Izakaya in Sejong for motsunabe and gopdoritang: Motsumo

Motsumo Sejong Dodam Branch (모츠모 세종도담점) is an izakaya in Dodam-dong that I had visited from time to time. This time, I visited on sponsorship and ate everything from motsunabe to gopdoritang and dessert.

What are the atmosphere and seating like?

The exterior has a Japanese-style look, and I liked the interior as well. One reason I had visited before was its unlimited alcohol refills.

The chairs were comfortable and the tables had plenty of room. Rather than portable butane burners, each table had a connected gas burner, and it felt powerful.

In what order did I eat the motsunabe and gopdoritang?

I ordered the signature motsunabe and gopdoritang. Since both are cooked on the burner, I ate the motsunabe first and received the gopdoritang afterward. If ordering both, it is worth thinking about the order you will eat them in.

There were three motsunabe flavors, and I chose the standard soy sauce flavor. The owner explained that the soy sauce version was a generally popular choice. Looking at the menu, I hesitated briefly because the food photos seemed AI-generated. I thought it would be better to use actual food photos.

At the time of my visit, there was also a notice saying highballs could be had at a lower price before 8 p.m. I did not note the exact price or applicable terms.

How were the broth and ingredients in the soy sauce special motsunabe?

The small special motsunabe was listed for 1–2 people. Even without adding garlic chives, there was a generous amount on top, and it also contained plenty of napa cabbage. There was still a good amount after the vegetables cooked down.

The broth was clear and mild, reminding me of dakbaeksuk (Korean chicken soup). It arrived fully cooked and ready to eat, and the daechang (beef large intestine) pieces were large. More fat came out of the daechang as it continued to boil, but it did not taste as greasy as I expected.

Did I add egg porridge after the motsunabe?

Although I still had gopdoritang to eat afterward, the broth seemed too good to waste, so I added egg porridge. They came to the table and stir-fried the egg porridge for us.

There was enough to divide into a bowl for each person in a group. I especially liked serving the porridge into a bowl and moistening it with the remaining broth.

How did the gopdoritang taste, and what was disappointing?

Next, I had the small gopdoritang. It was listed for 1–2 people, and when the dish changed, they also replaced our small plates with new ones.

The gopdoritang also had garlic chives and various vegetables. In particular, the boneless chicken thigh was easy to eat, and the pieces were large. The sauce was more thick and clingy than watery, so it went well with noodle add-ons.

I could choose the spice level, but someone I was with does not eat spicy food well, so I ordered it non-spicy. Because of the richness from the daechang, I thought the spicy version could be good next time.

The added udon noodles were disappointing. They felt like refrigerated udon noodles to me, though I did not confirm the actual product type. Rather than the springy texture I like, they had a slightly crumbly texture.

How was the matcha dessert I ate at the end?

At the end, I ordered a matcha dessert instead of a grilled dish. The original post called it “matcha mochiri dough,” and it was ₩7,000 each at the time of my visit.

It had a smooth surface and a chewy texture. It felt like a Japanese-style glutinous rice cake drizzled with soy sauce, and the salty sauce paired subtly well with the matcha flavor. I was satisfied that I could have both a meal and dessert in one place.