Jung-gu Korean restaurant with warm pork and noodles: Tanbaek

Tanbaek, where I met high school friends on Deoksugung’s Jeongdong-gil

Today, I was meeting my high school friends on Jeongdong-gil by Deoksugung near City Hall Station! We wanted dinner somewhere with a nice view, and that is how we found Tanbaek. It was a great spot for neatly prepared kalguksu and onjeyuk.

It was about a five-minute walk from Deoksugung’s main gate, and the two-story restaurant looked neat and polished from the outside. It was busy on Friday evening, but there was such a wide mix of groups. I think it would be great for a date, an after-work meet-up, or a visit with parents too.

We booked through Catchtable a day ahead. You may have to wait without a reservation, so I recommend booking through Naver or Catchtable the day before!

• Location: 37 Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–20:00 (closed Sundays)
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Catchtable / Naver reservations available

First-floor bar seating and second-floor table seating

The first floor had bar-style seats and an open kitchen, so I could see that the tableware and food were being kept clean and fresh. There were coat hooks behind the seats too. Now that the weather is getting chilly and everyone is wearing outerwear, it would be so convenient to hang it up behind you and eat comfortably.

We were shown upstairs. Unlike the bar seats downstairs, the second floor had regular tables. The modern hanok-inspired interior had such an atmospheric feel, and the crowd ranged from people in their 20s to office workers and diners in their 50s.

The table was set neatly, and tableware, tissues, and wet wipes were each stored in drawers beneath it.

A window seat with Jeongdong-gil’s trees and sunlight

We were lucky enough to get a window seat, and the view was sooo pretty.. 💓 Looking at Jeongdong-gil, the green trees, and the sunlight streaming through them was healing throughout the meal.

Fresh geotjeori and barley tea after ordering by QR code

We ordered using the QR code on the menu, and then they set out kimchi and a pitcher of barley tea. The kimchi was freshly made geotjeori (fresh kimchi), with a delicious savory depth! My friends and I are all geotjeori kimchi lovers, so we were already very happy. When the kimchi is good, you know the main dishes will be good too... right, right.....

And not long after, our food arrived.

Onjeyuk with boiled pork jowl

Onjeyuk ₩19,000

This dish comes with boiled pork jowl, herring roe jeot, wasabi, yuzu sauce, and a chamnamul (Korean parsley) salad. The tender, rich yet clean-tasting pork went beautifully with the bright chamnamul salad. It was fun trying different combinations, but personally, my favorite was a slice of pork topped with a little herring roe jeot and eaten with the chamnamul salad!

Spicy yukgaejang kalguksu and clear gom kalguksu

Yukgaejang kalguksu ₩15,000 · Gom kalguksu ₩14,000

The spicy yukgaejang kalguksu had blanched bracken fern and scallions simmered in a clear Korean beef broth, then topped with beef. It had just the right amount of heat, and perhaps because the broth was made by simmering Korean beef, it finished cleanly despite being a red soup. The beef on top was tender and mild too!

The gom kalguksu, a clear gomtang-style noodle soup, was made by tempering the noodles in Korean beef broth and topping them with shank, seolgik, and brisket. The broth was practically transparent, yet its clean savory depth was outstanding. It was well seasoned and seemed like a flavor everyone—from children to older adults—would enjoy. Perhaps because the broth was so clear, it went incredibly well with the kimchi served alongside it.

A lovely Korean meal before or after a Deoksugung walk

This was a place where we could enjoy a neat Korean meal while taking in the Jeongdong-gil view by Deoksugung! It is close to Deoksugung too, so having mild kalguksu and onjeyuk before a walk around the palace would make the perfect date course.

The staff guided us kindly, and the interior was atmospheric yet clean, with a comfortable mood for chatting away together. Everything was mild and well seasoned overall, so it feels like you can count on the food whichever menu you choose! Recommended for dates and meet-ups!