# Seoul kalguksu restaurant weekend wait and sold-out menu: Tanbaek - By Doyun Baek (https://superchart.com/en/@seorae-narrow-galbi/) - Written Sep 17, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jung-gu, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seorae-narrow-galbi/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seorae-narrow-galbi/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/index.md) ## In short Tanbaek is a kalguksu (Korean knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant on Jeongdong-gil by Deoksugung Palace in Jung-gu, Seoul, with bar seats on the first floor and tables on the second. After a weekend-evening wait, the writer sat upstairs for gom-kalguksu (clear beef broth noodles), yukgaejang-kalguksu (spicy beef noodles), a glass of makgeolli, soju and kimchi mandu, though gom-kalguksu, mushroom rice and a few other items ran out. For a mild, clean-tasting bowl, Tanbaek's gom-kalguksu is the better pick. ## Good to know - **Hours**: Daily 11:00–21:00, last order 20:00 - **Break time**: 15:00–17:00 - **Winter (Dec–Feb)**: Last order 19:00 - **Seating**: Bar seats on the first floor, tables on the second - **Ordering**: QR code ordering at the table - **Reservations**: Catch Table - **Side dish included**: Kimchi *as written by the visitor on Sep 17, 2026* A rare trip into Seoul! We heard Namdaemun Market was hot right now, so after looking around we figured we'd grab dinner before heading home — cue the search for restaurants near Deoksugung Palace. This neighborhood is packed with good spots, but the one that caught our eye was Tanbaek! The interior looked so clean and the food was supposed to be mild and simple, perfect for a clean meal, so we picked it. > Tanbaek 📍 Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00, last order 20:00 / Break time 15:00–17:00 / Winter (Dec–Feb) last order 19:00 ![Exterior of Tanbaek on Jeongdong-gil near Deoksugung](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-01-bxuoc-900.webp) ## How long is the weekend evening wait at Tanbaek? We went on a weekend evening and there was a wait. You can reserve through Catch Table — we've been really into a certain game lately, and with the nice weather we just sat nearby and played while we waited. Tanbaek has two floors: the first floor is bar seating, the second floor is tables. We got seated upstairs 😊 ![Interior of Tanbaek's second-floor table seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-02-1tdtu-900.webp) ![Second-floor seats and interior design at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-03-1kj26-900.webp) ## QR ordering and which Tanbaek menu items sold out There was a menu on the table and you order by scanning a QR code. We'd actually wanted the gom-kalguksu and mushroom rice, but since it was a weekend evening, a few menu items were already sold out, which made choosing a bit disappointing..! But that's just another reason to come back — gotta try what we missed!!! ![Menu placed on the table at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-04-dd77j-900.webp) Ordering comfortably from our seats without having to flag anyone down was so convenient. After some deliberation we picked gom-kalguksu, yukgaejang-kalguksu, jan-makgeolli (bowl-style rice wine), and soju! ![Jan-makgeolli and soju at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-05-15ywu-900.webp) ### A glass of makgeolli and the mood on Tanbaek's second floor The drinks came out first, and the jan-makgeolli glass was pretty large and pretty, great for setting the mood. If we hadn't had soju, we'd have gone all in on makgeolli..! The concept of the place really suits makgeolli, and I could see a lot of foreign visitors coming here too haha. ![Tanbaek's jan-makgeolli served in a large glass](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-06-bk2te-900.webp) ![Tanbaek's stylish interior design](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-07-deb25-900.webp) ![Table scene with drink glasses at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-08-148re-900.webp) If someone asked me what a Deoksugung-area restaurant with great taste in design looks like, this might be it. Maybe that's why there seemed to be a lot of couples on dates here. The second floor felt a bit more relaxed, without worrying about other people, while downstairs you can watch the cooking happening up close. ![Ambience and seating at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-09-dk1qq-900.webp) ## Gom-kalguksu vs yukgaejang-kalguksu: which bowl is milder? We were mid-sip on the spicy-tinged makgeolli when the food arrived fast! This neighborhood is full of restaurants with this kind of aesthetic sensibility, and just visually, it passed the test right away. The toppings were arranged so neatly it seemed made for photos. Honestly this feels like a restaurant that would win over foreign visitors 🥹🖤 ![Two bowls of kalguksu with toppings at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-10-14fcl-900.webp) This is the yukgaejang-kalguksu (spicy beef and noodle soup) my partner ordered. The gom-kalguksu (bone-broth noodle soup) actually came out first and we tried a bite each — it was genuinely mild and delicious, and it made me realize that's kind of the concept here. The yukgaejang-kalguksu has a bit more of a punch to it, so if you're hoping for something mild, I'd recommend the gom-kalguksu instead. Not that the yukgaejang is super spicy or anything — just more assertive compared to the gom-kalguksu. ![A bowl of Tanbaek's yukgaejang-kalguksu](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-11-nkz6h-1200.webp) Since the noodles are made toryeom-style (broth poured repeatedly over the noodles to warm them), the broth temperature was just right — lukewarm and easy to slurp down quickly. ![Toryeom-style noodles and broth at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-12-falpt-900.webp) The meat pieces inside were nice and big too, tender rather than chewy, which made for a great combination. ![Large pieces of meat inside the kalguksu](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-13-1dd8q-900.webp) ## Kimchi mandu as a side order at Tanbaek Honestly, we'd originally planned to just order two bowls of kalguksu, have some soju, and head out, but it felt a little lacking. So we added mandu (dumplings) too. These had a mild flavor as well, which made them appealing. Two kimchi mandu came out, and they had that homemade feel — easy to eat without being too rich or spicy! ![Two kimchi mandu at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-14-1msd1-900.webp) I think I ended up enjoying the mandu more than expected. Funny enough, we spent the entire day hunting down good mandu spots lol. ![A kimchi mandu cut in half at Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-15-14hso-900.webp) The dumpling wrapper wasn't too thick, which I liked even more. If we hadn't been so full, I honestly would have ordered another round 🔥 ![Cross-section of kimchi mandu with a thin wrapper](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-16-74vwn-900.webp) ## Tanbaek's kimchi side dish and the restrooms Tanbaek serves kimchi as its basic side dish, but since it was so busy with weekend guests, the staff seemed to have simply forgotten to bring it out to us ㅠㅠ The kimchi was tasty too, a perfect match with the gom-kalguksu 👍🏻 ![Tanbaek's basic kimchi side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-17-1kc22-900.webp) ![Interior hallway on the first floor of Tanbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu-18-12woo-900.webp) The restroom is also on the first floor, and it was spotless — even nice to look at as part of the interior. I heard mixing mushroom rice into the gom-kalguksu is amazing, so I'll have to come back next time I'm in this neighborhood. Another Deoksugung-area restaurant collected 🖤 ## Where it is - Tanbaek (탄백) - 37 Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 중구 정동길 37 - 37.5659578, 126.9724678 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%83%84%EB%B0%B1/@37.5659578,126.9724678,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seorae-narrow-galbi/tanbaek-deoksugung-weekend-dinner-kalguksu/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt