Brass-bowl pork gomtang set in Myeongdong department store: Yangjaeok

Where is Yangjaeok in Lotte Department Store Myeongdong?

Yangjaeok Lotte Department Store Main Branch is a pork gomtang (pork bone soup) specialist in the basement food hall of the Lotte Department Store main branch in Myeongdong. I was looking around for somewhere to eat and ended up at this Korean restaurant called Yangjaeok, and it totally hit the spot for my taste ><

• 📍 Location: Basement 1F, 81 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 10:30–20:00
• 🚘 Parking: 1 hour free at Lotte Department Store parking

The entrance to Yangjaeok on basement 1F of the Lotte Department Store main branch! The roof tiles and wall pattern give it a strong hanok (traditional Korean house) vibe.

Even the sign looks upscale haha. They say the pork gomtang is made using only refrigerated Korean pork (hanwoo-grade hanpork). They also recommend not stirring the secret anchovy-chili pickle into the broth, but wrapping it with the meat instead!!

The BEST menu items posted at the entrance are the sundae-guk (blood sausage soup) rice set and the bossam rice set. Both are ₩21,000!

Seating set apart from the food court: what the room feels like

Yangjaeok isn't mixed in with the food court — it's a separate space, so it doesn't feel chaotic, which I really liked. There's plenty of table seating and bar seats, so you can eat at a relaxed pace.

Yangjaeok menu and prices

The menu ranges from rice sets to noodle dishes to sides. There are meal options like pork gomtang, meat noodle soup, and buckwheat noodles, plus sides like rice sets, bossam, and dumplings. The rice sets come with a main dish, stir-fried pork, tofu, a bowl of rice, and basic side dishes, so it's a hearty meal haha.

• Pork gomtang rice set ₩20,000
• Pork gomtang ₩14,000
• Bossam (small) ₩15,000

Pork gomtang rice set, 20,000 won: a full spread in brass bowls

Everything in Yangjaeok's pork gomtang rice set comes in brass bowls, so it looks upscale from the start ✨ This is the main pork gomtang rice set. It comes loaded with pork gomtang, stir-fried pork, tofu, a bowl of rice, and basic side dishes. The broth is genuinely clean and light but still has a deep flavor!! It's seasoned as-is, and the seasoning isn't overdone — it just brings out the flavor perfectly, which I really loved.

The pork is super pale and tender, pure clean flavor! The brass bowl comes out piping hot, so the broth stayed warm the whole time I was eating. It was so light that I felt genuinely comfortable afterward haha.

Stir-fried pork and tofu that come with the rice set

The stir-fried pork in the rice set is totally my style of seasoning!! Not swimming in sauce, with a slight char flavor and a sweet-spicy edge. This is seriously a rice-thief side dish ㅜㅜ

Put the stir-fried pork on top of the tofu that comes with it and the combo is the best 👍

Small bossam, 15,000 won: how much pork do you get?

This is Yangjaeok's small bossam, and the portion was bigger than I expected, so it felt like great value for the price. It comes with lettuce wraps, bossam kimchi, garlic, chili peppers, salted shrimp, and ssamjang (dipping sauce).

The boiled pork is super tender with zero gamey smell, pure and clean! Topped with bossam kimchi for a bite haha.

Why Yangjaeok is worth a meal stop in the main Lotte Department Store

Overall the food was light and clean, so it was easy to eat without feeling heavy. The prices aren't much different from the food court, but being able to get this quality of meal in such a comfortable setting is a real plus! From the interior to the tableware to the food, everything feels upscale and tastes upscale too, so if you're looking for a place to eat at the Lotte Department Store main branch, I recommend Yangjaeok!!