Korean restaurant in Yangcheon: perilla oil soba at Haengbokhan Udon Gage

While looking for a simple place to eat alone near Sinjeongnegeori Station, I visited Haengbokhan Udon Gage Sinjeongnegeori Station Branch. I ordered perilla oil momil (buckwheat noodles) and bibim mandu (spicy mixed dumplings) for weekend lunch, and their different flavors made them good to alternate between.

How close is it to the station, and is parking available?

The restaurant is a one-minute walk from Exit 1 of Sinjeongnegeori Station. It was convenient to stop by after running errands nearby and before taking the subway. There was also parking in front of the restaurant, and during my weekend lunch visit, I saw families who appeared to have come by car.

What is it like for solo dining or eating with children?

The interior was clean and fairly spacious. It seemed suitable not only for me eating alone, but also for family groups.

High chairs and children's tableware were available. With choices such as udon and tonkatsu, which are options to choose with children, I felt it would be a decent place for a family meal.

There was Wi-Fi, so it was comfortable to eat alone while watching a video. There was also a clean separate restroom inside, so I did not need to leave the restaurant during my meal.

What is on the menu, and can you visit late?

The menu was broadly divided into meals and dishes to have with drinks.

There were Japanese-style dishes such as udon, momil, soba, and tonkatsu.

Korean dishes such as jeyuk deopbap (spicy pork rice bowl) and ojingeo deopbap (squid rice bowl), as well as side dishes such as mul mandu (boiled dumplings) and bibim mandu, were also available.

According to the original post, weekday hours are from 10:40 AM until 3:00 AM the following day, with last orders at 2:00 AM. It also has dishes to have with drinks, so it can be used for a late drink. I visited for weekend lunch.

What did I order for solo dining, and how much was it?

I ordered perilla oil momil for ₩8,500 and bibim mandu for ₩9,500. Yubu guk, danmuji, and kimchi came as the basic sides.

Was the perilla oil momil rich or spicy?

The perilla oil momil I chose as my main came topped with minari (water celery), Cheongyang chili peppers, and gim (dried seaweed).

It had plenty of perilla oil, giving it a strong nutty aroma. The minari and Cheongyang peppers cut through a flavor that could otherwise have felt rich.

Even for me, someone who is not good with spicy food, the heat did not hit strongly. The Cheongyang peppers felt more like they added a sharp aroma.

Minari is a vegetable whose aroma can divide opinions, but here it blended with the perilla oil aroma rather than standing out too strongly. Once I mixed the noodles with the gim, minari, and Cheongyang peppers, I could taste nuttiness, fragrance, and a slight sharpness together. The noodles stayed chewy and did not soften much until I finished them.

Are the bibim mandu enough for a meal alone?

I ordered the bibim mandu as a side, but it cost more than the perilla oil momil. I usually eat a lot, so I had it alongside my noodles, but the portion itself was a fairly substantial single serving.

Small, crisply fried dumplings were topped with lettuce, bean sprouts, carrot, cucumber, cabbage, and sauce. There was plenty of sauce, so if you prefer lightly seasoned food, it may be better to set some aside before mixing everything and add it to taste.

Once the dumplings were coated in sauce, I liked the sweet-and-tangy flavor. However, since it did not come with noodles or rice, it could feel a little insufficient as a full meal despite the generous portion. As someone who eats a lot, I thought adding a bowl of rice and mixing it with the sauce and vegetables could be nice.

I ate it with the perilla oil momil. If several people visit, it could also work to order a main dish each and share the bibim mandu.

How were the perilla oil momil and bibim mandu together?

For me, ordering the two dishes together was a combination that worked well.

After eating the perilla oil momil continuously, it could begin to feel slightly rich, but then the bibim mandu added its sweet, tangy, and mildly spicy sauce flavor.

Conversely, when the bibim mandu sauce felt strong, the nutty, clean flavor of the perilla oil momil paired well with it. Alternating between them meant I could keep eating without getting tired of either.

Its proximity to the station made it easy to stop by for a meal alone, and it had parking, high chairs, and an in-store restroom. The two dishes I had were a combination I would choose again when I wanted both nutty and sweet-and-tangy flavors.