheonggan Makguksu (청간막국수)
- Type: Restaurant
- Known for: Makguksu (buckwheat noodles), Seolleongtang (ox bone soup)
- Address: 2F, Hongwoo Building, 22 Seocho-daero 78-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 서초구 서초대로78길 22 홍우빌딩 2층)
AOL: A true passion for meat, savored in every way
Near Gangnam Station, there’s ‘AOL’. The sign reads, ‘Every way to eat meat deliciously.’ It wasn’t an exaggeration. Italian, Chinese, Korean – the style didn’t matter. What mattered were the ingredients and the taste. That was everything.
It had been years since my last visit. A weekday evening, yet the main hall was quiet. It used to be packed. I booked a room through Catchtable. An 8-person room. Cozy, and I could control the air conditioning. A 100,000 won deposit, but worth it. In front of the room, a dry-aging fridge showcased their dedication to meat.
The welcome drink was omija-cha (magnolia berry tea). Sweet. Soon, a truffle-scented potato choux arrived. Small, but with a powerful taste. I wanted to order more, but they said no. A pity. Ceviche whetted the appetite, then I moved on to the meat.
Udae galbi (marinated, grilled beef short ribs). You have to reserve it a day in advance. Luckily, there was a cancellation, so I ordered another. Deep brown ribs. A sight worthy of a flash photo. The taste matched. The kkwari gochu (shishito peppers) were too spicy. I had red wine with it. Chewing the hot meat, then a sip of wine. That’s one of my simple pleasures.
Sotbap (rice cooked in a small pot) with Jeju pork. It was more savory than greasy. The gim (seaweed) served with it was special. They said they import Japanese seaweed and season it themselves. The tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) was also unmissable. Good quality meat, thin batter. It reminded me of the tangsuyuk at Ilil Hyang. I ordered this twice too. This time, with an expensive bottled beer.
White ragu. I expected a red Bolognese-style sauce, but a creamy pasta arrived. I ate two plates of this as well. Non-alcoholic sparkling wine paired well. Endive, yukhoe (beef tartare), even meat-flavored macarons. I ate nonstop. Nothing was a miss. I hear the sundae bokkeum (stir-fried blood sausage) is good too. I’ll save that for next time.
Location Info
- Name: AOL (아올)
- Type: Restaurant
- Known for: Meat dishes (especially Udae Galbi), Fusion cuisine (Italian, Chinese, Korean influences)
- Address: 28 유니언타운 강남 G층, Gangnam-daero 94-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul
Seogangsoe Tteokbokki: A taste of nostalgia, though sometimes a letdown
Seogangsoe Tteokbokki. A small shop on Gangnam-daero. I used to go there often when I lived in Yeoksam-dong. It had been a long time. The prices had gone up, of course. Ssal tteokbokki (rice cake tteokbokki). The chewy rice cakes are the highlight. I can’t make it taste like this at home. The sugar, the syrup – I can’t bring myself to use that much.
If you order just tteokbokki, you only get rice cakes. You can also get a mix, or just eomuk (fish cakes). The rice cakes were still good, but I found myself thinking of the tteok from another place I’d eaten at recently. The twigim (fried snacks) were ordinary. The spicy eomuk. That was the mistake. For two people, and I, someone who can’t handle spice, picked it. By the time I opened the takeout container, it was too late. It was truly spicy. I cried. I ate one and then rinsed the rest in hot water.
The sundae (blood sausage) was average. I found three small bones. That was a downside. The tteokbokki was unusually salty that day. The sauce had reduced too much. The gimmari (fried seaweed roll) couldn’t quell the spiciness. The long-awaited visit ended in disappointment.
Location Info
- Name: Seogangsoe Tteokbokki Bonjeom (서강쇠 떡볶이 본점)
- Type: Restaurant/Snack Bar
- Known for: Ssal tteokbokki (rice cake tteokbokki)
- Address: 11 Gangnam-daero 66-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 강남구 강남대로66길 11)
Gamtan Gye Sutchit Chicken: A new contender for chicken and beer
A 5-minute walk from Gangnam Station, Gamtan Gye Sutchit Chicken has opened. It feels new from the entrance. A clean interior. Good for chimaek (chicken and beer). Celebrity signatures on the ceiling caught my eye.
[Insert image suggestion: Clean and modern interior of Gamtan Gye Sutchit Chicken]
I ordered the new mara rosé. I thought the mara xiang guo would be spicier. Charcoal-grilled chicken is their specialty. They also have deopbap (rice bowl) options for a meal. I ordered myeolchi gyeongwa jumeokbap (anchovy and nut rice balls). The basic sides were salad, chicken mu (pickled radish), and bbeongtwigi (puffed rice).
The rosé mara xiangguo. Fuzhu (tofu skin), funmoza (wide glass noodles), bok choy, shrimp, chicken. Plenty of ingredients. The numbing mala spice was softened by the cream, but I could still feel the tingle. Eating it with the rice balls helped with the spice. Plain rice would have been fine too. The lotus root was crisp. Boneless chicken. Not fried, so it was lean. It went well with a cold beer. Being new, the place was clean and pleasant.
Location Info
- Name: Gamtan Gye Sutchit Chicken Gangnam Station Branch (감탄계숯불치킨 강남역점)
- Type: Restaurant
- Known for: Charcoal-grilled chicken, Mara-flavored chicken
- Address: 2F, 12-3 Gangnam-daero 98-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 강남구 강남대로98길 12-3 2층)
Gangnam’s food scene is always changing. There are good places, and some that fall short. If you’re willing to explore, you can find spots that suit your taste. This long and short journey continues.