This restaurant is famous as it is in the Michelin Guide and serves only four dishes at reasonable prices. It is most known for kalguksu (noodle soup) and mandu (dumplings).
Is it worth the hype and lining up for up to an hour or more?
This store is so popular they opened another close by. It is not uncommon to see a line stretching down the block, and it extends up the stairs inside.
When we went it was October, and on a weekday there was only a ten minute wait. We got a tiny table near the door to the restroom, which wasn't ideal. The place was packed out, and noisy.
So, the first thing that hit us was how brusque the service was. It felt like we were an inconvenience, and the menus were slapped down without a word.
Once we had chosen- the kalguksu and the mandu- they said 'You pay now,' which we did. I wouldn't have dared not to....
The water and kimchi was delivered again without a word. There is also a robot server moving around the restaurant, which may have had a more pleasant attitude.
The food looked good, and the portions were very large. My son and I tried, but could not finish all of it. The kalguksu was just okay. It had lots of noodles, and some meat dumplings too. The broth was not as good as I expected, and to be honest I've had better kalguksu at Namdaemun Market and Gwangjang Market.
The dumplings were full of filling and very juicy, but again, nothing special. The kimchi is supposedly very good here, although it wasn't to my taste personally.
I think the main issue with this restaurant is that it is so hyped up with its Michelin Guide entry that it has become a victim of its own success.
I did not feel at all welcome, which is not usually my experience in restaurants in South Korea, and it was just like a conveyor belt of line up, eat, get out, get more tourists in.
I would not stand in line for more than ten minutes to eat here, and I wouldn't go again. There are better places to experience kalguksu, and whilst the prices are reasonable, you can get better flavoured food cheaper at a market and feel more welcome.
Address: 29 Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Subway: Myeongdong
If you want to experience some authentic food without the hassle, why not book a fun food tour with a local guide:
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