Jongak Station dumpling hot pot with two broths: Jongga Mandu

A Jongno 3-ga must-visit, a Jongak Station mandu hot pot spot, a Jongno 3-ga Station mandu hot pot restaurant — Jongga Mandu (종가만두). You have to visit 😋

Jongga Mandu hours, parking and seating

• ⏰ Mon–Sat 11:00–21:30 (break 15:30–17:00 / last order 14:30, 20:30), Sun 11:00–16:00 (last order 15:00)
• 📣 Reservations available, free corkage, group-friendly, Wi-Fi, takeout, separate men's/women's restrooms, high chairs, wheelchair-accessible entrance and seating, no pets allowed
• 🍽 Seating: single seats, groups (up to 20), table seating
• 💳 Simple pay, Zero Pay, local currency (card)
• 🅿️ Paid parking available — first 60 min ₩6,000, additional ₩1,000 per 10 min, max ₩200,000
• *Nearby alternative parking: Nice Park Jongno Sejong Parking Lot (40m from the restaurant)

Meeting an old friend over hot pot at Jongga Mandu

Today's story! ♥ Ta-da~~ Looks delicious, right? ♥ These days, with the cool breeze picking up and the big swings between day and night temperatures, all I can think about is a warm, refreshing soup dish. I met up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while and we went to Jongga Mandu, a mandu (dumpling) hot pot specialist that's both a Jongno 3-ga Station and Jongak Station must-visit.

Jongga Mandu is also close to Ikseon-dong, Cheonggyecheon, and Euljiro (Hipjiro), so it's really convenient to stop by as part of an outing or date course.

Living up to its reputation as a well-known Jongno 3-ga spot, as soon as I walked in I noticed a sign explaining that they carry on the care of the palace-style dumplings their mother used to make. Apparently they've hand-pleated over 2 million dumplings over 7 years, filling them fresh every morning with meat and vegetables — my expectations were sky-high before I even took a bite. Being a self-proclaimed dumpling killer, I made sure to inspect everything closely haha.

How to get to Jongga Mandu: 311m from Exit 15, Jongno 3-ga Station

♥Off to Jongga Mandu♥ It's located 311 meters from Exit 15 of Jongno 3-ga Station.

• 🚇 Jongno 3-ga Station (5 min walk): Take Exit 15, walk 170m, then turn left at Isaac Toast Jongno 3-ga branch and walk 140m
• Euljiro 3-ga Station (6 min walk): Exit 4, cross the Irettul crosswalk, turn left at Cheonggye 3-ga, then right at Cheonggye Plaza
• Insadong (7 min walk): head toward the Tapgol Park intersection
• Jongak Station (10 min walk): Exit 4, cross the crosswalk at Daiso Jongno flagship store
• Ikseon-dong (10 min walk): toward Exit 15 of Jongno 3-ga Station, turn left at Isaac Toast Jongno 3-ga branch

Great location for getting around before or after a meal! Super accessible!

What Jongga Mandu looks like from the street

There's a waiting area, just like you'd expect from a popular spot. Even though it wasn't peak mealtime, there were quite a lot of customers. Definitely a Jongno 3-ga must-visit^^

Traces of the waiting line from just before! I was so hungry I felt dizzy. We practically ran inside haha.

Dumplings folded in-house and the self-serve side dish corner

As soon as you walk in, you'll see them pleating dumplings on the left 👍 The wrappers are rolled super thin, and the filling is packed to the brim 👍 They work so fast 👍👍👍

Extra side dishes are self-serve. It's easier to just grab them yourself haha. The self-serve corner is really clean!

Ordering the split-broth mandu hot pot for two, plus rice

We ordered the split-broth mandu hot pot so we could taste both broths at once. I thought about adding more dumplings, but I really wanted rice, so we got a bowl of that too^^ ⬇️⬇️⬇️

• Split-broth mandu hot pot ₩14,000 × 2
• Rice ₩1,000

Order complete!!

You can just tell by looking at the dumplings, you know? Haha, I thought right away — these are going to be good.

Clear broth vs spicy broth: how does the split taste?

😋 The mild clear broth — made with a seafood base, so the soup was really clean with a deep, subtle umami flavor. There's nothing sharp or overpowering about it, and I kept going back for more because of how mild and comforting it was haha.

😋 The spicy clear-hot broth — refreshing and spicy enough to clear your head. Amazing as a meal on its own, but honestly the kind of soup that would be perfect with a drink or for curing a hangover.

The moment the hot pot arrived, I was struck again by how generous the portions looked — big handmade dumplings, plenty of fresh vegetables and mushrooms, and a good amount of beef too. I immediately understood why it's ranked among the best Jongno 3-ga restaurants!

What impressed me most was that even though the dumplings were packed full of filling, they weren't overly greasy — they were clean and left my stomach feeling comfortable afterward. It tasted like the dumplings my mom used to make^^

Adding the free kalguksu noodles, then stirring in rice

As the hot pot was nearly finished, we added the kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) noodles that come included as standard, then poured rice into the broth to finish it off completely. Being able to enjoy handmade dumplings, vegetables, beef, and noodles almost like a full course made it an amazing value👍

As a side, they also have crispy fried raw dumplings mashed up and mixed into a spicy-tangy sauce for bibim kalguksu (mixed noodles), as well as a spicy beef-brisket mandu hot pot loaded with savory chadolbagi (thinly sliced beef brisket) — I'm already planning to try those on my next visit. I've made a firm decision haha.

The verdict on Jongga Mandu in one line

I'd strongly recommend it for a proper family meal out with parents, or as a spot for a date or a gathering with friends in Jongno~

If you're looking for a real Jongak Station mandu hot pot, or a genuine Jongno 3-ga must-visit, make sure to stop by Jongga Mandu and try the generous, warming mandu hot pot! ❤️Jongga Mandu❤️