Gongdeok Korean pub: juicy dumplings and bone broth rice, Horangi

Horangi Gotgan Gongdeok Branch: a Korean pub visited at lunch

Horangi Gotgan Gongdeok Branch is a Korean restaurant on Mapo-daero 8-gil, 263 meters from Exit 4 of Gongdeok Station. Today I visited with my neighbor, who always has time to spare, for lunch near Gongdeok Station. I'd been to the Ilsan branch before and it was good, so I figured this one would be too. There were even a few people checking out the menu board outside the shop.

The standing signboard at the entrance lays out the menu and prices. Once you see the prices, it's hard not to walk in — they're pretty reasonable.

Since it was lunchtime, the place was full of diners. I usually try to avoid the busy hours, but I guess I came a bit early this time. Luckily there were still seats.

Where is Horangi Gotgan Gongdeok Branch? Address, hours and parking

• 🏠 Address: 13 Mapo-daero 8-gil, 1st Floor, Unit 101, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea / 263m from Gongdeok Station Exit 4 (use Kakao Map or Naver Map for directions)
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30, last order 21:00
• 🚗 Parking: Available, free valet
• 💺 Seating: Table seating
• 🛎️ Amenities & services: Free corkage, reservations, takeout, delivery, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, high chairs, group seating available
• 📲 Naver reservations available

Horangi Gotgan menu: bone broth soup rice, naengmyeon, bibimbap and bar snacks

The menu at Horangi Gotgan Gongdeok Branch covers bone broth soup rice, naengmyeon, bibimbap, and drinking snacks. Naengmyeon, soup rice, and bibimbap all start at 10,000 won.

• Hongdukkae water naengmyeon (cold noodles) ₩10,000
• Hongdukkae bibim naengmyeon ₩10,000
• Yeolmu (young radish greens) water naengmyeon ₩10,000
• Yeolmu bibimbap ₩10,000
• Yeolmu bibim naengmyeon ₩10,000
• Sagolbap (bone broth rice) ₩10,000
• Spicy sagolbap ₩11,000
• Spicy soft tofu sagolbap ₩12,000
• Spicy tripe sagolbap ₩13,000
• Pork belly bibimbap ₩10,000
• Beef brisket bibimbap ₩10,000
• Beef bulgogi bibimbap ₩11,000

Check the menu board for other items and prices. There's also a good range of drinking snacks, so it looks like a fine spot for a simple drink too.

Sagolbap, spicy soft tofu sagolbap and juicy dumplings on the table

On this visit at Horangi Gotgan Gongdeok Branch, we ordered sagolbap (₩10,000), spicy soft tofu sagolbap (₩12,000), and juicy meat dumplings (₩9,000). My friend went with sagolbap while I ordered the spicy soft tofu sagolbap, and we added an order of dumplings. I love soup rice, and this was 10,000 won — I was curious how the sagolbap would turn out.

The side dishes were pickled vegetables and kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi).

The sagolbap arrived first. Horangi Gotgan says they simmer the broth using only water and Korean beef bones. The broth was truly milky white.

The juicy meat dumplings came out too.

How spicy is the spicy soft tofu sagolbap?

Here's the spicy soft tofu sagolbap I ordered. It looked like sagolbap with soft tofu and a bit of chili oil added in.

Overall, the prices are on the affordable side. Both naengmyeon and soup rice start at 10,000 won.

The broth had a mild spicy kick. Not too hot, so pretty much anyone could enjoy it. Koreans do love their spicy food though.

For a 10,000-won bowl of soup rice, the amount of meat and toppings was pretty solid.

The dumplings were fried nicely, crisp outside and juicy inside, packed full of filling.

Verdict: is Horangi Gotgan good value for soup rice near Gongdeok Station?

If you're near Gongdeok Station looking for a good-value bowl of soup rice, how about Horangi Gotgan? These days it's not that common to find soup rice for 10,000 won. It seems like a perfect spot for a simple meal or a drink, and would work fine for solo dining or drinking alone too.

※ Please understand if the shop gets busier after this post goes up.