Sujuk hot pot with beef tendon and mandu at Okdengjang, Seongnam

I went to a Korean restaurant near Seohyeon Station. As a Seongnam local, I was pretty excited — instead of the usual places you see around here, a lot of spots with fresh, delicious, distinctive menus have been popping up, so it's fun to go exploring.

Today I'm introducing a Korean restaurant that nails what Korean palates crave — doenjang (soybean paste) hot pot, boiled pork hot pot, minari (water dropwort) pancake and more — Okdengjang, a Seohyeon Station favorite!

• ⏰ Open daily 11:00–01:00
• 🚻 Separate restrooms for men/women
• 🌟 Group seating available, Wi-Fi, takeout

A 10-minute walk from Seohyeon Station, with a hanok-style exterior

Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch sits on the first floor of its building, about a 10-minute walk from Seohyeon Station, so it's easy to find. The exterior has a bit of a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel to it, which gives off strong Korean-restaurant vibes right away :)

They also run a lunch special on the doenjang hot pot at a good price, so it looked like a great option for people working nearby who want a solid lunch.

A spacious, clean interior

The inside of Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch was surprisingly spacious. With a hint of hanok atmosphere and a clean overall look, it left a great first impression. They even have detailed instructions posted on how to best enjoy the doenjang and boiled pork hot pots, so check those out haha.

Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch menu

True to its name, Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch's signature dish is the doenjang hot pot, so definitely try one. You can add toppings to your taste, and the broth gets refilled continuously, so you can have a filling, savory, richly seasoned meal.

Full menu

What I ordered — Assorted boiled pork hot pot / Minari-snail pancake / 3 Pyongyang-style hand-made mandu

Assorted boiled pork hot pot, with chewy beef tendon

I ordered the assorted boiled pork hot pot, the minari-snail pancake, and three Pyongyang-style hand-made mandu (dumplings). Of everything I ordered at Okdengjang, the one I was most excited about was the signature assorted boiled pork hot pot! I went with the version loaded with beef tendon, which has a great chewy texture, and plenty of boiled pork.

It was clean and refreshing, and just so delicious. The boiled pork was piled on generously too, which made it taste even better! The tendon added a chewy texture and there was a lot of it, so I could eat my fill.

And at Okdengjang, instead of regular kimchi, you get kimchi-jjim (braised kimchi) style kimchi, which was a real delicacy.

Minari-snail pancake, an unexpected twist

The minari-snail pancake was a dish I really didn't expect much from, but it turned out to be so delicious it surprised me. It was loaded with freshwater snails and let the minari's aroma really shine through.

There were so many snails packed in that you could taste the ocean through them, and combined with the fragrant minari, the flavor was doubled! It was also fried up nice and crispy, which made it even better.

Pyongyang-style hand-made mandu, dipped into the hot pot broth

The mandu (dumplings) were also chunky and delicious! Full of juice inside, thin skins, and a generous amount of meat. Dipping them briefly into the boiled pork hot pot broth made them taste even better!

Final thoughts

If you're looking for a good Korean restaurant near Seohyeon Station, want a filling yet good-value lunch at a solid spot, or want a hot pot for a hangover cure or a good drinking dish, give Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch a try.

A clean-tasting assorted boiled pork hot pot, a fantastic minari pancake side dish, and a spacious, tidy dining room — this place really has everything you'd want in a good restaurant haha.