Pot rice restaurant at Gardenfive: sea bream & cold soba sets, Gomemui

It had been a while since I'd headed out to Gardenfive, and I wasn't sure where to eat, so I decided to try a popular spot! It's Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive (고메무이 현대가든파이브점), which serves carefully cooked pot rice and neat Japanese home-style food. I ordered the spring greens wild sea bream pot rice and the cold soba, each as a tonkatsu set. The place was packed with customers, and I'll tell you why it's so popular! 🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

Where is Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive?

Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive is on B1 of Hyundai City Mall Gardenfive, 66 Chungmin-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Parking is free for 4 hours, and it's open 10:30–20:30.

What we ordered at Gomemui

Gomemui's menu was really varied! After a lot of agonizing, this is what we ordered.

• Spring greens wild sea bream pot rice tonkatsu set
• Cold soba tonkatsu set

How do you eat the spring greens sea bream pot rice?

Gomemui's spring greens wild sea bream pot rice (solbap) came with spring greens and a whole grilled sea bream sitting on top of the rice.

You move the rice into the empty bowl served on the side, break up the sea bream, and mix it evenly with the rice and sauce. It was a fun way to eat 🐟 And you fill the empty pot with hot water to have as nurungji tea (sungnyung, scorched rice tea) at the end!

The mild, clean flavor of the sea bream blended with the fragrance of the spring greens, and I kept reaching for my spoon.

The sea bream was thick and had no bones, so it was easy to eat!

After finishing the rice, I could wrap up with the sungnyung from the hot water poured into the pot. I was impressed that the pot rice is set up so you can enjoy it right to the very end.

Pot rice sides: the mentaiko is my favorite

The sides that came with the sea bream pot rice were clear soup, mentaiko (spicy pollock roe), salted squid and mustard leaf kimchi. The sides were special too, and it was great fun putting them on top of the rice, but my favorite was the mentaiko. Salty and popping, it went so well with the mild rice and sea bream 🐟💙

And afterwards... I bought some mentaiko 🤗

How is Gomemui's cold soba?

Gomemui's cold soba (buckwheat noodles) had a generous amount of noodles, which were springy, and a little ice floating in the broth kept it refreshingly cold. I stirred the wasabi and grated radish into the broth and drank it together, which gave a sharp but clean taste. It was topped with fried tofu, seaweed, cabbage and scallions, so every bite had a different texture.

The portion was generous and filling too!

The yuja danmuji (citron pickled radish) served with the soba was a stroke of genius!

The cold soba was so good! I'm sad summer is leaving..

Is the tonkatsu set good for eating with kids?

We ordered both the sea bream pot rice and the cold soba as tonkatsu sets, so mini tonkatsu came with them. The sauce is served separately, so kids can dip it however they like, and eating it with the main dish made the meal even more filling.

Is Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive busy?

Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive is a large restaurant with lots of tables, yet it was packed with customers when we visited. Gardenfive has plenty of good restaurants, but you can really feel how solid this one's standing is.

Overall verdict

Even a single pot of rice comes with careful thought about how to eat it, and the springy cold soba too: both dishes were clearly satisfying. Even with a child, the tonkatsu set meant no agonizing over the menu and a filling meal. If you're looking for a good Japanese restaurant at Gardenfive, I recommend Gomemui.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best way to eat the sea bream pot rice?

Move it into the empty bowl, break up the sea bream, and mix it evenly with the rice and sauce. After you finish, pour hot water into the pot and you can enjoy it as sungnyung too.

Is it good to go with kids?

Yes, if you order the tonkatsu set, mini tonkatsu comes with it, so it's easy for kids to eat.

What's in the cold soba?

The cold soba comes topped with fried tofu, seaweed, cabbage and scallions, with springy noodles and a little ice for a refreshing chill.

Is it popular?

Yes, even though the restaurant is large, it was full of customers when we visited.

📌 If you're looking for a good restaurant at Gardenfive, I recommend Gomemui Hyundai Gardenfive. The sea bream pot rice made with such care and the springy cold soba made for a satisfying meal!