Jongno gomtang restaurant with fermented radish broth: Wolhadong

Where is Wolhadong in Insadong, Jongno?

Wolhadong is a pork gomtang restaurant on the 1st floor of 16-1 Insadong 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's a 5-minute walk from Anguk Station Exit 5, easy to find just to the right of the Hyundai Motor Securities Jongno branch. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:00.

These days pork gomtang restaurants are popping up everywhere. Compared to beef gomtang, the rich, savory broth of pork gomtang has its own charm haha. Pork gomtang has gotten especially popular lately after a pork gomtang chef appeared on the entertaining show Culinary Class Wars 2, which I enjoyed watching. But that doesn't mean I'll just go anywhere haha. I visited a gomtang spot near Anguk Station — here's the story of an Insadong Korean restaurant with clear, clean broth and no gamey smell that left my stomach feeling great.

The warmth of a bowl under moonlight. Wolhadong is a pork gomtang restaurant. Like the curve of a moon jar, this Anguk Station gomtang spot serves a neat, tidy meal, and the hanok-style interior really stands out.

For lunch in Insadong, Wolhadong is great because you can check the menu even before stepping inside. The star of the show is gomtang, of course — there's Wolha gomtang and Hong gomtang. There's also cold jeyuk (boiled pork slices) and squid muchim to enjoy on the side.

There are fun little details everywhere, even a toad figure, which should spark curiosity for international visitors too.

Can you eat alone at Wolhadong? 13 bar-table seats

Wolhadong has as many as 13 bar-table seats, so solo dining is totally possible. I walked in with high expectations. The quietly elegant hanok-style interior, so distinctive of the Anguk Station area, made an impression. The table is quite long, running the length of the solo-dining seats.

My solo seat. The whole restaurant is remarkably clean overall.

For parties of two or more, you'd use the square tables. Even during a late lunch, I was surprised how packed it was with people.

Wolhadong menu and prices

• Wolha gomtang 12.0
• Hong gomtang 13.5
• Cold jeyuk half plate 10.0
• Cold jeyuk full plate 20.0
• Squid muchim 20.0

Ordering is done via QR code.

• Wolha gomtang 12.0
• Cold jeyuk half plate 10.0

I ordered the Wolha gomtang and a half plate of cold jeyuk. I'd originally only planned to have gomtang, but I couldn't resist trying the cold jeyuk too haha.

How the Wolha gomtang tastes: fermented radish cheonggeunjang broth

The Wolha gomtang, at 12,000 won, has a clear, clean broth without any gamey pork smell, and I liked that it wasn't heavy or bloating. Wolhadong has something crucial that no other gomtang restaurant has — cheonggeunjang!!

Cheonggeunjang is made by boiling radish, cooling it, letting it sit, and drying it into a paste — and Wolhadong uses this cheonggeunjang to make its gomtang.

Because the broth is radish-based, it's clear, clean, and leaves a light aftertaste. I kept wondering what gave it such depth without being heavy — turns out it was the radish haha.

The meat is incredibly tender.

Eaten together with kimchi~

Was the half plate of cold jeyuk worth 10,000 won?

Wolhadong's half plate of cold jeyuk costs 10,000 won — the tender meat tastes even better eaten with the accompanying sauce. Somehow it felt neat and tidy, like being treated to something special.

Wolhadong makes all its sauces and kimchi in house, and it's serious enough about this that it even has a separate fermentation room to store the ingredients it makes itself. Because everything is made following these in-house methods, there's barely any gamey smell or toughness to the meat, and it's gentle on the stomach for anyone, from kids to elders — I think it'd be a great gomtang restaurant to visit with parents and children alike.

Is Wolhadong worth a visit for lunch in Insadong?

Wolhadong, the gomtang restaurant near Anguk Station, left an impression with its quietly elegant hanok-style interior. It's a pork gomtang restaurant that feels healthier thanks to its house-made ingredients. If you're looking for a clear, clean pork gomtang without any gamey smell for lunch in Insadong, I recommend it.