Solo gomtang with rice on the side in Wangsimni: Geumnyeong Gomtang

What is Geumnyeong Gomtang in Wangsimni like?

Geumnyeong Gomtang (금녕곰탕) is a Hanwoo beef gomtang restaurant on Wangsimni-ro 20-gil, near Wangsimni Station. It looks like it has been around for a long time, full of soul, with the years of the neighborhood's residents soaked into it. It passes the test from the outside already!!

A homey entrance with flowering plants and pine trees

Geumnyeong Gomtang feels like a family home full of soul, and the entrance is lined with pretty, well-tended plants.

The plants are beautifully kept and the two pine trees are seriously impressive. In my experience, when a house has a well-kept garden or plants, the owner is hardworking and the restaurant is clean and delicious. I was already hugely excited from the entrance of this Wangsimni gomtang spot, hahahaha

Beef gomtang made in-house with Hanwoo, and even Baduk players' autographs

I'm told Geumnyeong Gomtang cooks its own beef gomtang with 1+ and 1++ grade Hanwoo (Korean native beef). A Hanwoo beef soup restaurant that simmers its broth for ages? I'm so, so excited.

Autographs from Baduk (Go) players are stuck up here and there. Right, right, you need energizing food like this to concentrate on your Baduk games, haha

Seating on the 1st and 2nd floors

Geumnyeong Gomtang has two floors, the 1st and the 2nd, so the restaurant is quite spacious.

Geumnyeong Gomtang menu and what I ordered

This day at Geumnyeong Gomtang I ordered a regular gomtang with extra meat (gogisari) added, plus 6 king dumplings, half kimchi and half meat. The menu is simple, which I really like.

Side dishes: napa cabbage kimchi and kkakdugi

Once I ordered, the kimchi came out. Well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and both were delicious.

Can you get the rice on the side with Geumnyeong's gomtang?

Gomtang at Geumnyeong normally comes with the rice already mixed into the soup, but you can ask for the rice on the side. I don't like rice soaked in soup, so I asked for it separately.

Since I added the extra meat, it came in a separate bowl with some broth. Ooh, nice?!!

Loads of fresh scallions, loads of Hanwoo brisket and shank. Total health food~~~~~ The hot broth is so good. Simmered for ages with nothing but Hanwoo beef, a soulful, made-with-care, insanely delicious soup and rice~~~~~

A hearty bowl with loads of meat and even tteokguk rice cakes

The gomtang at Geumnyeong has a few tteokguk tteok (sliced rice cakes) in it. I scooped up a spoonful of rice to eat together, and it's nice with the soft, chewy rice cakes.

Meat and broth both totally my style.

Geumnyeong's king dumplings: kimchi or meat?

I ordered 6 king dumplings at Geumnyeong, half kimchi and half meat, and personally the kimchi ones were much better. I couldn't not order the dumplings. They're stuffed so full that the sides have burst open.

I usually like meat dumplings, and these are packed with meat and chives, very tasty, haha. But personally the kimchi dumplings were much better. A little gochujang (chili paste) goes in, so they're spicy and tangy, awesome. They go perfectly with the gomtang, absolutely the best.