Sinnonhyeon beef soup restaurant: solo minari gomtang, Geumnyeong

Why Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch for a late solo lunch near Sinnonhyeon Station

I had errands near Sinnonhyeon Station and ended up way past lunchtime, so I was starving when I found Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch (금녕곰탕 역삼점). I was craving hot soup and wanted something restorative, so I went in alone and had a really filling meal!

Honestly, I used to be someone who totally couldn't eat alone 🥹 but these days eating solo is sometimes even more comfortable! You pick the menu and spend the time however you like, so it's secretly nice~!

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch hours, days off and parking

• Name: Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch (금녕곰탕 역삼점)
• Address: 1F, 1 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Fri 10:30–22:00, Sat 10:30–20:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• Closed: Every Sunday
• Parking: Not available
• Restroom: Inside the restaurant, separate for men and women

Getting to Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch: 1 minute from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 4

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch is a one-minute walk from Sinnonhyeon Station (Line 9, Shinbundang Line) Exit 4, so it's really easy to find~

Seriously, come out of Exit 4, turn right at the 7-Eleven on the second side street, and the building is right there! It's close to the station, so it's easy to reach, and handy for people having lunch from nearby offices or anyone looking for a Korean meal near Sinnonhyeon Station!

Inside Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch: is it comfortable to eat alone?

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch is spacious and clean, a comfortable place to eat solo. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was that it's bigger and tidier than I expected!

Quite a few other people were dining alone too, so I could eat without any pressure~ It's perfect for a relaxed solo meal!

The restrooms are inside the restaurant, separate for men and women!

Hand wash and hand towels all ready! (It was so clean I took a photo, haha!)

Geumnyeong Gomtang menu: unlimited rice, gomtang and rice noodles

At Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch, if you order gomtang or rice noodles, you get unlimited rice refills~~!! The item that caught my eye most on the menu was the gomtang rice noodles.

Rice noodles at a gomtang place?! From the reviews, it seems to be the same rich broth as the gomtang, with rice noodles instead of rice! I really love rice noodles, so I agonized over it. 😂 I thought it'd be good for anyone in Gangnam looking for a rice noodle lunch too~! But I was so hungry that day... I ended up choosing the gomtang with rice, haha! I'm planning to come back for the noodles next time!

Table setting and self-serve side dishes at Geumnyeong Gomtang

Kimchi served in a jar and fresh lemon water

At Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch, every table has kimchi in a jar, plus daedagi (seasoned chili paste) and pepper!

See the color of the kimchi~?~>_< It was just slightly fermented and really delicious! It goes so well with gomtang! The water isn't plain water either, it has fresh lemon in it, so on a hot day I had a nice cold glass of lemon water!

A well-kept self-serve banchan bar

At the self-serve bar of Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch you can grab extra side dishes~! It was kept really clean, which I loved!

They had pickled rakkyo (pickled scallion-like bulbs), pickled chili peppers, perilla leaf doenjang (fermented soybean paste), seasoned dried radish, sweet soy-braised beans, chili peppers, ssamjang (dipping paste), and even aprons!

How did the minari gomtang at Geumnyeong Gomtang taste?

The minari gomtang (beef soup with minari, water dropwort) came out quickly, loaded with minari. Thanks to the hot bowl, the broth stayed warm until I finished eating 🔥!

Ta-da~!~! Look at that, amazing, right~~??!! The owner warned me the bowl was hot, and... it really is a little ,,hot,, so be careful!! Haha. The fragrant minari went so well with the broth! So fragrant~

Herbal broth and 1++ Hanwoo beef

I heard Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch simmers its broth daily with herbal medicinal ingredients! Maybe that's why, but the broth was clear yet rich! (And the herbal smell wasn't so strong that it put me off or anything!) There was also a lot more meat than I expected! Best of all, I heard Geumnyeong uses only top-grade 1++ Hanwoo (Korean beef)! Maybe that's why the meat was really tender!

Dipping the meat lightly in soy sauce with mustard was so good~~!

Tteoreom-style rice paired with seasoned dried radish

On top of that, the rice is served tteoreom-style (repeatedly ladled with hot broth), so it was moist and even tastier!

Eating it with the side dishes made the gomtang's flavor even better~! Personally, the seasoned dried radish was really good. I don't usually love it that much, but the seasoning was just right! Haha. It went so well with the gomtang! In the end... I emptied the bowl down to the last drop of broth!!~!

Service at Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch and final verdict

The owner of Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch was really kind. They were friendly throughout the meal, so I ate happily, and I also liked that the overall atmosphere was relaxed~!

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch is a really good place when you want a hearty meal! It's perfect for restoring your energy on hot days like these~! Going alone is no pressure at all, and I saw plenty of office workers from nearby companies too!

This time I had the gomtang, but next time I want to try the gomtang rice noodles, and go back for a drink with the mulsuyuk (boiled beef slices) or myeongtae-hoemuchim (seasoned pollock with radish). If you're craving a hearty Korean meal near Sinnonhyeon Station and want a comfortable place to eat alone, Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch is worth a visit~!