Clam soup restaurant lunch set in Geomdan with pollack roe: Taegine

Clam soup with bossam too! Taegine Jogae Jeongol

Hi, this is Kongi! Today I'm writing about Taegine Jogae Jeongol Geomdan Ara Branch, where I had lunch near Ara Station after a baby photo shoot in Geomdan. When you're hunting for good Geomdan New Town restaurants, it's oddly hard to find somewhere that's not too heavy but still feels like a proper lunch. This place is known for its clam hot pot, but it also has a soup-bossam set that's easy to eat solo, so I gave it a try.

Where Taegine Geomdan Ara Branch is and what's on the menu

Taegine Jogae Jeongol Geomdan Ara Branch is about 580 meters, roughly 5 minutes on foot, from Exit 8 of Ara Station. It's close enough to reach by public transit, and parking is supported if you drive, which is convenient. It's in a busy area packed with restaurants. Search for Geomdan New Town restaurants and you'll get Korean food, meat, soup dishes and more — that day I wanted something with a cool, savory broth, so I went with clam soup.

The restaurant has a wide menu — clam hot pot, spicy seafood hot pot, seafood jjim (steamed seafood), bossam and more — and according to their official intro, they're known for a 53cm large clam hot pot. I also heard chef Lee Won-il once said it was good. If you're after seafood near Ara Station, the menu lineup will catch your eye right away.

What comes with the 14,000-won lunch soup and bossam set

We had the soup-bossam set (14,000 won). You choose between clam soup, spicy seafood soup, or pollack soup, paired with bossam (boiled pork wraps) — it's a lunch special. Since this place is famous for clam hot pot, I went with clam soup.

The clam soup had several kinds of clams — scallops, hard clams — and it's simmered again at the table, so it stays nice and hot. There was even fish cake in there haha.

The broth started out clear and clean, but as it kept simmering, more umami came out of the clams and it got savorier and savorier. It's not loaded with spicy cheongyang chili — more of a salty, ocean-y clam flavor with just a hint of heat, so it was easy to keep spooning up.

The aftertaste was clean. It didn't feel heavy even for lunch, and I thought it would also work well as a hangover-soup the day after a greasy meal. There wasn't just one type of clam either — several kinds — so it was fun picking through them, and the meat wasn't tough, so it went down easily with the broth.

Clam soup finished with kalguksu noodles

You can also freely choose your starch — kalguksu noodles, ramen noodles, rice, or barley rice. Since the broth was so refreshing, I went with kalguksu noodles. The broth from the clams is clear and cool, so adding noodles made for the perfect finish. It'd work well as a drinking snack for daytime drinks or as a hangover fix, and it also fit the bill for a warm bowl of soup at lunch.

Bossam wrapped with low-salt pollack roe

If you're looking for Geomdan Korean restaurants and prefer a soup-based meal over something heavily seasoned, this combo would satisfy. Also, having bossam come with the set was better than I expected. Eating a lot of seafood can leave you feeling a bit unsatisfied, right? Having meat in the mix definitely helped.

The bossam wasn't a huge portion, more of a nice side to go with the soup, and interestingly it came with pollack roe. I wrapped it with bossam radish kimchi and low-salt pollack roe, and that combination was pretty distinctive. The saltiness wasn't overpowering and paired well with the bossam — memorable.

Inside Taegine: baby chairs and group seating

The interior mixed yellow and blue tones, and overall it felt clean, even a bit cafe-like. You might picture a rustic vibe for a clam hot pot place, but this one was bright and tidy, which I liked. Also worth noting — they have baby chairs ready.

The restaurant had high ceilings and felt spacious and clean. Even though I arrived a bit after the lunch rush, there were still quite a few customers. The seating wasn't cramped, so it seemed fine for a family meal or a gathering. They mention group seating is available, so it could also work well for a Geomdan work dinner or a meetup near Ara Station. Since the menu itself — clam hot pot, seafood soup, bossam — is the kind of food you share, it seemed comfortable for a group visit. If you're looking for Geomdan New Town restaurants with a spacious interior, parking, and group seating, this one's worth keeping in mind.

Is Taegine's lunch set worth it?

Taegine Jogae Jeongol Geomdan Ara Branch was a solid, filling seafood spot near Ara Station. This time I had the soup-bossam set, and for 14,000 won per person you get clam soup, bossam, and a noodle or rice choice — felt like a pretty tidy lunch. Choosing the kalguksu noodles for the refreshing clam broth was a good call too.

If you like soup-based meals when looking for Geomdan Korean restaurants, want a seafood spot near Ara Station, or need a spacious restaurant for a group dinner or gathering, this place should suit you well. Next time I'd like to go with a group and try the signature clam hot pot or the spicy seafood hot pot. When you're craving a hot seafood broth, Taegine Jogae Jeongol Geomdan Ara Branch is worth a stop as a Geomdan New Town restaurant.