# Restaurants in Hongdae, Seoul: hanwoo yangtang lunch at Doonjeong

- By Everyday Notes (https://superchart.com/en/@everyday-notes/)
- Written Sep 14, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a meal as an in-store sponsorship.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@everyday-notes/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@everyday-notes/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/index.md)

## In short

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch (도온정 홍대직영점) is a Korean restaurant specializing in hanwoo (Korean beef) gomtang, or beef soup, in Dongyo-dong near Exit 1 of Hongik University Station in Mapo, Seoul. Over lunch with her mother, the writer ordered spicy hanwoo yangtang (beef tripe soup), clear hanwoo gomtang and gogi muchim (seasoned beef salad), and her mother emptied the whole bowl while breaking a sweat, saying it tasted like the beef soup her own mother made when she was little. The clear hanwoo gomtang costs 13,000 won and arrives piping hot in a brass bowl, so Doonjeong went straight onto the writer's return list.

## Good to know

- **Address**: 201-49 Dongyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul (183-12 Dongyo-ro, 1st floor), South Korea
- **Location**: 214m from Exit 1 of Hongik University Station (Line 2, Airport Railroad, Gyeongui-Jungang Line)
- **Hours**: Daily 11:00–21:00
- **Break time**: Weekdays 15:00–17:00 / Sat–Sun 15:30–17:00
- **Last order**: 30 minutes before each closing time
- **Clear hanwoo gomtang**: 13,000 won
- **Dishes tried**: Spicy hanwoo yangtang (beef tripe soup), clear hanwoo gomtang, gogi muchim (seasoned beef salad)
- **Award**: Blue Ribbon Survey selection, 2 years running
- **Price reference**: ₩13,000 ≈ $9.6 (2026-09-15)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 14, 2026*

![Table setting of hanwoo gomtang at Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-01-4gg2x-900.webp)

I've been to plenty of places famous for proper hanwoo (Korean beef) gukbap, but none of them ever matched the taste my mother grew up eating. All I'd heard was a description of a red-simmered beef soup, and I couldn't quite picture it — until I found it at Doonjeong, the Hongdae lunch spot famous for its hanwoo gukbap, a two-year-running Blue Ribbon winner near Hongik University Station!

![Exterior of Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch near Hongik University Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-02-12zvw-1200.webp)

![Entrance and sign of Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-03-11we2-900.webp)

## Where is Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch, and what are its hours?

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch is at 201-49 Dongyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 214 meters from Exit 1 of Hongik University Station (Line 2, Airport Railroad, Gyeongui-Jungang Line). It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, with a break time of 15:00–17:00 on weekdays and 15:30–17:00 on weekends, and last order is 30 minutes before each closing time.

## Inside Doonjeong: a quietly dignified dining room

![Clean interior seating at Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-04-1extx-900.webp)

![View of the dining room tables at Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-05-1jaoq-900.webp)

![Tidy interior atmosphere at Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-06-uftm9-900.webp)

Doonjeong's interior has a refined, uncluttered feel — and a dining room's atmosphere matters, right? The clean space made me feel like an honored guest. This is the two-year Blue Ribbon Hongdae lunch spot, Doonjeong.

## Spicy hanwoo yangtang: the beef soup my mother remembered

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch's spicy hanwoo yangtang is the dish that finally matched the red beef soup my mother remembered from childhood. Just as the menu warned, the bowl itself came out piping hot, so I could enjoy it warm down to the very last spoonful.

![Bowls of kimchi and kkakdugi side dishes at Doonjeong](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-07-iqa4f-900.webp)

The kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) never ran dry — a small but thoughtful touch that showed how much care went into every dish, without being over the top.

![Piping hot spicy hanwoo yangtang served at Doonjeong](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-08-10sho-900.webp)

When the spicy hanwoo yangtang arrived, the bowl really was scorching hot, just as promised. 🔥 This is a place where you can eat warm all the way to the last spoonful. I was moved even before tasting it — and finally, my mother had found the beef soup she'd been searching for. After a spoonful of the hot, spicy hanwoo yangtang, she said,

> This is the beef soup my mom made for me when I was little.

After that, she said nothing more, just kept eating the hot, spicy soup in silence until beads of sweat formed on her face and she finished the whole bowl.

