Jongno 3-ga late-lunch dumpling hot pot + rice cake: Jongga Mandu

Feeling peckish? How about a big, hearty bowl of dumpling hot pot?

Jongga Mandu (종가만두) is a Jongno favorite where the handmade dumplings are folded with care every single day.

At Jongga Mandu you get a steaming spicy broth hot pot or a clear broth hot pot, with shabu-shabu (thinly sliced beef cooked in broth) + handmade dumplings + kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) all in one generous meal. I went to this dumpling hot pot spot near Jongno 3-ga Station, where the dumplings are made fresh every day. The walk over is always the happiest part when you're going to eat, right~

Where is Jongga Mandu, and what are the hours and parking?

Jongga Mandu is at 88 Supyo-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor, 311 m from Exit 15 of Jongno 3-ga Station. It's open Monday to Saturday 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:30–17:00, last order 14:30 and 20:30) and Sunday 11:00–16:00 (last order 15:00).

Group seating, takeout and reservations are all available, and there's Wi-Fi and separate men's and women's restrooms.

For parking, a paid lot is the way to go. The Sejong Parking Lot (87 Supyo-ro, Jongno-gu), a 10-second walk away, costs ₩6,000 for the first 60 minutes and ₩1,000 for every extra 10 minutes. I hear the Cheonggyecheon public parking lot is free on weekdays after 7 pm, on Saturdays after 3 pm and all day on Sundays.

Right at the entrance, the price of the signature shabu-shabu dumpling hot pot is posted in big letters! It was a late lunch, so I hurried straight in~ So hungry!

Inside Jongga Mandu: atmosphere and self-serve bar

The interior is neat and simple, with wooden tables and chairs.

The place was packed with customers, so I could only photograph part of it, but group gatherings are possible here too.

The self-serve bar is tidy, stocked with extra small plates, tongs, ladles, cups and side dishes.

Jongga Mandu menu: dumpling hot pot, bibim kalguksu, half-and-half broth

The signature dishes at Jongga Mandu are the dumpling hot pot and bibim kalguksu (spicy mixed noodles).

There's also a "half-and-half broth hot pot" that lets you enjoy the clear hot pot and the spicy hot pot at once.

Side dishes include dumpling soup, boiled dumplings, fried dumplings and fried shrimp.

Add-ons are a must, of course!! Meat / dumplings / extra vegetables / extra mushrooms / noodles~~~ add whatever you like. Takeout is available too.

The restaurant had an introduction posted on the wall.

"The taste of royal court dumplings, just as Mother used to make them." The stubbornness and care of someone who has folded more than 2 million dumplings over 7 years now carries that deep flavor on under the name 'Jongga Mandu'. We hope you'll enjoy the mild, clean taste of handmade dumplings, folded fresh every day and packed full.

The moment I walked in, I could see the owner folding dumplings. They say he makes tasty dumplings with care every single day.

Half-and-half broth hot pot: how do the clear and spicy broths differ?

According to Jongga Mandu's own introduction, the clear dumpling hot pot has a clean, deep savory flavor from a seafood broth, and it isn't harsh, so it's a mild taste everyone likes. The spicy dumpling hot pot has a cool, sharp-edged broth that they say is perfect as a hangover cure or as a snack to go with drinks.

The yellow pickled radish that comes as a standard side.

I'm greedy and wanted to try both broths, so I ordered the half-and-half. The moment I ordered, a generous spread was set out in no time.

As you'd expect from a dumpling hot pot spot near Jongno 3-ga Station, today's star is the fresh dumplings folded daily. How are they folded so prettily? Golden hands, once again, confirmed.

The napa cabbage geotjeori (fresh, lightly seasoned kimchi) is tasty too. When a place serves kalguksu, even the geotjeori is amazing.

Crunchy bean sprouts, bok choy and mushrooms, the essentials for dumpling hot pot, come out too, along with kalguksu noodles to finish things off in style.

How to eat Jongga Mandu's dumpling hot pot: fresh dumplings → meat and vegetables → kalguksu

With the half-and-half hot pot, I dropped the dumplings in first, plop plop. They're fresh dumplings with a chewy skin, so I put them in one at a time, carefully, so they wouldn't break.

The kimchi dumplings have just the right amount of kick and a deep flavor you'll fall for.

The mild dumplings have their own charm too.

Once the dumplings took the edge off my hunger, I added vegetables and the shabu-shabu meat and munched away, yum yum yum.

Meat that's filling and delicious whenever you eat it.

Last came the kalguksu, with springy noodles. The broth had turned rich by then, which is exactly how it should be.

Adding jorangi-tteok rice cakes: is Jongga Mandu good with kids?

It was a late lunch and I was starving, so I went ahead and ordered the jorangi tteok (walnut-shaped rice cake) add-on too. They're such cute shapes.

The chewy texture is great, and it's fun to pick them up one by one. If you visit with kids, I think these adorable little rice cakes would make a good add-on.

Who should go to Jongga Mandu near Jongno 3-ga Station?

Jongga Mandu, a dumpling hot pot spot near Jongno 3-ga Station, looks like a great lunch place for office workers nearby too. With a hearty hot pot that includes fresh dumplings folded daily plus kalguksu, and both a spicy broth and a mild broth on offer, I'd recommend it for family meals and group gatherings.

Bibim kalguksu is also a signature dish, so I'd love to come back and try it next time. The staff were kind and friendly, which made for a comfortable meal. Thanks for the food again today!