Dumpling hot pot in Goyang: Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu

As the weather suddenly turned cool, I started craving a warm broth. My dad and I went to Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu near Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital!

Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch: location and hours

Hours / Parking available Daily 10:00–21:00 (Last order at 20:00)

We came because we wanted big dumplings in a warm broth, and the weather and our menu choice were such a perfect match. It got so chilly in the evening that I was really drawn to something warm.

We ordered the dumpling hot pot for two and added an extra serving of rice cakes. The hot pot already looked like plenty, but I love rice cakes in hot pot, so I added them. Rice cakes in hot pot become extra soft and tender, haha.

Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu menu: single servings available

You can even order a single serving of Gaeseong handmade dumpling hot pot. Usually hot pot requires at least two people, but you can still have a delicious handmade dumpling hot pot when you come alone!!

Takeout is available for two or more servings!! Haha, next time I go, I’m taking home steamed dumplings ㅠㅠ I’m still thinking about them. The wrappers were thin and the filling was seriously packed in.

The side dishes were kimchi and danmuji (pickled yellow radish), haha—nice and standard, right?? But the kimchi was truly the secret weapon. I’m someone who likes very well-fermented kimchi, but even though this kimchi wasn’t aged, I kept reaching for it. It went so well with the dumplings, too.

Dumpling hot pot for two with extra rice cakes

A hot pot with vegetables and big dumplings

The hot pot arrived. It had plenty of bean sprouts, kabocha squash, bok choy, mushrooms, and more. I also love wrapping mushrooms in bok choy, dipping them in sauce, and eating them that way. I liked that there were lots of bean sprouts. Once the broth boiled and the sprouts softened a little, they were great to eat with the broth, and there was just the right amount of bok choy, so I could enjoy the vegetables evenly too.

The hot pot contained three kimchi dumplings and three meat dumplings. Along with kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), you get one steamed dumpling of each flavor. So when two people go, each person gets four dumplings, haha. I had the kimchi steamed dumpling, while my dad, who’s on team meat, had the meat one. Just four dumplings per person is seriously filling. They’re that big, haha. This dumpling lover was so happy.

I took this to show you how packed the filling is and that there are no glass noodles. I’m not really a fan of glass noodles... I like dumplings full of filling without them, and Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu’s dumplings are really substantial.

I plated a little of everything because I wanted to show the dumpling filling and the other ingredients. Even while writing this, I’m thinking about it and starting to drool. The kabocha was sliced thinly, so its texture worked well with the bok choy, napa cabbage, and dumplings.

I cut up the long napa cabbage, too ^^ Can you see the enoki and pine mushrooms? Haha, wrap those in cabbage and dip them in the sauce, and you get that warm, chewy texture just right.

Once we’d eaten most of the dumplings, we added the kalguksu noodles. The smell as it boiled was amazing. The broth was not too strongly seasoned, but it wasn’t bland either, so both my dad and I kept reaching for more. A dumpling, a sip of broth, some vegetables, then another sip of broth—it was naturally the kind of flavor that kept us eating.

A cozy restaurant atmosphere

It’s a restaurant with a cozy, familiar atmosphere. When we went, it was a close call, haha—my dad and I were almost the last customers.

You can tell the kitchen is clean, too.

Since we visited on a day when the weather had turned cool, the warm dumpling hot pot broth was even more welcome. The restaurant felt friendly, and the owner gave us a warm welcome too ^^ There’s been another wave of colds going around lately, right? ㅠㅠ I think lots of people may be heading to the hospital. How about building up your strength with a warm dumpling hot pot? ♡ It’s more convenient to drive around Dongguk University Hospital, and parking is easy at Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch, so stop by for a warm meal ♡