Jongno dumpling hot pot before a Cheonggyecheon walk: Jongga Mandu

Another Friday, another after-work dinner! My friend and I were trying to figure out where to eat and ended up at a mandu (dumpling) hot pot place in Jongno 3-ga called Jongga Mandu (종가만두). Here's my honest review of the mandu hot pot we had there haha

Where Jongga Mandu is in Jongno: hours and parking

Jongga Mandu is at 1F, 88 Supyo-ro, Jongno-gu — between Jongno 3-ga Station and Euljiro 3-ga Station. I used to pass through this area constantly, but since changing jobs I hadn't been in a while, so it felt like a bit of a reunion with Jongno. Maybe because it's familiar, it feels like my own neighborhood hahahaha. It being Friday and the weather being nice and cool, the streets and alleys around Cheonggyecheon were packed with people.

• 🕐 Hours Mon–Sat: 11:00–21:30 (last order 14:30, 20:30)
• Break time 15:30–17:00
• Sunday: 11:00–16:00 (no break time)
• 🚘 No parking on-site / Free: public lot near Cheonggyecheon / Paid: Sejong Parking, Modu's Parking

Was there a wait at Jongga Mandu at 8pm on a Friday?

We got to Jongga Mandu around 8pm, and it looked like earlier in the evening there had been a rush — there were traces of names written on a waiting list. Right next to the entrance, someone was hand-making dumplings! We came for the hot pot so we didn't try those items, but since this is Jongno, I'd guess office workers nearby come in for kalguksu (noodle soup) or mandu-guk (dumpling soup) on weekday lunches.

The place looks totally empty here, but that's just because we ate slowly and were the last ones out, so I snapped this shot of the interior on our way out without any pressure.

Pretty plain and clean feel overall, and the interior felt about average-sized!

The Jongga Mandu menu and ordering at the table kiosk

At Jongga Mandu you order from the kiosk at your table. The menu had mandu hot pot (clear broth / spicy broth / half-and-half), bibim kalguksu, Korean soybean kalguksu, jorangi rice cake mandu soup, boiled mandu, fried mandu, fried shrimp, plus extra meat and vegetables to add to the hot pot — so mainly it's a mandu and kalguksu place! We went back and forth between clear broth and spicy broth and ended up ordering the half-and-half 🍲

Any extra side dishes, plates, or cups you need — grab them from the self-service bar~

The kimchi wasn't the deeply fermented kind — more of a fresh geotjeori (unfermented kimchi) feel~

What comes in the half-and-half dumpling hot pot for two, 28,000 won

The half-and-half broth hot pot for two is ₩28,000. I like that you can order clear and spicy broth split half-and-half🙂 Not many shabu-shabu or hot pot places offer a split option like this — seeing it come out this way reminded me of hot pot (huoguo) haha. It comes with the broth plus mandu, kalguksu noodles, vegetables, and meat!

The vegetables were bok choy, bean sprouts, napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms. Why didn't I realize as a kid that mushrooms are actually delicious vegetables? There are also extra vegetable and meat add-ons if you need more.

8 handmade kimchi and meat mandu in the pot

These must be the dumplings that person was hand-making by the entrance earlier. Being handmade, the dumpling skin was soft and thin! The filling also had that homemade feel, which I liked. Four were kimchi mandu, four were meat mandu 🥟🥟🥟

How spicy is the red broth at Jongga Mandu?

We put the mandu in first to simmer, then added the vegetables and meat. The red broth was way spicier than I expected — it actually surprised me. A lot of places make red broth that isn't actually spicy, so I loved that this one had real heat..🫶 People who can't handle spice might struggle a bit though. The mandu were delicious too, but be careful — they burst if you simmer them too long! A bite of mandu, a bite of vegetable, a bite of meat~ and once it's all gone,

Kalguksu to finish, one letdown, and the 2nd-floor restroom

If I don't eat some carbs, it doesn't feel like a real meal, so we finished off by adding kalguksu noodles for the carb ending👏 Oh, one thing I found a little disappointing — no rice porridge option..? I think I've just gotten too used to the Deungchon Kalguksu course haha. Oh right, almost forgot — the restroom! I heard it was on the 2nd floor of the building and went up feeling a little anxious, but it turned out to be bigger than expected, with plenty of stalls and clean — loved it hahahahaha. Restrooms matter, of course they do..

After eating, sitting by the Cheonggyecheon for a walk felt so nice. The weather's so good these days — I wish every day could be like this~~!

Jongga Mandu (종가만두) near Jongno 3-ga Station is a solid mandu hot pot spot — worth a visit whenever you're in Jongno craving dumplings or hot pot! That's today's honest review, done!