Gaeseong Mandu Koong | Insadong

Located beside the beautiful Kyung-in Museum of Fine Art in Insadong, this mandu (dumpling) place always has flocks of patrons coming in and out of its simple, yet charming hanok building. Run for 3 generations coming down, this restaurant was first opened by a Gaeseong native from North Korea with a strong passion for her premium mandus.

Gaeseong Mandu Koong | Information

• Address: 서울 종로구 인사동10길 11-3
• Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30-21:30, Last order 20:40; Sun 11:30-20:00, Last order 19:30

Gaeseong Mandu Koong | Review

You'll find the restaurant situated on the left side of a little alley that leads to the entrance of the Kyung-in Museum. Through the glass windows, I could already see that the restaurant was packed with people devouring the famous mandus.

This renowned restaurant has been selected as Micheline Guide's Bib Gourmand since 2017, attracting a global and diverse crowd. In one corner of the restaurant by the window, two ladies were making mandus. The speed and consistency at which they were created were very impressive.

Kimchi Mandu Jeongol (Hot Pot) ￦17,000

Gogi (Meat) Mandu Jeongol ￦15,000

As a group of two, we ordered one portion of kimchi mandu jeongol and one of gogi mandu jeongol which come served in one hot pot and cooked for about 10 minutes on the spot.

Not a lot of banchans (side dishes) come with the jeongol, but they are all made in house with fresh ingredients. The kkakdugi (sliced radish kimchi) was so refreshing and flavourful with a nice piquant kick that we got it refilled twice.

Aside from the mandus, you get slices of meat, assorted mushrooms and vegetables. Make sure to add a portion or two of the noodles towards the end to finish off your meal.

Displayed on one side of the wall are copies of articles featuring the restaurant and its story. On another side of the wall, you'll see a huge photo of the original owner of the restaurant who passed away in 2011 and her granddaughter who is the current owner.

With quality handmade mandus generous in portions and ingredients along with housemade banchans and the deep flavour of the broth, Gaeseong Mandu Koong of over 5 decades of family tradition serving up fresh Korean cuisine is worth a visit for travellers in Seoul.

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