Myeongdong gomtang restaurant, large bowl with extra scallions: Baekok

A clean, rich pork gomtang spot I want to recommend: Baekok Myeongdong

Right in the middle of Myeongdong, tucked into an alley you wouldn't expect to find here, sits today's pork gomtang restaurant, 📍Baekok Myeongdong. If you want a hearty Korean meal in Myeongdong, this is a place I'd recommend!

Where is Baekok Myeongdong, and what are its hours?

• 📍Location - 1F, 8-23 Myeongdong 8-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
• ⏰️Hours - Daily 11:00-22:00
• 🅿️Parking - Not available

Step just a little off Myeongdong's bustling main street and the atmosphere suddenly shifts completely — today's restaurant, 📍Baekok Myeongdong, sits deep enough in the alley that you'll wonder "is there really a place here?" It's fairly famous in Myeongdong for its pork gomtang, but since it's tucked in an alley rather than on the flashy main street, it felt more like hunting down a hidden gem! The moment you spot the sign after walking down the alley, it feels like you've found treasure haha.

Inside Baekok Myeongdong: easy for solo diners

Baekok Myeongdong's interior is centered around bar tables and 4-person tables. I expected an old-school vibe to match the alley, but it turned out to be a much cleaner and warmer space than I thought! It felt comfortable even for solo dining, and apparently many office workers from nearby come here on weekday lunches too.

Korean-style decor and small objects placed throughout gave the space a clean yet subtly classic atmosphere.

A restaurant that's also appeared on the TV show Saengsaeng Jeongbotong (생생정보통)!

Baekok Myeongdong menu and QR code ordering

Baekok Myeongdong's menu is fairly simple! There's the main pork gomtang (pork bone soup), a spicy version called yeolgomtang, and an herbal yakgomtang made with neungi mushrooms and hwanggi (astragalus root), plus sides like cabbage dumplings, cold jeyuk (boiled pork), and grilled pork tail!

Ordering is done simply by scanning the QR code on the table with your phone! After some deliberation, we thoroughly ordered the signature items — ✅️ pork gomtang Large ✅️ cold jeyuk ✅️ cabbage dumplings — plus a few menu items we were curious about!

On the wall was an explanation of the meat, rice, and broth Baekok uses. The basic side dish was simple — just one kkakdugi (radish kimchi)!

Once the table was fully set, it looked seriously hearty just from the visuals 🫢 The food came out quickly after ordering too, so we could dig in without a long wait!

Large pork gomtang: how much meat do you get?

Baekok's signature pork gomtang, made with domestic pork shoulder and a broth simmered for a long time using pork bones, has a clean, mild flavor.

The first thing that caught my eye as soon as the pork gomtang arrived was the generous pile of meat on top of the broth 👀 The thinly sliced domestic pork shoulder was layered on so generously, slice after slice, that just looking at it told you the portion was substantial! Especially since I ordered the large size, the meat stood out even more than the broth — that hearty!!

Because it's sliced thin, the texture is soft rather than chewy, making it easy to enjoy with a spoonful of rice and a piece of meat alongside the hot broth 🤤

I normally like loading up on scallions when eating pork gomtang, so I asked for extra and they piled it on generously 🙂↕️ With the already generous meat plus a heap of scallions and the hot broth, this combo is honestly impossible to resist!

Cold jeyuk: pork cheek with tohajeot and lime

The next dish we ordered was cold jeyuk (boiled pork). This dish features softly cooked pork cheek served with tohajeot (salted small shrimp) and lime. It keeps the springy, chewy texture unique to pork cheek while staying moist and non-tough to chew 🙌

Adding a bit of the tohajeot brought out more savory depth, and a touch of lime added a refreshing aroma, making the whole thing feel clean and light to enjoy!

Cabbage dumplings (4 pc): cabbage leaves instead of dumpling wrappers

We also ordered the cabbage dumplings 🥬🥟 which turned out to be exactly my kind of dish — instead of a regular dumpling wrapper, they're wrapped in cabbage leaves, so they even look a little special!

Inside was packed full of meat and kimchi, so one bite gave you a really substantial filling, and you could taste the subtle sweetness and mild flavor unique to cabbage! The cabbage was thinner and softer than I expected, letting the flavors of the meat and kimchi come through as they are 👍✨️ It was a side dish that paired really well with the gomtang!

Is Baekok Myeongdong worth a visit?

✔️ Overall, from the pork gomtang to the cold jeyuk and cabbage dumplings, every dish had a clean, mild flavor, making it easy to enjoy a hearty meal without feeling weighed down at 📍Baekok Myeongdong. The generous portion of meat in the pork gomtang stood out in particular — a Myeongdong Station gomtang restaurant I'd recommend to anyone who loves gomtang, or anyone craving a warm bowl of soup in Myeongdong 👏