Wangsimni gomtang restaurant: special vs minari broth, Geumnyeong

Trying tongryeom-style gomtang in Wangsimni at Geumnyeong Gomtang

I finally made it to Geumnyeong Gomtang, which is genuinely famous in Wangsimni for its tongryeom-style (rice poured into hot broth) gomtang. It's such a well-known spot that I'd wanted to visit once, and I finally did. It's really delicious and I'd absolutely go back — mild yet deep broth plus generous meat, just perfect. Even writing this now, I'm craving it again.

Geumnyeong Gomtang has two main menu items: the regular one and minari gomtang. I was really curious about the minari gomtang too. It's made with finely chopped minari (water celery) added into the gomtang, and you get intoxicated by the fragrant minari aroma. If you're normally a fan of minari, this dish is definitely up your alley.

The kimchi and seokbakji (diced radish kimchi) at Geumnyeong Gomtang are also incredibly good. The gomtang itself is already tasty, but when the kimchi is this good too, it's a total rice thief. There's a reason this place is famous. There's also a gomtang with rice noodles added, so if you like noodle dishes, ordering the pho version is a good call too.

Where is Geumnyeong Gomtang and what are the hours?

• Location: 11 Wangsimni-ro 20-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul / 190m from Wangsimni Station Exit 1
• Hours: Mon–Sat 10:30–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Closed every Sunday

Tongryeom-style gomtang simmered with top-grade Hanwoo beef

You can feel the good-restaurant vibe from the entrance. It's closed every Sunday, and since parking space is limited in this narrow alley, I'd recommend using a public parking lot or public transit.

They serve signature items like clear gomtang, pho, boiled pork slices, and pollack sashimi salad. Geumnyeong Gomtang simmers premium Hanwoo (Korean beef) so the broth is rich yet clean, with no muddy aftertaste.

Since they use Hanwoo beef shank, you can see a verification receipt posted right at the entrance. You'll know once you taste it — it's seriously delicious Hanwoo gomtang. The broth flavor is just different...

Geumnyeong Gomtang menu and prices

I like that the menu is simple. Regular gomtang and minari gomtang are usually the most ordered. It's also nice that you can choose the gomtang size, regular or special. The minari pho and regular pho also come with meat, just like the gomtang. If you prefer noodles over the tongryeom-style gomtang with rice already poured in, order the pho, and if you finish the gomtang and still want more, you can add extra rice noodles.

Kimchi and seokbakji, refilled one more time

The kimchi... is seriously amazing. The seokbakji and kimchi packed into the jar were genuinely delicious. Great gomtang restaurants are usually great kimchi restaurants too, right? I refilled the kimchi once more at Geumnyeong Gomtang. I don't usually eat much kimchi with gomtang, but it was good enough that I went back for a refill.

Special gomtang: scallion broth and how much beef

This is the Geumnyeong Gomtang loaded with meat topping and plenty of scallions. The crunchy texture of the scallions plus the clean broth from long-simmered Hanwoo, with scallion fragrance added on top — it's seriously so delicious. It's the kind of taste you go 'mmm~~~' over and savor. No artificial sweeteners, just the pure flavor of long-simmered Hanwoo shank.

Look at this meat... it really melts in your mouth. The amount of meat is no joke. It's a bowl truly full of meat. Just keep in mind it's tongryeom-style soup with the rice already poured in.

The meat quality was quite high. First of all, I was so impressed by the amount of meat. The broth was excellent too, but the generously piled gomtang meat made for such a satisfying lunch.

There was so much meat I kept taking close-up shots. That's how tender the meat was and how much there was — honestly, my mouth hurts from talking about it so much.

The broth isn't a punchy, strong flavor — it's the deep, savory taste of well-rendered Hanwoo and Hanwoo shank. People say pyongyang naengmyeon's mild flavor is addictive, right? Geumnyeong Gomtang gives that same kind of feeling. It's a subtle yet deep broth that you keep craving after you finish it...

I neatly piled kimchi and seokbakji on top and polished off the whole bowl. The church I attend is near Wangsimni, so it was disappointing that they're closed on Sundays — I'd want to come this often otherwise.

Minari gomtang: how the water celery broth compares

Instead of scallions, minari gomtang has finely chopped minari (water celery) added in. Even though it's the same broth base as the regular Geumnyeong Gomtang, whether scallion or minari goes in completely changes the broth's flavor. I'd recommend ordering one regular Geumnyeong Gomtang and one minari gomtang and sharing bites of each.

The minari gomtang broth is genuinely clean-tasting too. Because of the minari's fragrance, it has a fresh aroma that feels a cut above other gomtang. It's not a heavy broth but a clean one, which pairs really well with the minari.

It's a clear broth, but the flavor runs deep, and the combination of scallion and minari lets you experience a completely different broth flavor — a tongryeom-style Geumnyeong Gomtang using top-grade Hanwoo shank. Honestly, if you're in Wangsimni, this is a Korean restaurant you have to visit.