Gangnam Station dim sum lunch: xiaolongbao and eggplant, Namsogwan

Picking a lunch spot in Gangnam is oddly stressful. It's a neighborhood full of office workers, so most restaurants get packed at lunchtime, and sometimes you crave something other than the usual Korean food or gukbap. That day I was craving dim sum and Chinese food, so I headed to Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon. Here's a look at this Gangnam Station dim sum spot with great fried eggplant, good for lunch or dinner.

What kind of place is Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon near Gangnam Station?

Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon is a dim sum and Chinese restaurant at 19 Teheran-ro 1-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. From outside, the English sign reading "Namsogwan" and the deep green exterior catch your eye first. The vibe is pretty different from what you'd usually picture as a Chinese restaurant.

Right at the entrance, there's a large menu photo posted.

Inside Namsogwan: wood, brick and chandeliers

Walking in, the interior was even more striking than the exterior. Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon is the kind of place where just taking in the atmosphere is part of the fun. The interior uses a lot of wood and brick, topped off with a chandelier and vintage lighting.

One corner has an old-looking wooden plaque and ceramics on display, and for a moment I felt like I'd stepped into a restaurant from a Hong Kong or Chinese movie. The deep green sofas and wooden tables fit right in.

These days Gangnam Station has plenty of clean, modern restaurants, but a place with this much distinct character is fun to photograph too. There's a second floor as well, so there's actually a decent number of seats.

Tablet ordering and menu prices at Namsogwan

As the name "U Yuk Dosakmyeon" (beef knife-cut noodles) suggests, there are noodle dishes here, but you can also enjoy dim sum and a variety of Chinese dishes together. Each table has a tablet for ordering, so I could browse the menu slowly and order without calling a staff member over.

One of the dishes I ordered that day was xiaolongbao. The price was ₩9,800, as shown.

On the tablet, Terra beer was ₩5,000. Beers like Tsingtao and Harbin were also available. A dish like fried eggplant seemed like it would pair well with beer, which made me think it'd be nice to come back in the evening.

I visited for weekend lunch, but looking at the menu, it seemed like a good fit for dinner too. In fact, the in-store signage mentioned that extra dishes had been added that pair well with evening beer or baijiu. I especially liked that you could try dim sum made in-house.

Xiaolongbao: soup dumplings worth the careful bite

The dim sum arrived first! Placing one plump dumpling on a spoon, the skin looked smooth and nicely shaped. Rather than popping it in your mouth all at once, it's more fun to let it cool a little and eat it along with the broth inside.

Adding a dim sum dish alongside the other food made the meal feel like a proper Chinese feast rather than just one dish. If you're visiting with a group, ordering a variety to share sounds like a great idea.

Best dish of the day: Namsogwan's fried eggplant

And the dish that was especially delicious that day was the fried eggplant. I think eggplant is an ingredient that splits opinion depending on how it's cooked. Some people don't love eggplant because of its mushy texture, but fried, it's a different story entirely.

Namsogwan's fried eggplant comes out as big chunks fried up and coated in a glossy sauce. Just from the photo you can tell the batter is properly coated in sauce.

With carrot and scallion mixed in and black sesame sprinkled on top, it looked appetizing too. The outside kept its crisp fried texture while the inside stayed soft in that distinctly eggplant way.

The sweet, savory sauce combined with the fried eggplant was pretty addictive. If I had to pick one dish from that day that I keep thinking back to, it would be the fried eggplant.

The side dishes that come with the meal

The basic side dishes that came out paired well with the Chinese food too. There were peanuts, easy to pick at, and a crunchy vegetable side dish that kept my hand reaching over even before the food arrived.

They were also good to snack on in between bites of dim sum and fried dishes.

Lunch or dinner: when is the best time to visit Namsogwan?

If you're looking for a lunch spot near Gangnam Station, this is a good place to come for beef noodles or knife-cut noodles, and also great for ordering a variety of dim sum and dishes to share.

The distinct atmosphere makes it especially good for when you want something a bit different from an ordinary lunch. Come for a Gangnam lunch favorite during the day, then return in the evening for dim sum, fried eggplant, and a beer.

If you want to try house-made dim sum, or you've been looking for a spot with great fried eggplant near Gangnam Station, keep Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon in mind.

Next time I visit, I think I'll order the xiaolongbao and fried eggplant again. The fried eggplant especially is a dish worth not missing if you like eggplant.