Korean beef motsunabe at a Hongdae izakaya: Hongdae Gonggam

Where is Hongdae Gonggam?

Hongdae Gonggam is an izakaya on the 2nd floor of 10 Wausan-ro 17-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Sangsu Station Exit 1. Last week I went looking for a Hongdae izakaya I hadn't tried in a while and ended up at Hongdae Gonggam.

Hongdae Gonggam Izakaya

It really was just a 5-minute walk from Sangsu Station Exit 1. We got hungry early so we timed it to arrive right at opening!!

True to a Hongdae izakaya, the moment you walk in you get a strong Japanese vibe. The interior was pretty spacious.

How many people fit in Hongdae Gonggam's private rooms?

Down the corridor inside Hongdae Gonggam there are 4-person and 6-person private rooms. Apparently you can book a room by selecting the room option when you make a Naver reservation!

Walking down the corridor, there was a proper private room. It seemed great for casually drinking and chatting with friends, and also fine for gatherings or dates when you want a slightly quieter space!

Hongdae tends to be crowded and noisy in a lot of places, so having separate rooms like this meant we could spend our time a bit more comfortably :)

The seats were really cozy. We were hungry so we ordered as soon as we sat down~

What's on the menu at Hongdae Gonggam?

I liked that Izakaya Gonggam has such a wide range of menu choices! From sashimi to izakaya classics like motsunabe (offal hot pot), there was also a good variety of fried, grilled, and stir-fried dishes perfect for drinking snacks.

There were so many menu items that we spent a good while deciding what to eat — if you're visiting with a group, it seems like a great idea for everyone to pick something different and share haha

After much deliberation, we ended up ordering Korean beef motsunabe, an assorted sashimi platter, and chili shrimp that day 🍶

Korean beef motsunabe with added udon noodles

Korean beef motsunabe

With the temperature swings lately, I was craving hot broth so we ordered motsunabe. Seeing that milky broth made me want udon noodles too, so we added those as well haha

It's a dish that simmers away and stays warm, which suited these slightly cool evenings especially well these days. I tried the broth first and it had a deep, rich flavor that made it a great pairing with drinks.

There were also chunks of gopchang (beef intestines) mixed in throughout, which were chewy and savory alongside the broth.

Moriawase assorted sashimi platter

And the second dish that came out — the assorted sashimi! Several kinds of sashimi arranged beautifully on one plate, and it looked pretty appetizing too. With such a variety, there was fun in picking out each type, and the fish overall was fresh and made for clean, light eating.

You really can't skip sashimi at an izakaya haha

If motsunabe was the warm, rich dish, sashimi was the clean side to pair with it, and the two went really well together 🍶 With four hungry adult men and women, though, these dishes weren't nearly enough,, so we ordered chili shrimp on top of that.

Chili shrimp at Hongdae Gonggam

Plump shrimp came out generously coated in a sweet and spicy chili sauce, and it looked delicious right from the start! The shrimp were firm with a good bite, and the sauce wasn't too spicy while still being sweet, making it a great match for drinks. After eating clean dishes like sashimi, popping a chili shrimp in between felt like a totally different experience, and I kept reaching for more haha

What kind of gathering suits Hongdae Gonggam?

Overall, the menu variety and the food quality made this a great spot for a relaxed drink with friends after a while apart! With the private rooms, it also seems like a good choice for a gathering or a date, and if you're looking for a good-vibe izakaya in Hongdae, it's worth a visit :) We had a great time that night with delicious food, plenty of conversation, and a good drink 🍶🤍