Yongsan solo dining spot open all day: herbal gomtang, Baekok Yongsan

I was looking for somewhere to eat a hearty solo lunch near Yongsan Station and ended up at Baekok Yongsan around 3pm on a weekday. It's a pork gomtang (pork bone soup) restaurant behind the HYBE building, and since it has no break time, it was easy to just walk in. I ordered the herbal gomtang set and a plate of cold jeyuk — a bit different from regular pork gomtang, more like something you'd eat for a health boost. Here's my review!

Where is Baekok Yongsan, and what are its hours?

Baekok is about 7 minutes from Yongsan Station. It's behind the HYBE building, so it's easy to find. It's open every day from 11am to 10pm with no break time.

The restaurant has a 1st and 2nd floor, and I was shown to the 2nd floor when I visited. It seems only the 2nd floor is used during quieter hours. Even though I ordered from the 2nd floor, staff brought everything to my table, so there was no inconvenience.

Baekok Yongsan menu: spicy gomtang, herbal gomtang, and sides

Baekok menu

You order at Baekok via QR code. Since pork gomtang is the main dish, they have regular gomtang and herbal gomtang, plus sides like cabbage mandu (dumplings), cold jeyuk, spicy pig tail, mung bean pancake, and mukguksu (buckwheat noodle salad). The gomtang also comes in a large size, so you can choose based on how hungry you are. In the evening they also serve dishes like pork platter and spicy pig tail, so it's a place where you can enjoy various pork dishes and drinking snacks beyond just gomtang.

I ordered the herbal gomtang set and cold jeyuk for a solo health-boosting meal. The set includes herbal gomtang, two cabbage mandu, and a soda.

Herbal gomtang set: rich broth with a subtle neungi mushroom scent

Herbal gomtang set

I ordered the herbal gomtang because it's a pork gomtang made rich and savory with black mushroom (neungi mushroom) and medicinal herbs like milkvetch root. The broth is much richer than a typical clear gomtang, right? It's close to dark brown in color, so I expected the broth flavor to be pretty strong, but once I actually tried it, it wasn't so much a strong herbal taste as a subtle black mushroom aroma.

It's not spicy or overpowering — more clean but deep in flavor — so if you like a rich broth in a clear pork gomtang, I'd recommend it! While eating, I felt like I was suddenly filled with energy... though of course that's purely a personal impression haha. I finished my meal at Baekok, a Yongsan Station favorite, feeling like I'd really nourished myself.

Since it's a pork gomtang, the rice comes already mixed into the broth, and the pork on top was really tender. The seasoning seemed complete on its own, so I didn't need to add pepper or salt, though condiments are available on the table if you want to add more. The basic side dishes were kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and pickles — a solid basic pairing with gomtang.

What do the cabbage mandu in the set taste like?

The cabbage mandu (dumplings) included in the herbal gomtang set uses cabbage instead of dumpling wrapper to enclose the filling. Inside is filling similar to kimchi mandu, but with cabbage wrapping the outside, the texture is different from regular mandu. The filling is slightly spicy, and the cabbage gave it a nice crunchy texture.

You get to enjoy mandu with less flour wrapper, and they're on the larger side, so each bite felt satisfying. It's a pork gomtang restaurant near Yongsan Station, but the cabbage mandu is also delicious, so make sure to order it too!

A plate of cold jeyuk: pork cheek with shrimp jeotgal

Cold jeyuk

Cold jeyuk is a cold sliced-pork dish made with pork cheek meat topped with tiny shrimp jeotgal (salted fermented shrimp) — kind of like bossam. I ordered one plate, which came with about 20 modest-sized pieces of meat. Unlike warm boiled pork, it's served cold, which felt a bit surprising at first.

The meat was so tender I almost thought it was beef! Topping the soft-cooked pork with the shrimp jeotgal gave it a salty flavor. Lemon was served alongside too, and squeezing it on made the meat taste a bit fresher. It seems like it would pair well as a drinking snack too, so if you visit Baekok near Yongsan Station, give it a try.

Is Baekok Yongsan worth it for solo dining near Yongsan Station?

I tried the herbal gomtang at Baekok, a pork gomtang favorite near Yongsan Station, for a bit of a health boost. With no break time, it was a great spot for a hearty solo meal. If you're looking for a good pork gomtang restaurant near Yongsan Station or HYBE, give Baekok a try~