Sejong izakaya for soy sauce motsunabe: Motsumo

Wanting a warm, soupy dinner, I visited Motsumo Sejong Dodam Branch (모츠모 세종도담점) in Dodam-dong’s dining alley. My boyfriend and I had soy sauce motsunabe (Japanese offal hot pot) and added gyeran-juk (egg rice porridge) at the end. It worked well both with drinks and as dinner.

Where is it, and can I visit late?

The restaurant is at 114, 8-12 Bodeum 3-ro, Sejong. It was easy to find in Dodam-dong’s dining alley, and I could use the building’s basement parking for free.

At the time of my visit, it was open daily from 5:00 PM until 1:00 AM the following day, with last orders at 11:30 PM. I liked that it stayed open late. Takeout and corkage were also available.

There was also a happy hour offering Suntory highballs for ₩5,900 before 8:00 PM. Information on unlimited highballs, draft beer, and sake was displayed as well.

What are the atmosphere and group seating like?

The Japanese-style interior felt cozy, so I could eat comfortably. There was spacious group seating, and I also saw guests visiting for company dinners.

I could order using a kiosk. Besides motsunabe, the menu had nakgopsae (spicy octopus, tripe, and shrimp stew) and gopdoritang (spicy chicken and beef tripe stew), which I would like to try next time. Because we had reserved, our table was set in advance, and the staff were kind.

What is in the soy sauce motsunabe, and how did it taste?

I ordered the motsunabe special and Kirin draft beer. Motsunabe came in soy sauce, gochujang, or miso flavors, and I chose soy sauce.

The Kirin draft beer I had first was cold and smooth. I was pleased even before the motsunabe arrived.

The motsunabe arrived quickly and had plenty of garlic chives and napa cabbage. Along with daechang (beef large intestine), it included beef heart and thinly sliced beef belly, so I could enjoy several kinds of meat together. I have found motsunabe centered on daechang greasy in the past, but I liked the varied meat selection here.

I did not notice any unpleasant odor from the daechang, and the broth had a rich aroma. I usually enjoy motsunabe, and I liked the soy sauce flavor enough to recommend it to first-timers too.

The mentaiko mayo sauce on the table also went well with the motsunabe. At first, I thought it was meant to be eaten separately, but my boyfriend tried dipping the motsunabe ingredients in it and kept having it alongside the hot pot.

How were the vegetable refill and egg rice porridge finish?

I could get one free refill of napa cabbage and garlic chives. Since it was free, I wondered whether the portion would be small or different in quality, but it was just as generous as the first serving and came with extra broth separately.

The gyeran-juk I added at the end was ₩2,500. It especially stayed with me because it reminded me of the flavor I had in Fukuoka. Having the egg rice porridge after the motsunabe made the meal satisfying as dinner too.