Anguk Station udon restaurant: ₩31,000 dinner set for two, Jemyeonso

A hearty dinner before a gender reveal: why Insadong Jemyeonso

Insadong Jemyeonso (인사동제면소) is an udon and rice bowl restaurant in Insadong, spun off from Cheonaebu, a brand already well known for its udon. I recently went to Insadong for a close friend's gender reveal, haha, and before finding out the big news(?) I figured we should fill our stomachs properly. My friend works in Ikseon-dong, which is full of good restaurants, so I searched hard and ended up at Insadong Jemyeonso :)

Insadong restaurant "Insadong Jemyeonso"

I'm an udon lover and my friend was craving a daechang (grilled beef intestine) bowl, and this place satisfies both, so it was our pick for dinner that day! I wasn't expecting that much, but when we actually went, I enjoyed everything we ordered so much that I'd recommend every single dish, so I'm happy to write this review.

How to get to Insadong Jemyeonso: 3rd floor of Annyeong Insadong

Insadong Jemyeonso is on the 3rd floor of the Nine Tree Hotel building, known as Annyeong Insadong. It sits at the end of Ssamziegil and takes about 5-7 minutes on foot from Anguk Station. Once you step inside Annyeong Insadong, there's one elevator on the left, and right in front of it is a mouthwatering photo of Insadong Jemyeonso, ta-da!

Take the elevator up, get off on the 3rd floor and head toward the restrooms, and you'll find Insadong Jemyeonso.

Insadong Jemyeonso hours and break time

Insadong Jemyeonso is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last order 8:30 p.m.). And the most important thing: no break time, it runs straight through :) When you're out in Ikseon-dong at an awkward hour, lots of places are closed, but you can just come to Insadong Jemyeonso.

When to go to avoid the wait?

After 7 p.m. was relatively quiet at Insadong Jemyeonso. It's been featured on TV a lot, so at lunch it's so busy you have to put your name on a list, but there are separate waiting seats and the menu is posted outside so you can look it over in advance, haha. We arrived after 7 p.m., so it was a little quiet~ For a relaxed meal, I recommend dinner!

Inside Insadong Jemyeonso and the seating

The inside of Insadong Jemyeonso is quite spacious, with wood-toned, Japanese-style decor throughout. The tables are spaced comfortably, and there's a mix of seats for 2 to 4 people, so you can push tables together for a group.

The menu posters have a nice feel, and there are coat hangers for your bags and jackets, so it's an easy place to relax.

We sat at the very back (I put my friend on the wall bench with a backrest! haha) and went straight to the menu. You order and pay at your seat, and if that's tricky you can pay a staff member directly. There are a lot of foreign visitors, so the system works well. Definitely convenient!

Insadong Jemyeonso two-person set: what's included and prices

The two-person set at Insadong Jemyeonso lets you pick one noodle and one rice dish, plus one side and one drink, for a base price of ₩29,000. There are tons of options, cold udon, cold soba, rice bowls and fried dishes, but we went with the set for two. Prices vary a bit depending on what you choose, but there's a discount built in, so it's the menu I'd recommend.

Here's what we picked after deciding on the two-person set.

• Cold udon set with tempura ₩11,000
• Daechang bowl ₩13,000
• House-made karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken) ₩7,000
• Fanta Pineapple ₩2,000
• Add-on: 5 pieces of house-made shrimp tempura

The base price for two is ₩29,000, but with our options it came to ₩31,000 (₩33,000 if ordered à la carte). I was going to join the review event for a free drink if the set didn't include one, but one drink is included, so I skipped it! If you order à la carte, definitely join the event and get a drink.

While you wait: self-serve cutlery and aprons, even baby tableware

At Insadong Jemyeonso, the cutlery sets are beside the table and the aprons are by the counter, so you grab them yourself while waiting after ordering. Kimchi and pickled radish (danmuji) came out quickly as basic side dishes, which made the wait pleasant~ Oh, and there's also separate baby tableware at the entrance, a really thoughtful Insadong restaurant.

We ordered quite a lot for two people, haha, so I thought it would take ages, but only the freshly fried items took a little while. Still, almost everything arrived around the same time :)

The cold udon set came with kabocha squash and shrimp tempura, the udon had slushy ice floating in it, the karaage was big, and the daechang bowl looked spicy. Everything looked delicious.

How is the cold udon set with tempura? Tempura bits crunchy to the end

The cold udon in the Insadong Jemyeonso set was bouncy and chewy with a great texture, and the broth with slushy ice was genuinely delicious. The tsuyu (Japanese dipping broth) is simmered in-house and has a wonderful depth! Since it's a set, rice was included, but honestly they could give us something other than rice! (Maybe inari sushi? haha)

But what really amazed me... was that the tempura crumbs inside the udon stayed crunchy even though they were soaking in liquid. They should have gone soggy right away, but they were so crispy that I regret not filming ASMR...

How to eat the daechang bowl, and how it tastes

For the daechang bowl at Insadong Jemyeonso, you can move the daechang onto the skewer plate, mix the rice, and eat them one at a time on top, or just mix it all up and dig in. My friend's daechang bowl looked amazing...

I got a few bites from my friend and it had a spicy kick that was really good. The daechang is grilled just right with a nice chew, and the shishito-style peppers (kkwari gochu) give off a spicy aroma~ The sauce goes all the way into the rice, so be sure to mix it well.

My No. 1 pick: the house-made shrimp tempura

My number one recommendation at Insadong Jemyeonso is the house-made shrimp tempura! The tempura udon also comes with shrimp and kabocha, and even ordering a double helping, it was still the best. Crispy and warm, the first bite and the last bite were both so good that I kept eating even when I was full...

Here's some ASMR so you can feel the crunch~ I was so focused on eating the udon tempura afterward that I couldn't film it, that's how good Insadong Jemyeonso was, haha

Side dish house-made karaage, main-dish size

The house-made karaage at Insadong Jemyeonso is a side, but it's so big it's like a main, and it surprised me a lot. Even on its own it's nicely seasoned, whets the appetite, and the crispy texture is delicious.

Dipping it in the turmeric powder served alongside brought out more savoriness. But it makes the flavor a bit stronger, so dip in moderation! Next time I want to try the karaage rice bowl... haha

Would I go back to Insadong Jemyeonso?

Insadong Jemyeonso has the basics but also plenty of unexpectedly unique dishes, so it's an Insadong restaurant where I wanted to go not once but many times and try everything. If you're heading to Ikseon-dong or Insadong's Ssamziegil, go to Annyeong Insadong and stop by Insadong Jemyeonso. I'll be in Anguk again soon, so I'll drop by for a solo meal~