Ox tail and knee soup dinner with kids in Mokpo: Mujinjang Sik-yuk

I recently went out for a delicious kkori gomtang (ox tail soup) dinner with Mongshil and Mongddu! If you live in Mokpo, you probably know Mujinjang Hanwoo Kkori Gomtang — it used to be over near Hadang, but this time it's relocated to the Peace Square area!

50 years, three generations of kkori gomtang specialists

Mujinjang, soon to be a go-to Mokpo Peace Square restaurant, is apparently a kkori gomtang specialist with 50 years of history. They say it's been running for three generations. I feel like I have faint memories of coming here once as a kid, haha.

Inside the restaurant you can spot a plaque from a local food competition and a certified green Korean beef (hanwoo) seller mark.

Menu and ordering

The menu board at Mujinjang Hanwoo Kkori Gomtang, a Mokpo Peace Square restaurant. Since you can't come here and not order kkori gomtang, we ordered two: Korean beef tail soup and Korean beef knee soup!

There are disposable aprons on hand, so grab one if you're wearing light-colored clothes — and don't forget to grab a free drink from the review event!

What do the basic side dishes look like?

The side dishes that came out standard with our order! Exactly the kind of banchan that pairs well with gomtang, right?

• Chive salad
• Kimchi
• Seokbakji (young radish kimchi)
• Bean sprouts

Onion, chili, and doenjang (soybean paste). The kimchis in particular were all delicious.

The broth and seasoning of the Korean beef tail soup

And then the mains arrived — Korean beef tail soup and Korean beef knee soup! It's lightly seasoned as a base, so it'd be great for anyone who likes things on the milder side, and if you want more seasoning, there's salt and pepper at the self-serve bar. But eating it with kimchi, I found the seasoning just right, haha.

Kkori gomtang and doganitang after a long time... honestly I'm not a fan of plain white soups like seolleongtang, but I do love kkori gomtang and doganitang, haha.

Mongshil's Korean beef tail soup! The broth had just the right milky look, and you could tell they were simmering it themselves — you can taste the care that went into it.

There were several big chunks of tail bone in there too, so the portion was nowhere near disappointing.

The meat was super tender too — it separated right away when I pried it apart with chopsticks. I especially love how the meat pulls apart in soft strands, haha.

There's also thin wheat noodles (somyeon) mixed in, haha.

Holding up a truly tender piece of tail bone.

Dipping it in the special sauce makes it so good. The sauce has a slightly tangy soy-sauce flavor that pairs perfectly with the meat.

Korean beef knee soup — how much doganit (knee cartilage) is in there?

This one's the Korean beef knee soup! You can't see it well, but there's a ton of doganit (knee cartilage) piled up under the broth.

Just scooping it lightly, this is how much comes up.

And gathering it all up, this is the amount — there's still plenty more underneath, haha.

The collagen-packed doganit had a nice chewy texture — great condition and really tasty.

I especially loved how clear and deep-flavored this broth was.

Seokbakji that steals your rice

The seokbakji here in particular is amazing — slightly fermented, with a subtle sweetness, umami, and just the right briny fish-sauce flavor. Put it on top of rice and it's absolutely a rice thief.

Eating with the kids

Mongddu really ate well too, for the first time in a while. Usually he stops halfway through his meal at restaurants, but this time he had rice, noodles, and meat all in hand, tearing into it and enjoying every bite.

Mongshil tries putting chive salad into the soup, turning it red.

The crunchy chive texture and seasoning blend well with the broth, haha. I liked that too, but honestly I preferred it plain, haha.

Wrap-up

Ending with Mongshil finishing off a storm of eating! It was so nice to visit Mujinjang Hanwoo Kkori Gomtang, a Mokpo Peace Square restaurant, at its newly relocated spot — and there's definitely a reason it's lasted 50 years. If you love kkori gomtang or doganitang, or you're looking for a hearty meal to bring your parents to, I'd definitely recommend heading to Mujinjang. We ate so well, haha.