Restaurants in Hongdae, Seoul for spicy gomtang and drinks: Doonjeong

When you want a hearty bowl of gomtang (beef bone soup) near Hongdae Station along with some good drinking food, there's a place that fits perfectly. Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch. It has plenty of dishes that go great with soju or beer, so if you're looking for a restaurant-bar near Hongdae Station, I want to recommend this one. Here's my review.

Where is Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch, and what are its hours?

Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch is located at 183-12 Donggyo-ro, 1F, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 214m and a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Hongdae Station. Come out of Exit 1, go around the CGV, and walk straight for 300m. Hours are daily 11:00–21:00, with a break time from 15:00–15:30 to 17:00, and last order is 14:30 and 20:30 on weekdays, 15:00 and 20:30 on weekends. Their Instagram is @donjung_hd.

• Amenities: group dining available, takeout, reservations, waiting area, baby chairs, private hire available (group seating up to 26)
• Parking: none (use nearby Toros Parking Tower, 180 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul)

The restaurant is big enough for about 30 people. Every table had guests when I visited, and I was surprised how many people were dining solo! The space itself was really clean and had a calm, cozy atmosphere.

What is on the menu at Doonjeong?

The main dishes at Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch are gomtang and gopchang jeongol (beef tripe hot pot). You really should try the soup. Add a pancake on top and it's perfect!

What kind of restaurant is Doonjeong?

Doonjeong operates with the idea of 'a bowl that passes on warmth,' aiming to make a single meal feel like comfortable time rather than just food. Their signature dish is clear gomtang, made by simmering hanwoo (Korean beef) female cattle for a long time, resulting in a deep flavor that's not overpowering. The plain broth is the default, but for those who want something with more kick, there's also spicy hanwoo gomtang.

You can enjoy different textures depending on the cut, like sujigomtang (tendon soup) or chadolgomtang (brisket soup), and they also carefully prepare dishes that pair well with gomtang, like yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef rice bowl) or savory pancakes. All ingredients are said to be hanwoo female cattle and domestic produce, so you can eat with peace of mind.

What does the spicy hanwoo gomtang taste like?

We ordered two bowls of spicy hanwoo gomtang. The regular gomtang has a white broth, while the spicy version has a red broth. And gomtang itself is basically a clear broth! The spicy version is better described as 'eolkeun' (a warming, savory heat) rather than truly spicy.

It tastes even better if you add minced garlic and cheongyang chili peppers to your liking.

As soon as we got it, I took a sip of the broth first, and it felt like I'd just come out of a sauna after sweating it out. It was genuinely refreshing. It has a bit of a yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) vibe to it. There's a ton of stuff in it too. It's loaded with beef, and the portion was so big I couldn't even finish it.

The yang (beef tripe) in particular had a nice chewy texture, and it's amazing when you dip it in soy sauce along with the pickled onions that come as a side. The pickled onions were so sweet I kept reaching for more.

The side dishes are kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and they were tasty enough to enjoy alongside the meal :)

What makes the shrimp minari pancake special?

The owner recommended the shrimp minari pancake, and it was genuinely great. I'd never had a pancake with such plump shrimp packed in. Usually when you order shrimp pancake elsewhere, you get tiny mantis shrimp or just barely any shrimp at all. Here, I understood why 'shrimp' comes before 'minari' in the name. The shrimp meat itself was plump and there was a lot of it. This one's also even better with the pickled onions.

I would've regretted it if we hadn't ordered the pancake... You have to order it. If you've ever made pancakes yourself, you know getting the batter ratio right is harder than it seems; but this one was just right and crispy, and it was so good!!

Gogi-muchim: the half plate from the review event

I was really curious about the gogi-muchim (spicy mixed beef) too, and as luck would have it, they were running a review event. If you write two reviews, they give you a half plate of gogi-muchim, so we ended up eating three main dishes total. But everything was so good that I really want everyone to try it all. If the event is still running, take part and try all the main dishes!

Gogi-muchim is hanwoo tossed with vegetables like chamnamul (wild chervil) in a spicy-tangy sauce. For two people, I'd recommend the half plate — even the half plate is a generous amount. Seeing this really made me crave a drink, but since I've been taking a break from alcohol lately, it was a bit of a tease. It's the perfect drinking snack for soju or beer, and gogi-muchim especially is top-tier bar food.

Final verdict on Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch

If you're looking for a good restaurant-bar near Hongdae Station, I'd recommend Doonjeong Hongdae Direct Branch. The rich gomtang made from long-simmered hanwoo female cattle, the pancake packed with plump shrimp, and the spicy-tangy gogi-muchim — nothing about the meal disappointed.

The gomtang alone is filling, and adding the pancake or the mixed beef on the side makes it perfect drinking food too, so it works whether you're here for a first or second round. It's a 5-minute walk from Hongdae Station so it's easy to get to, and with group seating and private hire available, it's also great for gatherings. I'd definitely go back.