Siksa-dong dumpling restaurant: ₩12,000 half-and-half hot pot, Arirang

This is a story about a hearty half-and-half mandu hot pot lunch at Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch (아리랑 개성손만두 식사점) in Siksa-dong, Ilsan. I hadn't eaten dumplings in a while, and then one day they suddenly popped into my head.

As a total dumpling killer who can never walk past mandu (dumplings), I went to Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch for lunch with my husband. I was craving a hot pot with steaming broth and lots of big hand-made dumplings, and it turned out even more satisfying than I expected. If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Siksa-dong or wondering what to eat for lunch there, it's worth a stop.

Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch exterior: is it easy to find?

The restaurant sits right on the road, so it's easy to find, and the huge sign caught my eye from far away. Signature dishes like hand-made dumpling hot pot, steamed dumplings and Gaeseong hand-cut noodle soup (kalguksu) are written large on the sign, so you can see what they serve at a glance.

Location, hours and parking

• Address: 81-1 Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea (1st floor)
• Hours: daily 10:00–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Amenities: group seating, takeout, delivery, visit orders/catering
• Parking: available

The restaurant is close to Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, so it's easy to find. There are parking spaces in front, which made coming by car easy.

When you hunt for a place to eat in Ilsandong-gu, parking is often a hassle, but here it was no trouble at all.

Lunchtime interior and self-service bar

It was lunchtime and the restaurant was busy, but the tables were spaced widely enough that it didn't feel cramped. Families, office workers and people with kids were all eating, and tables turned over quickly, so we didn't wait long.

There's also a self-service bar, so you can help yourself to any side dishes you need.

Half-and-half mandu hot pot price and how to order

You order at a kiosk here, and it was easy to do.

What we ordered was the half-and-half mandu hot pot, ₩12,000 per person (orders for 2 or more). What I liked most was that "half-and-half" means you get to try both meat dumplings and kimchi dumplings. For a dumpling lover like me, it was a no-brainer.

The mandu hot pot spread: what comes out?

The basic side dishes are just kimchi and pickled radish, a simple lineup, but it goes well with dumplings.

Soon the hot pot arrived, and it looked generous just sitting there. It was loaded with big hand-made dumplings, bean sprouts, bok choy and mushrooms, and a savory aroma rose from the clear broth, so I couldn't wait for it to come to a boil.

Kalguksu noodles came out separately while the hot pot was boiling, so we could keep eating happily right to the end.

How were the meat and kimchi dumplings?

My way of enjoying dumplings is to mix up a chili soy sauce for dipping.

From the half-and-half hot pot I tried the meat dumpling first. The wrapper was thin yet chewy, and the filling was full of juice, so the first bite was wonderfully moist.

The kimchi dumpling wasn't strongly spicy, just pleasantly kick-y, and it went well with the mild broth.

Alternating between the two, I never got tired of them and enjoyed it to the very end.

The broth is the clean, not-too-strong kind, so it lets the dumplings' own flavor shine, and eating it with the bean sprouts and vegetables made it even more refreshing.

Finishing with kalguksu noodles

At the end I added the kalguksu noodles and boiled them, and they had a different charm from the hot pot itself. The noodles soaked up the broth and were chewy, so even though I was full, I ate every last bit.

Verdict: is Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu a good Siksa-dong lunch?

I suddenly craved dumplings after a long time and visited Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch, and it was a properly satisfying lunch. With big hand-made dumplings, a refreshing broth and kalguksu to follow, it was more than enough for a meal.

On a day when you want a hearty soup dish and are looking for Korean food in Siksa-dong, it's an easy place to visit. It also suits anyone searching for a family meal out or a weekend lunch spot for Ilsan's Siksa-dong, and if you're craving warm broth and hand-made dumplings, Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch is worth a visit.