Insadong date dinner with daechang bowl and soba: Insadong Jemyeonso

Cool soba and savory daechang rice bowl🤘🏻 the Insadong favorite 'Insadong Jemyeonso'

Why Insadong Jemyeonso for an after-work date near Anguk Station?

The weather's been so nice lately, so my boyfriend and I decided to go on a date near Anguk Station after a while. We've been to the Jeongdok Library side a lot already, so this time we wandered around Insadong instead! It's my daily commute route so you'd think I'd be sick of it, but somehow it feels totally different with my boyfriend around~?🫶🏻

We were both hungry right after work, so we headed straight to the restaurant. We visited 'Insadong Jemyeonso' inside Annyeong Insadong — my boyfriend loves soba, and I love daechang rice bowl, and this place happens to do both incredibly well👍🏻

Where is Insadong Jemyeonso, and what to pair it with in Insadong

You'll find Insadong Jemyeonso on the 3rd floor of Annyeong Insadong. After eating here on the 3rd floor, take a loop around — there's an Insaengnaecheot photo booth where you can snap a quiet, empty photo strip, browse the flea market on the 1st floor, and finish the night chatting under the lotus lanterns at Jogyesa Temple. A sweet little date course.

What's on the menu at Insadong Jemyeonso?

Insadong Jemyeonso, this Insadong favorite, has a really wide menu. It's exactly my kind of Japanese restaurant! From rice bowls to tonkatsu to soba — everything's great, honestly more than great.. 🧡

You choose and order directly at the table! It looked like a lot of people here order the karaage udon set, kimchi tonkatsu nabe, and tonkatsu udon set. Popular for a reason, they looked delicious, but we always go for our usual soba and rice bowl (honestly, there's not even a decision to make anymore — we always know)

Atmosphere and seating at Insadong Jemyeonso

The inside of Insadong Jemyeonso was clean, and the space between tables felt just right. I should come back for lunch with coworkers next time!

How were the daechang rice bowl, soba and karaage?

First up, my beloved daechang rice bowl. Its visual is basically violent — I should be scolded for what my lips are about to do to it🔥

Next came the tonkatsu & soba. Even though it's gotten a little chilly, soba.. is like a dish that's in season 365 days a year. Always right

We also ordered karaage as a side. The breading was so crispy!! The portion was generous too, and the seasoning and salt level were just right — delicious.

Soba and daechang rice bowl. How did I ever forget about you….

I'd almost forgotten after a few days, but writing this blog post made me crave it all over again TT_TT

Tonkatsu (pork cutlet)

No, nobody took a bite out of it ㅠㅠ the angle just looks a little suspicious in the photo — the portion was just right, the breading was thin and crispy, and the meat was thick. An excellent tonkatsu.

Daechang (beef intestine) rice bowl

The daechang was generous in size and full of juice and oil. I mixed it all up neatly, dabbed a little wasabi on the daechang, and took a bite. The oil bursting from the daechang seeps between the fluffy rice grains and just gets my mouth moving on its own. You could call it a natural lubricant.

Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)

The karaage came with curry powder on the side. A nice extra dip for when your palate needs a change of pace! Eat the karaage while it's hot. So delicious. It really pulled its weight as a side.

Buckwheat soba

The soba needed no words. Pairing soba with tonkatsu — there's just no words haha

Who is Insadong Jemyeonso best for?

If you work near Insadong or Jonggak Station, Insadong Jemyeonso — this Insadong favorite inside the clean Annyeong Insadong building — is a great spot for a quick lunch, or even a solo meal before heading home. It sounds like a predictable combo, soba & tonkatsu, but honestly, the predictable flavors are the scariest ones~><