Euljiro 3-ga dumpling hot pot in dried pollack broth: Jongga Mandu

They say there are people who've gone all-in on hot pot and shabu-shabu these days. That's me. I honestly can't count how many times I ate hot pot or shabu-shabu this June alone... and I never get sick of it, it's delicious, it's new every time. I'm going to taste every hidden hot pot and shabu-shabu spot in Korea! This time it's the clear dumpling hot pot at Jongga Mandu (종가만두), a Jongno 3-ga favorite!

Where is Jongga Mandu and what are its hours?

Jongga Mandu is at 88 Supyo-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 15 or Euljiro 3-ga Station Exits 2 and 4. It's open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 21:30 with a break from 15:30 to 17:00, and on Sundays from 11:00 to 16:00 (no break). Naver group reservations are also possible (6–20 people).

I came out of Exit 2 at Euljiro 3-ga Station (Line 2) and walked to Jongga Mandu, which took about 5 minutes, I think. It's almost a straight line, so it wasn't hard to find at all!

Seating and atmosphere at Jongga Mandu

Walk inside Jongga Mandu and there are quite a lot of seats! It's bright and kept clean, so the first impression was really pleasant. There are tables for 2, tables for 4, and spots where tables can be pushed together into a long one, so whether you come as 2, 4, or a big group, you're fine! Naver group reservations apparently work for a minimum of 6 and up to 20 people, so I could see it being popular for lunch gatherings with coworkers nearby or family get-togethers.

Jongga Mandu clear hot pot: price and ordering

What we ordered at Jongga Mandu was clear hot pot (맑은전골) for 2: ₩13,000 × 2 = ₩26,000.

Sitting down and looking at the menu, of course the hot pots take the main spot, as you'd expect from a dumpling specialist. We were craving a clean, mild broth, so we picked the clear hot pot without a second thought! At ₩13,000 per person, the price feels pretty reasonable given prices these days.

Kimchi, pickled radish and self-serve refills

The side dishes at Jongga Mandu are just kimchi and pickled radish (danmuji), simple but not lacking, and if you want more, use the self-serve bar! When I'm eating dumplings, nothing else matters as long as the spicy, geotjeori-style (fresh, unfermented) kimchi and the crunchy pickled radish are good, and this place's kimchi is a total little devil. It's pleasantly spicy and refreshing, and it goes perfectly with the mild flavor of the dumplings!

What comes in the clear dumpling hot pot for 2?

After a short wait, the clear dumpling hot pot for 2 arrived. It was such a table-bending, hearty sight that I felt full before even eating, haha

Fresh vegetables and meat were piled up like a mountain. Napa cabbage, bok choy, mung bean sprouts, and all kinds of mushrooms like oyster and enoki were spread out generously, almost overflowing, with glistening bright-red beef laid on top.

8 giant handmade dumplings, made in-house

The clear dumpling hot pot for 2 at Jongga Mandu came with 8 handmade giant dumplings: 4 kimchi mandu and 4 meat mandu. And what caught my eye most was the handmade giant dumplings!!! They say they fold them in the shop themselves, and the round, smooth look was cute, like a baby's bottom. I thought they'd be small, but they were pretty hefty and filling. I could probably get full on the dumplings alone; the owner is seriously as generous as the Pacific Ocean.

How does Jongga Mandu's dried pollack broth taste?

The secret of the clear dumpling hot pot broth at Jongga Mandu is hwangtae (dried pollack). Now it was time to put all the vegetables, meat, and dumplings into the pot and bring it to a bubbling boil! It's a deep, refreshing clear hot pot, with a mild secret hwangtae broth plus assorted vegetables, mushrooms, and beef, and the longer it boils, the richer it gets.

I took a big spoonful and tasted the broth first, and wow... even though I didn't drink last night, the hangover-cure feeling of my stomach settling was no joke. It wasn't a harsh seasoning flavor; the natural vegetable stock and the deep savoriness of hwangtae blended together, and it was an irresistible taste that just kept going down!

Meat vs. kimchi dumplings: how do they differ?

The meat mandu at Jongga Mandu was packed tight with meat and vegetables inside a thin wrapper. After eating some well-cooked meat and veggies, I moved today's stars, the handmade dumplings, onto my small plate. First I split a meat mandu with my spoon, and the juices came streaming out. The moment I put it in my mouth, a mild, nutty meat flavor filled my whole mouth, and I couldn't help but exclaim!

Next, the kimchi mandu at Jongga Mandu was slightly spicy, with a great crunchy kimchi texture. The heat was clean, never too spicy or too sour, so the balance with the clear broth was fantastic.

Finishing the dumpling hot pot with kalguksu noodles

Round two of the clear dumpling hot pot at Jongga Mandu is the kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) add-on. After you've fished out and eaten the dumplings, it's a shame to let this delicious broth go, so you drop in the kalguksu noodles and start round two. (Skipping kalguksu after hot pot is a crime!) The flour starch loosens into the broth and the clear soup turns thick, which is its own treat.

Put a piece of this place's cheat code, the spicy kimchi, on the chewy, well-cooked kalguksu noodles and slurp them down, and even when you feel like you'll burst, you keep going endlessly. Only after scraping up every last strand of noodle was the meal finally, satisfyingly over. I was also very happy that the clean interior makes it comfortable to eat with anyone!

Who should try Jongga Mandu's clear dumpling hot pot?

• ✨️ Hot pot lovers who are crazy about hot pot and shabu-shabu like me
• 🎀 People who want handmade giant dumplings instead of factory-made ones
• 🍀 People looking for a refreshing, mild broth dish that settles the stomach

If you want a warm, filling meal this weekend, do visit Jongga Mandu, a Jongno 3-ga favorite!