Hongdae gomtang restaurant: basic vs special bowls at Baengni Gomtang

When you're looking for somewhere to eat in Hongdae, barbecue joints, bars, and spicy, punchy menus usually come to mind first. But sometimes what you really want is a bowl of hot soup with rice, filling and simple. This time I went to Baengni Gomtang, tucked into an alley in Hongdae.

Where is Baengni Gomtang in Hongdae?

Baengni Gomtang is located at 40-18 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 1st floor unit 1. It's a gomtang (beef bone soup) restaurant set back in a quiet Hongdae alley.

What was ordered at Baengni Gomtang

This is a good place to visit if you're after Korean food or a guk-bap (soup with rice) style meal in Hongdae. This time I ordered one basic gomtang and one special gomtang so I could try both together.

A desk fan on every table

One thing I loved right when I walked in was the small desk fan sitting on every table. Eating hot gomtang can make you surprisingly warm, so being able to flip on a fan right next to you turned out to be more useful than I expected. It's a small detail, but it felt like they'd thought about keeping diners comfortable throughout the meal.

Side dishes: kkakdugi, potato salad and squid jeotgal

The side dishes that came with the gomtang were pretty great too. Kkakdugi (radish kimchi) was the classic pairing that always works with gomtang, and there was also a soft, mellow potato salad that made a nice addition. My personal favorite, though, was the squid jeotgal (salted seasoned squid) — eating it alongside the clean broth, then spooning a little onto rice, added a savory kick that kept me coming back for more.

How was the basic gomtang?

Baengni Gomtang's basic gomtang was an easy, unfussy bowl to finish. Mixing rice into the hot broth felt both soothing and filling, and it seems like the perfect match for a day when you want something clean rather than something intense.

Basic or special gomtang: which one to order?

The special gomtang is one I'd recommend to anyone wanting a heartier meal. Ordering it alongside the basic gomtang made for a fun comparison between the two. If you're eating alone and want something light, the basic gomtang is plenty — but if you want more meat and a more filling meal, go for the special.

With gomtang, there's always that fun ritual — tasting the broth plain first, then mixing in kkakdugi or squid jeotgal depending on your mood. At Baengni Gomtang too, rather than sticking to one way of eating it, alternating with the side dishes meant I could finish the whole bowl without getting bored.

Especially in Hongdae, where you often end up choosing something strong and spicy, this day a hot bowl of gomtang felt way more satisfying than I expected. This is a solid place to visit when you want a filling meal but don't want anything too heavy.

The space and what stands out at Baengni Gomtang

Personally, the gomtang itself was great, but what stuck with me most was the combination of kkakdugi, potato salad, and squid jeotgal I kept reaching for throughout the meal. The squid jeotgal in particular went so well with rice that my chopsticks kept drifting toward it between spoonfuls of soup.

And being able to keep that little desk fan running while eating hot soup was quietly a nice touch. It seems small, but these little conveniences make a meal that much more comfortable. This is a place worth checking out when you want a hearty meal in Hongdae, or when you're craving something a bit different from bars and spicy food. This time I tried both the basic and special gomtang, but next time I think I'll just pick whichever suits my appetite that day.

Hot broth, a filling bowl of rice, and kkakdugi, potato salad, and squid jeotgal to go with it — that's Baengni Gomtang in Hongdae. If you're looking for Korean food or a guk-bap style meal in Hongdae, this is one worth remembering. Next time you're craving something hot and hearty in Hongdae, feel free to pick between basic and special depending on your mood.