Pot rice restaurant in Jangji: wagyu & spring sea bream, Gomemui

I picked pot rice (rice cooked in an individual iron pot) for our weekend lunch. Warm rice with neat little side dishes is hearty, and it feels like you really took care of a proper meal.

I'd heard that Gomemui had newly opened in Gardenfive, so I went with my husband. I chose the steak pot rice I love, and he chose the wild sea bream pot rice with seasonal greens he likes. One pot each!

Where is Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive, and how is the parking?

Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive (고메무이 현대가든파이브점) is on B1 at 66 Chungmin-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 189m from Exit 4 of Jangji Station on Line 8. It's open daily 10:30–20:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00.

Parking is free. Once you enter the Gardenfive underground car park, park on the Techno building side by the blue pillars and you can reach Gomemui quickly, so I'm told.

Where in Gardenfive is it?

Gomemui is inside the B1 food street of the Techno building at Hyundai City Outlet Gardenfive. It's a handy spot if you're shopping and looking for a place to eat, or wondering what to have for lunch at Gardenfive.

It had just opened, so I was curious what pot rice dishes they'd have. As a couple who love pot rice, we were especially happy to hear the news.

What Gomemui means and what makes its pot rice special

A kind note in the restaurant explained the name: kome (米) is Japanese for rice, and mui (無二) means one and only, so together they stand for a precious flavor that exists nowhere else. I'd wondered what the name meant, so that cleared it up right away.

Gomemui uses rice koji in every menu item and blends top-grade rice to make Japanese-style premium pot rice. That was my favorite part. They also say they want to introduce new dishes with seasonal ingredients each season, so I'm looking forward to seeing what pot rice comes next.

Gomemui atmosphere: is it okay with kids?

Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive has a clean interior with the warm feel of natural wood, so it felt comfortable and cozy. All kinds of guests were enjoying their meals, and with baby chairs and tableware available, families with children can eat comfortably too.

Gomemui menu and prices: sea bream and steak pot rice

Besides pot rice, Gomemui has tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), curry and udon, so you can pick to your taste. We chose one steak pot rice and one wild sea bream pot rice with seasonal greens.

• Steak pot rice ₩17,000
• Spring greens wild sea bream pot rice ₩17,000

Steak pot rice: mixing wagyu and egg yolk

Gomemui's steak pot rice is pot rice with premium wagyu and a special sauce!! Since it comes with meat, it's one I order often. It's set up so you mix the wagyu, egg yolk and rice together, so it suits meat lovers.

Mix it all up evenly with the cute little rice paddle!! Then scoop it into a bowl and dig in, yum yum!!

I added a moderate amount of sauce and mixed the rice and steak together, but dipping the steak in the sauce separately is tasty too.

How to eat the wild sea bream pot rice with seasonal greens

Gomemui's wild sea bream pot rice with seasonal greens pairs wild sea bream flesh with seasonal greens for a clean, light bowl. We'd eaten sea bream pot rice not long ago when we went for a course meal and loved it!! My husband remembered it too and picked it without a second thought.

It has a different charm from the meat dish, so it's a good choice when you want mild fish together with seasonal greens.

Break the sea bream into small pieces and mix it briskly with the rice. Add the seasoned sauce little by little to taste, and the sea bream and seasonal greens come together even better.

Wrapped in crispy seaweed it was really good too. Even with pot rice, the mood of the meal changes depending on what goes on top.

Finishing pot rice with nurungji

Another charm of pot rice is of course the nutty nurungji (scorched rice)!! After you've enjoyed the rice, the nurungji made in the pot gives you a toasty, savory finish.

Side dishes served with Gomemui pot rice

Our pot rice came with salted seed (ssiat-jeot) and salted pollock roe (myeongran-jeot). With pot rice, the sides matter as much as what's on top of the rice. Eating the salted seed and pollock roe with the rice is so delicious.

If you're looking for a place to eat at Gardenfive

This weekend my husband and I set out to find a new pot rice restaurant. If you're shopping at Gardenfive and looking for somewhere to eat, keep Gomemui on your radar.

I also liked that the menu is varied, from pot rice made with premium rice to dishes with sea bream and seasonal greens, plus tonkatsu and udon, so the whole family can choose to their taste.