![Close-up of the broth and ingredients in spicy hanwoo yangtang](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-09-1kp74-900.webp)

### How is yukgaejang different from Korean beef soup?

My mother explained that come autumn, her grandmother used to make beef soup, and it's different from yukgaejang: yukgaejang gets its broth from taro or vegetables, while beef soup relies heavily on radish and beef for a beefy-tasting broth. And without carefully selected, high-quality chili powder and seasonings, you simply can't achieve this flavor, she said, praising the restaurant lavishly — calling it more refined than a typical Hongdae lunch spot, a place that truly knows how to cook.

It was a bit spicy for my taste, but she said that sweet-and-spicy edge to the chili powder is exactly what comes from good ingredients. And thanks to Doonjeong's spicy hanwoo yangtang, I finally learned the difference between yukgaejang and beef soup, which I'd never known before.

## Clear hanwoo gomtang at Doonjeong, 13,000 won

Doonjeong's clear hanwoo gomtang comes as a full bowl with rice included, for ₩13,000. It arrives in a heavy brass bowl, piping hot, so I could enjoy the hot broth all the way to the end.

![Clear hanwoo gomtang served in a brass bowl at Doonjeong](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-10-185q8-900.webp)

![A bowl of clear hanwoo gomtang with rice inside](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-11-1w0fi-900.webp)

The clear hanwoo gomtang with rice inside — the brass bowl was heavy and heated through, which made the hot gomtang all the more enjoyable. A clean, deep beef broth flavor. One sip and it felt like it cleared my head — great for a hangover cure, too.

![Hanwoo beef pieces inside the clear hanwoo gomtang](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-12-14d73-900.webp)

![Hanwoo beef dipped in spicy chili soy sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-13-1ifmo-900.webp)

The beef was tender and chewy, and dipped in the spicy chili soy sauce, it felt like a full-on hanwoo festival in my mouth. A spoonful of rice and broth together, and a smile spread across my whole face.

![A generous table setting of clear hanwoo gomtang](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-14-wn0jy-900.webp)

![A spoonful of rice and broth from the hanwoo gomtang](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-15-ibt8r-900.webp)

A generous bowl of clear hanwoo gomtang — filling for an office worker's lunch in Dongyo-dong, Hongdae, and packed with shredded hanwoo that made for a satisfying chew. To think this level of serious cooking costs just ₩13,000 — this place is such a good value, a real value-for-money hanwoo restaurant!

## Gogi muchim (seasoned beef salad) and kimchi

Doonjeong's meat muchim (seasoned beef salad) is a side dish with a lovely minari (water dropwort) fragrance, and judging by the table next to us also ordering a half plate of it along with gomtang, it looked like a regulars' favorite.

![Meat muchim seasoned beef salad with minari at Doonjeong](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-16-1dmp1-900.webp)

![Shredded beef and minari seasoned salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-17-prjyz-900.webp)

![Close-up of a plate of meat muchim](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-18-b69db-900.webp)

Meat muchim with a lovely minari fragrance. Chamnamul (aster greens) are nice too, but minari really went well with the beef, and the meat, shredded thinly along the grain, was easy to eat together with the greens. The table next to us ordered gomtang plus a half plate of meat muchim too — clearly a Doonjeong regulars' order.

![A plate of kimchi at Doonjeong](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-19-hgy8k-900.webp)

I don't usually eat much kimchi at restaurants, but at this Hongdae lunch spot, I ate it freely and without worry — the kimchi tasted great too, and paired nicely with the hanwoo gukbap.

## Final verdict on lunch at Doonjeong Hongdae

![A full table of hanwoo gomtang and spicy hanwoo yangtang](https://img.superchart.com/images/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup/donjeong-hongdae-spicy-hanwoo-soup-20-17tsv-900.webp)

The warmth of that hanwoo gomtang and spicy hanwoo yangtang really got to me. I'm so glad we came. I can't forget my mother's face... the taste of her own mother's hands! The expression on her face when she tasted it... I'm just grateful to have discovered Doonjeong, a restaurant near Hongik University Station that puts real sincerity into its hanwoo gomtang. Five stars can't fully capture how moving this meal was ♡ Officially added to my must-return list!!

## Where it is

- Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch (도온정 홍대직영점)
- 183-12 Dongyo-ro, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 마포구 동교로 183-12 1층
- 37.5574305, 126.9213832
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%8F%84%EC%98%A8%EC%A0%95%20%ED%99%8D%EB%8C%80%EC%A7%81%EC%98%81%EC%A0%90/@37.5574305,126.9213832,17z

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