Solo lunch after Deoksugung art exhibit: beef kalguksu at Tanbaek, Jung-gu

A refined table setting found on Jeongdong-gil.

Jeongdong-gil is a neighborhood where you can watch the seasons change at a glance. Near this street, where traces of enlightenment-era modern culture cross paths with weighty history, big art exhibitions have been happening lately, and I find myself coming here often.

That day too I came to the neighborhood to see the Lee Dae-won retrospective at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Deoksugung branch, and ended up visiting Tanbaek for lunch. I chose it because it seemed like the perfect spot for a clean, unfussy bowl to fill my stomach happily, so here's my honest review of Tanbaek.

Tanbaek's location and hours: finding it along Jeongdong-gil

I came out of Exit 12 at City Hall Station and walked straight along the Deoksugung stone wall path. Just walking here felt good — a serene, old-fashioned neighborhood. The weather was nice that day too, so lots of people were out on the street.

Tanbaek appears after about a 7-minute walk up the stone wall path. Next to Jeongdong Theater, its ivory two-story exterior and Chinese-character signboard stand out, so it's easy to find even on a first visit. Given the neighborhood, there's no parking at the restaurant itself, so you'll need to use a nearby paid lot.

I visited as a walk-in after the lunch peak had passed, but during busy lunch and dinner hours, it seems better to reserve ahead through Naver Reservation or Catch Table.

• 📍 Location: 37 Jeongdong-gil, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Seoul
• ⏰ Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-5pm (last order 8pm / closures announced separately on Naver)
• 🚗 Parking: nearby paid lots recommended (no parking support) - Ewha Jeongdong Building paid lot ₩4,000/hour

The elegance of craftwork: an interior to enjoy with your eyes

The name 'Tanbaek' uses characters meaning 'even/flat' (坦) and 'white' (白), embodying the idea of serving honest food made with clean, good ingredients — I found it striking that the restaurant's philosophy is right there in its name.

Warm sunlight pouring through the picture windows and the atmosphere of the stone wall outside — Tanbaek captured both. I loved the cozy feeling the moment I walked in.

What made the space stand out most was the long bar table — the harmony between the dark wooden table and the long light fixture running above it was striking in particular.

It looked so stylish that I asked about it, and I was told it's the work of ceramic artist Seo Hee-su, commissioned specially because its elongated shape resembles kalguksu noodle strands.

From the 1st floor bar table to the 2nd floor group seating

The restaurant is divided into a 1st floor space with the bar table and a 2nd floor space with larger tables. Climbing the metal staircase, the first thing I noticed was a charred wooden beam discovered during remodeling — its unique traces paired beautifully with the name Tanbaek.

There were tables for 2 and 4, and up to 12 seats could be combined for group seating, so it seems like a good spot for a comfortable group meal from a nearby office too.

What made this space feel more refined than other restaurants was the way works by various Korean craft artists were woven into every corner — beyond the food, it was a great reference point for space styling too.

A deep, clean broth and mushroom aroma: reviewing Tanbaek's menu

The menu consisted of kalguksu as the main dish plus side dishes, and I ordered the signature beef kalguksu along with the mushroom rice, which had good reviews.

What I ordered and the prices

• Beef kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) - ₩14,000
• Mushroom rice - ₩4,000

Neatly arranged bangjayugi (traditional brass tableware). While I was fiddling with it, enjoying its texture, a mouth-watering kimchi arrived — fresh geotjeori kimchi with a clean flavor, perfect alongside the beef soup.

Finally, the main dishes arrived: beef kalguksu and mushroom rice. The kalguksu wasn't the milky broth most people picture — instead it was a clear soup topped neatly with meat garnish and scallions, which turned out to be a modern take on a classic kalguksu recipe recorded in the Joseon dynasty.

The broth for the beef kalguksu is made with Korean beef stock and torem (a traditional pouring-and-reheating technique), topped with meat garnish — tasting it, the clean umami without any off flavors was striking. The noodles were soft too, and eating the whole bowl felt light on the stomach, which made me think it'd be a great spot to bring older family members.

Don't skip the mushroom rice

The mushroom rice arrived piled high like a mound — half rice, half mushrooms, packed full — meant to be mixed with the seasoning sauce served alongside.

The mushrooms' distinct aroma was so good that it was tasty even without mixing in the soy sauce, mild and pleasant, and it also worked well spooned into the clear kalguksu broth. The mushroom rice is a real standout, so I'd recommend ordering it alongside the kalguksu without fail.

If you want a thoughtfully made meal in a space that captures the calm atmosphere unique to Jeongdong-gil, Tanbaek near Deoksugung is the place that will come to mind.