Jongno 3-ga dumpling hot pot, booked holiday lunch: Jongga Mandu

Today I visited Jongga Mandu (종가만두) in Jongno. It turns out it's already a famous handmade dumpling spot near Jongno 3-ga?! We had the recommended dish, the dumpling hot pot (mandu jeongol) ~

Where is Jongga Mandu, and is it the same place as Seonggyeong Mandu?

Jongga Mandu is at 88 Supyo-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, a 5–10 minute walk from both Jonggak Station and Jongno 3-ga Station. Perfect for walking over as a little stroll!

It was originally called "Seonggyeong Mandu" (성경 만두), and apparently they just changed the name to "Jongga Mandu"?! Seonggyeong Mandu = Jongga Mandu, so don't get confused!!

How to skip the wait at Jongga Mandu on a public holiday lunch

We booked on Naver for 12:30 at lunchtime on a public holiday and there was no wait. Even so, customers kept coming in!! (Book on Naver before you go~) The inside was really clean.

True to a handmade dumpling shop, a woman was shaping dumplings by hand at one side of the restaurant. They were all the same size and shape, so I thought it was a machine lol Being able to see it made me trust the place even more!!

Jongga Mandu half-and-half dumpling hot pot for 2: what's in it and the price

The main dish at Jongga Mandu is the dumpling hot pot!! We ordered the half-and-half broth dumpling hot pot for 2 (the menu shows 28.0).

The basic side dishes are kimchi and pickled radish! The kimchi is fresh, geotjeori-style (just-made, unfermented), so it went so well with the kalguksu haha You add the kalguksu noodles at the very end.

If you run out of side dishes, you can help yourself at the self-serve bar~

First came the stars, the dumplings! 4 meat dumplings and 4 kimchi dumplings. Maybe because they're handmade, they were packed full!! (They also give you plastic gloves,,, use them when you put the dumplings into the pot!)

When you order the dumpling hot pot, you also get beef brisket, vegetables and mushrooms. I loved how varied it was!! Felt like a course meal~~

Clear or spicy dried pollack broth: which should you pick?

The half-and-half broth at Jongga Mandu is a clear dried pollack (hwangtae) broth and a spicy dried pollack broth. I liked not having to agonize over which broth to choose,, and getting to taste both is a two-for-one!!

The clear broth was light with a strong, deep savory flavor, and the spicy broth had lots of garlic in it, so it was sharp and really worked as a hangover cure lol I recommend both,, just get half-and-half!!

How to cook the dumpling hot pot: dumplings first, then vegetables and beef

The staff told us to put the dumplings in first, so I carefully slipped them in so they wouldn't burst lol I put 2 meat dumplings and 2 kimchi dumplings in each broth, exactly the same. (I wanted to try a bit of everything haha)

After that, I added the vegetables and beef~

With the lid on, it cooked quickly! Fish out the cooked beef and vegetables first. I tried the clear broth first, and it was clean and not harsh, so delicious. I'd been drinking the night before,,, it really felt like it cured my hangover,,

How do Jongga Mandu's meat and kimchi dumplings taste?

Meat dumplings

See how packed the Jongga Mandu meat dumplings are,, unlike store-bought frozen ones, the plain savoriness of the meat blends with the fresh taste of tofu and vegetables, so it was clean with no dryness! And the juiciness of the meat, need I say more!

Kimchi dumplings

The kimchi dumplings have such thin wrappers that you can see all the filling lol When the wrapper is thick you taste a lot of flour,, but here it's thin, so the filling comes through more! You could really taste the crunchy kimchi. As someone who can't handle spice, it was a li~~~ttle spicy for me. Unlike the meat dumplings, it was spicy and refreshing with a big savory boost?! (Honestly everything was delicious!!!!)

Kimchi dumplings in the spicy broth, kalguksu noodles to finish

Personally, I thought the kimchi dumplings went better with the spicy pollack broth! The spiciness felt doubled?! Eating the beef and vegetables along with the dumplings gave it a shabu-shabu feel too, and the two of us ate really well haha Finally, adding the kalguksu noodles,, perfect. (Broth can be refilled!)

Who is Jongga Mandu's dumpling hot pot best for?

Fresh vegetables, beef shabu-shabu, handmade dumplings and kalguksu all in one dish, like a course meal, and I ate so happily. Real handmade dumplings made it even better!! A certified dumpling hot pot spot near Jongno 3-ga Station! I think it's great for a family meal or a get-together with Jongno office workers!