Wangsimni Station Exit 1 gomtang spot with garden windows: Geumnyeong

I was looking for a place in Wangsimni where I could have a proper, filling meal, and ended up at Geumnyeong Gomtang (금녕곰탕) :) With this chilly weather, I keep craving hot, soupy dishes, don't you?

Gomtang (beef bone soup) in particular isn't harsh or heavy-handed but still fills you up, so it's just right for lunch or dinner. This time I had the basic gomtang.

Geumnyeong Gomtang location and opening hours near Wangsimni Station

Geumnyeong Gomtang is a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Wangsimni Station, at 11 Wangsimni-ro 20-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. It is open Monday to Saturday, 10:30–22:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00.

• Address: 11 Wangsimni-ro 20-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Geumnyeong Gomtang)
• Hours: Mon–Sat 10:30–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Closed every Sunday

What is the atmosphere like at Geumnyeong Gomtang in Wangsimni?

The building is done in red brick with a wood-toned entrance door, so it feels a little different from your typical gomtang place.

Around the entrance there are green plants and colorful flowers, which gives it the feel of a little garden.

There were quite a few diners eating when I visited.

There are tables that seat 2 to 4 people, so it works for eating alone as well as with friends, family or coworkers.

A small garden through Geumnyeong Gomtang's big windows

I also loved the small garden you can see outside the window.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows you see a big tree, potted plants and outdoor tables, which makes the dining room feel extra cozy.

There is seating on the 2nd floor as well.

Geumnyeong Gomtang menu

Geumnyeong Gomtang is a gomtang specialist that emphasizes its restorative broth (jayang gangjang, 자양강장), simmered carefully every day with medicinal herbs.

According to the restaurant's introduction, it uses only top-grade 1++ Hanwoo (Korean beef). The line about preparing everything every day with the same standard and care, as if it were food for their own children, stuck with me. A big menu board hangs on the wall, so you can see everything at a glance.

There's a good range, from basic gomtang and minari (water dropwort) gomtang to rice noodles and mul-yukhoe (cold beef tartare in broth). The signature dishes are, of course, the gomtang and minari gomtang. The basic gomtang lets you enjoy rich Hanwoo flavor in warm broth, while the minari gomtang adds fragrant minari for a fresher taste.

If you prefer noodles to rice, the rice noodles and minari rice noodles are good choices: soft rice noodles piled with generous meat toppings, and the minari version adds that fragrant herb for a different charm, I'd guess. For something a bit special, there's also seasoned pollack salad (myeongtae-hoe-muchim) and mul-yukhoe. The mul-yukhoe can be ordered for 2 to 4 people, so it's good for sharing.

You can also add extra meat, sujji (beef tendon), rice noodles or steamed rice, and there are kimchi king dumplings and meat king dumplings too. With everything from full meals to dishes made for sharing, I thought it would work for solo meals, family dinners out or a weekday work lunch.

How does the basic gomtang at Geumnyeong Gomtang taste?

The basic gomtang comes in a brass bowl piled with chopped scallions, and unlike milky sagol (bone) broth, the soup is clear yet deep. The gomtang I ordered finally arrived :)

Hot gomtang came in a big brass bowl, heaped with sliced scallions, and it looked appetizing from the first glance. Underneath were generous chunks of Hanwoo beef, so it looked hearty just sitting there!

I started with a spoonful of the broth. Unlike thick, milky bone broth, it was clear but had real depth.

It was clean and savory without any greasiness, which I personally liked even more.

With so many scallions in it, the subtle scallion aroma blended nicely with the broth, which I loved. The Hanwoo in the gomtang was satisfying too. The big slices were more tender than I expected, so they were easy to eat.

Rice in the gomtang broth with a bite of kkakdugi

The rich broth soaks into the rice grains, and every spoonful is really good. Add a piece of kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and it's perfect! The crunchy, spicy kkakdugi against the mild gomtang meant I never got tired of it, right to the end.

There's no heavily seasoned, punchy flavoring, but that's the strength: you really taste the Hanwoo and the broth as they are!

After finishing the rich broth, tender Hanwoo and rice, I felt like I'd properly looked after myself with a real meal.

If you're looking for a filling yet clean-tasting meal, Geumnyeong Gomtang, a gomtang restaurant in Wangsimni, looks like a good choice.