Gangnam Station noodle shop: beef noodles for a lunch rut, Namsogwan

Gangnam Station lunch: what to eat besides the usual?

While hunting for something different for lunch near Gangnam Station, I found Namsogwan U Yuk Dosakmyeon (남소관 우육도삭면), a Chinese restaurant for beef noodles and dim sum. Every time I go to Gangnam Station I seem to eat the same things. Pasta, a barbecue place, soup rice (gukbap)... I wanted something a little different.

After agonizing over lunch for ages, I stumbled on Namsogwan!

Namsogwan is a Chinese restaurant known as a dim sum favorite around Gangnam Station.

How to find Namsogwan near Gangnam Station

Namsogwan is an easy walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11. Just step a little way into the alley off the main road and you'll see it, so it wasn't hard to find.

Gangnam Station is full of office workers, so lots of people are hunting for a lunch spot at noon! Namsogwan is easy to reach, so it often comes up as a recommended Gangnam Station lunch place, haha.

What are the atmosphere and seating like?

The restaurant felt clean and stylish, a bit different from your typical Chinese restaurant, haha. I went a little after the lunch peak, but customers kept coming in, haha. Some people were eating alone, and plenty were office workers there with coworkers.

The first floor is fairly compact, but there are lots of seats on the second floor too~

Dim sum made by hand at the entrance

The first thing I saw at the entrance was the dim sum-making area! Staff were shaping dumplings by hand. Lots of restaurants use frozen dim sum these days, so seeing it made right there looked so good that I knew I had to try the xiaolongbao (소룡포오), haha.

Menu and how to order

You order easily on a tablet.

The signature dish is the beef knife-cut noodles (u yuk dosakmyeon), and there were also various other noodle dishes and dim sum. The dim sum selection was more varied than I expected: xiaolongbao, shumai, dumplings and more, so you can pick your favorites, haha.

I wanted to try the signature dishes, so I ordered the beef knife-cut noodles and xiaolongbao.

After a short wait, the basic side dishes came out first. They were nice for a light bite before the meal.

How is the beef noodle broth?

The broth was rich yet clean, with almost no greasiness. The beef knife-cut noodles came in a big bowl, and it looked really appetizing from the start.

Tender beef and scallions sat on top of the deep brown broth, and the aroma alone got my appetite going!! The portion was big too, haha.

I took a spoonful of broth first, and it's different from ordinary beef broth. Rich but clean, with almost no greasiness! Lots of people avoid Chinese food because of the spice aroma, but here the fragrance isn't strong, and the subtle, fresh flavor kept me going back for more~~

The meat was more generous than I expected and very tender. It had a long-simmered texture, and it was even better eaten with the broth.

Knife-cut noodles of every thickness

The knife-cut noodles (dosakmyeon) are the heart of the menu! They're cut by hand, so the thickness isn't uniform. Some bits are chewy and some slide down softly, so the texture is unique and delicious, haha. The signature beef-noodle aroma isn't too strong, so even first-timers could enjoy it without hesitation.

How juicy were the xiaolongbao?

The xiaolongbao have thin wrappers and rich juice, so I could see why the place is called a Gangnam Station dim sum favorite. The xiaolongbao arrived too, haha. The wrappers looked thin and neatly pleated, so I was excited before even eating.

I picked one up carefully and took a bite, and the juice inside was rich and delicious.

The meat filling was moist and seasoned just right, easy to eat, haha. I barely noticed any gamey smell, and it finished clean~~ Now I get why so many people name Namsogwan as a Gangnam Station dim sum favorite, haha!! If beef noodles alone feel like not enough, I recommend adding at least one dim sum!

Is Namsogwan worth it for a Gangnam Station lunch?

Namsogwan has a charm a bit different from ordinary Chinese restaurants, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different. If you're sick of the same lunches at Gangnam Station, it's worth a visit.

Next time I'd like to order the beef knife-cut noodles along with other dim sum too. If you're after a hearty meal in Gangnam, give Namsogwan a try, haha. (This post was written after a meal provided by the restaurant.)