Har gow and honey char siu bowl at a Gangnam Station dim sum spot

Gangnam Station lunch recommendation

Today I want to introduce a restaurant that's easy for solo dining. So many people come here to eat alone, so I decided to try solo dining at Gangnam Station myself. It was Chinese food — dim sum, beef noodles, that kind of thing. I think this is a place that would suit anyone's taste, no matter who comes.

Where is Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon near Gangnam Station?

Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon is located near the building with Gangnam CGV. Gangnam Station is a bit closer when you're coming. Just head into the alley right behind the station.

Right out front there are these delicious-looking food photos on display. I'm definitely coming back with my husband next time! That's how good the food was. Above all, I'd really been craving dim sum, so this was perfect.

Right in front you can also see the menu board at a glance, so you can check it out with your eyes before you even go in. I think anyone who loves good food will be satisfied here.

Right out front, they were making dim sum. They kept making dim sum non-stop — wow, the hand movements were so fast, like it was effortless.

Single seats downstairs, group tables on the 2nd floor

Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon uses both the 1st and 2nd floors, and the 1st floor has dedicated solo seats. I was surprised by how glamorous the interior was as soon as I walked in. Then I was relieved to see so many other people dining alone.

The solo seats had small tables. But it was still comfortable, and you could finish your meal faster than expected.

Further in, there were seats that would be great for a date too. I thought that if I came with my husband, I'd want to sit upstairs or in one of those inner seats.

Going up the stairs to the 2nd floor, there are spacious seats ready — good for coming with friends or for groups of 4 or more.

The 2nd floor was fully packed, so I quickly took a photo and came back down. There's a restroom inside too, which was great!

I ordered the honey sauce char siu rice bowl and har gow. Eating just a rice bowl alone felt like it might be a bit lacking, so I also ordered a dim sum item. I heard fried menu items take about 20 minutes, so I went with something quicker.

Table setting and the har gow dim sum

Of course, since it's Chinese food, peanuts come out first. The water bottle was pretty nice too, which made me happy.

Ta-da! Here comes the har gow dim sum. It's wrapped in a thin, chewy-looking skin — also known as "ha gau." This har gow is made mainly with shrimp, with pork inside as well.

It's characterized by being very translucent and soft. I heard this dish is said to reveal a dim sum chef's true skill. Apparently the tradition calls for at least 7-10 pleats — and wow, this place absolutely earns it.

Best eaten with this soy sauce. When I picked it up with chopsticks, it didn't burst, and it didn't stick to the paper underneath — a perfect har gow. The filling was generous, and it was too big to eat in one bite, so I had to split it in half.

You have to come try this har gow dim sum. It's similar to what people call the traditional version. I don't think it falls behind at all.

How does the honey sauce char siu rice bowl arrive?

Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon's honey sauce char siu rice bowl comes topped with char siu and egg, served alongside egg drop soup. They give you the sauce separately, so you drizzle it over the rice bowl yourself.

The egg drop soup is exactly the thick, Chinese-restaurant style. It goes down warm and felt really comforting.

You can drizzle the sauce to your taste — it had a subtly sweet flavor. Rather than pouring it all on at once, I'd recommend adding it little by little as you eat.

Personally, the meat was so tender, and the combination with the sauce was really delicious. Just the rice bowl alone will fill you up, but I'd still recommend coming to try the dim sum too.