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

- By Doyun (https://superchart.com/en/@gyeonggi-corner-bowl/)
- Written Sep 9, 2026
- Updated Sep 14, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jung-gu, Seoul
- Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@gyeonggi-corner-bowl/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/
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## In short

Tanbaek is a Korean noodle restaurant on Jeongdong-gil in Jung-gu, Seoul, right next to Jeongdong Theater. After viewing an exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Deoksugung branch, a walk-in visit past the lunch rush brought beef kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) for ₩14,000 and mushroom rice for ₩4,000, with a clear beef broth that was clean and free of any off flavors. Between the refined craft-filled space and the unfussy bowl, Tanbaek is the kind of place that comes to mind when you want a gentle, satisfying meal.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 37 Jeongdong-gil, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Seoul (next to Jeongdong Theater, 7-minute walk from City Hall Station Exit 12)
- **Hours**: Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-5pm (last order 8pm, closures announced separately on Naver)
- **Parking**: No parking support; nearby paid lots recommended (Ewha Jeongdong Building paid lot ₩4,000/hour)
- **Beef kalguksu**: ₩14,000
- **Mushroom rice**: ₩4,000
- **Seating**: 1st floor bar table, 2nd floor tables for 2-4 / group seating for up to 12 by combining tables
- **Reservations**: Naver Reservation or Catch Table recommended during peak hours

*as written by the visitor on Sep 9, 2026*

A refined table setting found on Jeongdong-gil.

![A bowl of Tanbaek's beef kalguksu](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-01-u3e07-1200.webp)
*Beef kalguksu, a Jeongdong-gil favorite*

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

![The Deoksugung stone wall path leading from City Hall Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-02-bgmyw-966.webp)

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's ivory exterior next to Jeongdong Theater](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-03-maeev-966.webp)
*A beef kalguksu favorite near Deoksugung*

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

![Sunlight streaming through Tanbaek's ground-floor picture window](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-04-6k7t2-966.webp)
*Sunlight filling the ground-floor picture window*

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.

![A view of Tanbaek's ground-floor interior](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-05-1hn2z-966.webp)

![The long dark wooden bar table](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-06-59ve5-966.webp)
*The stylish bar table*

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.

![A long light fixture running above the bar table](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-07-ahe28-966.webp)

![Interior lighting and seating details at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-08-101to-966.webp)

### 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.

![The metal staircase leading up to the 2nd floor, with the charred wooden beam](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-09-3kim8-966.webp)

![Tanbaek's 2nd floor space with larger tables](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-10-1hsun-966.webp)
*2nd floor interior*

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.

![An Isamu Noguchi lamp placed in the restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-11-b2zhb-966.webp)
*An Isamu Noguchi lamp*

![A hand-blown glass vase](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-12-lk1y5-966.webp)
*A hand-blown glass vase made by the Swedish glassworks Skruf*

![Tanbaek's ingredients placed atop a craft object](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-13-9exhn-966.webp)
*Tanbaek's ingredients displayed atop artist Jung Su-jeong's object*

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 corner of Tanbaek decorated with craft pieces](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-14-vfo9q-966.webp)

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

![Tanbaek's menu board listing kalguksu and side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-15-1x50z-966.webp)
*Tanbaek's menu board*

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

![Bangjayugi brass tableware set on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-16-1rkrr-966.webp)

![Fresh geotjeori kimchi served with the beef kalguksu](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-17-883vk-966.webp)
*Kimchi that pairs well with the beef kalguksu*

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.

![A full table of beef kalguksu and mushroom rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-18-h20qc-966.webp)
*Beef kalguksu and mushroom rice*

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.

![Clear beef kalguksu topped with meat garnish and scallions](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-19-1j8qd-966.webp)
*Beef kalguksu with a clean, savory flavor*

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.

![The soft noodle strands of the beef kalguksu](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-20-1rd6j-966.webp)

![Mushroom rice piled high with mushrooms](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-21-133t6-966.webp)
*Fragrant, texture-rich mushroom rice*

### 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.

![The table at Tanbaek after the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-22-tcn6f-966.webp)

![The pleasant Deoksugung stone wall path](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch/tanbaek-jeongdong-gom-kalguksu-lunch-23-1sfq3-966.webp)
*A pleasant walk along the stone wall path*

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.

## Where it is

- Tanbaek (탄백)
- 37 Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 중구 정동길 37
- 37.5659578, 126.9724678
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%83%84%EB%B0%B1/@37.5659578,126.9724678,17z

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