Siksa-dong dumpling restaurant: late dinner with a 4-year-old, Arirang

What is Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch like?

Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch (아리랑 개성손만두 식사점) is a Korean restaurant specializing in hand-made dumplings (mandu) in Siksa-dong, Ilsan, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. It is open 10:00 to 21:00. An acquaintance who lives in Ilsan told me the mandu were really delicious, that the hand-made dumplings were a work of art, so I went to find out for myself.

The restaurant is located in Siksa-dong, Ilsan.

What are parking and waiting like?

There is a large parking area in front of Arirang, so there was plenty of room to park, which was nice.

I hear there is always a wait when it's busy. Maybe that's why there were so many waiting chairs set out.

I visited very late in the evening, and even then I could see lots of people eating.

Overall the place is spacious with lots of seats, and it looked clean, which I liked.

Do they make the dumplings by hand in the restaurant?

Arirang is famous for shaping its dumplings by hand, and sure enough, I could see someone making hand-made dumplings at one side of the restaurant.

It was impressive to watch a professional fold the dumplings so quickly and so well. Watching them being made was another bit of fun.

Inside the restaurant there were lots of things set out for guests, including instant coffee.

What's on the menu, and what are the side dishes?

Arirang sells a wide range of dishes made with its hand-made dumplings. It was amazing that so many different dishes could be made from dumplings, and there were so many I wanted to try!

First came the kimchi, which looked like the best partner for dumplings.

Besides kimchi, pickled radish and soy sauce came out too.

What comes in the Gaeseong dumpling hot pot set?

The Gaeseong hand-made dumpling hot pot set came with the dumpling hot pot (jeongol), shabu-shabu meat, steamed dumplings and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). And here it finally was, the hot pot I ordered. One look at the generous pile of hand-made dumplings and it already looked delicious.

The pot held a real variety of ingredients, from dumplings to bean sprouts, and as it bubbled away it gave off a wonderful aroma.

A generous plate of meat came too, so you can enjoy the dumplings together with shabu-shabu meat. The meat was such good quality that it looked beautiful just sitting there.

The set also included steamed dumplings, which came out together with the kalguksu noodles.

How did the steamed dumplings taste?

Before the hot pot was cooked, I bit into one of the steamed dumplings first. Arirang's steamed dumplings were packed with meat, and chewing the meat just as it is was so good. I liked how much meat there was inside.

What about the hot pot and the shabu-shabu meat?

I put the shabu-shabu meat into the hot pot and boiled it together. The tasty meat simmering in the pot made everything taste even better.

Finally, with the hot pot at a full boil, I tried the dumplings. I could see why this place is called a go-to lunch spot in Siksa-dong, Ilsan; the dumplings really were that good.

I tried the meat with them too, and it was really tender and tasty.

I dipped it in the salty soy sauce, and with the soft meat, crunchy bean sprouts and rich, savory meat together, both the texture and the flavor were satisfying.

Is it okay to go with a young child?

Our 4-year-old daughter ate Arirang's hot pot very well too. I thought this is a place that people of any age and gender can enjoy.

Kalguksu and finishing the broth

Last, I tried the chewy kalguksu noodles, and they were springy and delicious. The noodles had real bounce, and I could feel that firmness in my mouth.

On top of that, when I sipped the hot pot broth, it felt like a hangover cure. If you're looking for a great dumpling hot pot in Siksa-dong, Ilsan, why not visit Arirang Gaeseong Son Mandu Siksa Branch? I think it's a place that anyone, of any age, can eat at and leave satisfied.