Suncheon Korean restaurant: half-head aged kimchi hot pot, Namdareun

On the way to Suncheonman National Garden: lunch at Namdareun in Jorye-dong

Namdareun Gamjatang Suncheon Jorye branch (남다른감자탕 순천조례점) is a gamjatang (pork bone stew) and bone hot pot restaurant on Baegyeon-gil in Jorye-dong, Suncheon, a handy lunch stop on the way to Suncheonman National Garden. For the weekend we planned a family trip to Suncheon in Jeonnam for the first time in a while. While looking for a good lunch spot on the way to the garden, we found this one, a Jorye-dong favorite: Namdareun Gamjatang.

There is a big parking lot right next to the restaurant, so no parking stress at all.

Namdareun Suncheon Jorye branch: hours and info

• Location: 123 Baegyeon-gil, Suncheon-si, 1st floor
• Hours: open all year, normal hours on Chuseok and Lunar New Year / 10:00–23:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 22:20
• Info: groups welcome, parking, Wi-Fi, takeout, delivery, separate men's/women's restrooms, reservations

Is the interior comfortable for families?

The inside is quite spacious and has sofa-style tables too. Maybe that's why there were lots of families, and it looked like couples come here for dates as well.

What's on the Namdareun menu, and what did we order?

The menu is broad, from hangover soups to bone hot pots, braised bones and even pork cutlet.

• Namja-tang, Namdareun bone hot pot, Namja Wa Hamkke Ramyeon
• Brisket kimchi hangover soup, tofu kimchi hangover soup
• Vitality bone hot pot, brisket kimchi bone hot pot
• Goddess braised bones, iron-plate braised bones, Namdareun braised bones
• Boneless nutrition pork cutlet

There were plenty of choices, but our daughter has been totally into aged kimchi lately, so we ordered the small brisket kimchi bone hot pot, which has aged kimchi in it. And udon noodles too!!

Self-serve bar and basic side dishes

Disposable aprons were provided, and at the self-serve bar you can get unlimited refills of broth and ramen noodles.

There's a self-serve bar, so broth and ramen noodles are unlimited refills.

Side dishes like kkakdugi and napa cabbage kimchi are there too, so you can take as much as you need. Convenient!

The basic sides were napa cabbage kimchi, chili peppers and ssamjang (dipping paste), plus kkakdugi and seasoned bean sprouts.

Ramen noodles came as standard. If I'd known, we wouldn't have needed the udon noodles. In the end we ate the udon and left the ramen noodles alone.

Is the small brisket kimchi bone hot pot enough for a family of three?

The small brisket kimchi bone hot pot comes generously loaded with tofu, mushrooms, brisket, green onion, aged kimchi and pork neck bones, which was just right for a family of three. The brisket kimchi bone hot pot we'd been waiting for finally arrived! I was surprised by how generous the small size was, and surprised again by all the extra ingredients.

First, soft tofu and several kinds of mushrooms.

On top of that, brisket, green onion, aged kimchi and pork bones are all generously packed in, so the small size was just right for a family of three.

The udon noodles came frozen as they were, and they'd been soaked in water to keep them moist and ready.

Half a head of aged kimchi: is it mild enough for a child?

The brisket kimchi bone hot pot has half a head of aged kimchi in it, and it isn't very sour, with a spice level that suited our child perfectly. I cut it up and gave it to her, and she ate it so well.

It wasn't very sour, and the spice level and flavor were just right for a kid, so she wolfed it down in no time. The braised bones and brisket were good too, but she said the best part was wrapping just the aged kimchi over a bowl of rice.

Plenty of meat on the bones, and no gamey smell?

The pork bones in the brisket kimchi bone hot pot had plenty of tender meat that came off the bone easily, and there was no gamey or funky smell. Even the meat on the bones, which you can see as the pot bubbles up, was quite generous.

The meat was soft and separated from the bone easily, and with no gamey smell everyone from kids to grandparents ate it without any fuss. Dipped in wasabi it got even more savory, and it was good enough that, if it weren't lunchtime, I'd have wanted a glass of soju.

I'd assumed a small size wouldn't be enough overall, but I was totally wrong, haha. The amount was plenty and the taste was good, and the broth with the aged kimchi was clean and tangy, just that.

Picking up aged kimchi and bone meat together and slurping them down with the broth was great, and mixing it all over a bowl of rice was perfect.

Finishing with frozen udon noodles

We finished the hot pot with the extra udon noodles we ordered. The frozen udon was just dipped in water to thaw, then dropped straight into the pot! The plump noodles soaked up the seasoning and broth, and it made a satisfying last course.

Namdareun Suncheon Jorye branch brisket kimchi bone hot pot: overall verdict

The brisket kimchi bone hot pot at Namdareun Suncheon Jorye branch has aged kimchi in it but isn't very spicy, so it suited our child too. The braised bones separated softly from the meat with no gamey smell, and the aged kimchi was pleasantly spicy and tangy, something everyone from kids to grandparents can enjoy. I recommend it as a lunch option in Jorye-dong, Suncheon.