Yongsan Station gomtang restaurant with cabbage mandu: Baekok Yongsan

On a weekday evening, on my way to IPARK Mall, I was craving something warm and stopped by Baekok Yongsan near Yongsan Station.

Since it's a clear pork gomtang, I first imagined a light, plain flavor. But after actually tasting it, the broth was clear yet definitely savory and deep.

After trying the pork gomtang, herbal gomtang, and cabbage mandu, let me walk you through the menu and the atmosphere in order.

How to get to Baekok Yongsan, and its opening hours

Baekok Yongsan is walkable from both Yongsan Station and Sinyongsan Station. It's located in the alley behind Hybe, across from the main gate of Hangang Elementary School. It's an easy walk from both the Yongsan Station side and the Sinyongsan side.

The restaurant is split across the 1st and 2nd floors. The 1st floor centers on the bar kitchen and tables for two, while the 2nd floor has larger tables. We were seated on the 2nd floor as soon as we walked in.

• Hours 11:00–22:00
• Last order 21:00
• Open daily
• Yongsan Tax Office parking lot available
• About 5 minutes' walk from the restaurant

What Baekok Yongsan feels like on a Friday evening

I visited a bit early to avoid the weekday rush hour. When we went up to the 2nd floor there were still empty tables, so I quickly snapped some interior photos first, haha. Once we started eating, tables filled up one after another. By the end there were almost no empty seats left, so I was glad I came early.

Throughout the restaurant there were lots of Korean-style paintings and decor pieces — from crane paintings to pottery and liquor bottles — and the whole atmosphere matched Korean cuisine well.

With the gomtang served in brass bowls, it fit the restaurant's vibe even more.

Baekok Yongsan menu prices and QR code ordering

You can order right from the table by scanning a QR code.

The menu ranged from the basic pork gomtang to eolgomtang (chilled gomtang), herbal gomtang, cabbage mandu, and cold jeyuk (boiled pork). The donbok platter, limited to 10 servings a day, also caught my interest.

There were also a huge number of drinks to pair with the food.

Beyond soju and beer, there was quite a range — makgeolli, traditional liquors, even highballs.

As I kept scrolling through the QR menu, an English menu suddenly popped up. Along with English, there were also Chinese and Japanese menus. I noticed some foreign customers during my visit, so it seemed like it would make ordering easy for them.

Looking through the whole menu, it seemed great for a hearty bowl of gomtang at lunch, and for cold jeyuk or spicy pig tail with traditional liquor or a highball in the evening. It looked like a place that works well for office workers grabbing lunch in Sinyongsan and for evening drinking gatherings alike.

After some deliberation, here's what we ordered:

• Pork gomtang ₩11,000
• Herbal gomtang ₩16,000
• Cabbage mandu 5pc ₩10,000

Clear but deep: the pork gomtang at Baekok Yongsan

First, we tried the basic pork gomtang. Generous slices of pork sit on top of the clear broth, served with green onion.

Salt and pepper are set out on the table, but the staff told us the broth itself is already seasoned, so we should taste it first before adding anything to our liking. So at first I ate the broth plain, without adding anything.

Since the broth was clear, I'd imagined something a bit bland and light, but with the first spoonful I could definitely taste the savory, umami flavor. The seasoning was already spot-on, so I didn't add any salt or pepper. It was strange in a good way — the broth looked clear but tasted deep, not light at all. The flavor wasn't overwhelming, and the balance between rice and broth was just right.

Tender pork and rice in the gomtang broth

The meat was tender too. Sliced thin, it wasn't chewy at all and had a soft bite — a texture reminiscent of thin, moist beef brisket slices. Placing a bite of meat on rice brought the broth along naturally with it. A single bowl of gomtang made for a satisfying meal on its own.

Herbal gomtang with a subtle medicinal aroma

The herbal gomtang we ordered alongside it had a distinctly different flavor from the pork gomtang. When I tasted it, the first thing that came to mind was baeksuk (herbal whole chicken soup) broth. It was clear and light, but with a subtle herbal aroma. The scent wasn't too strong and there wasn't a strong bitterness, so it was easy to enjoy.

I tend to like that warming flavor you get from restorative dishes, so the herbal gomtang worked well for me too. The pork gomtang was a clean broth with savory umami, while the herbal gomtang was a lighter broth with added herbal aroma. If you're visiting with someone, ordering one of each to share is a great idea.

Side dishes that pair well with pork gomtang

The basic side dishes were small-cut kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and pickled mushrooms. I especially enjoyed the pickled mushrooms.

The mushrooms and onions were soft and salty, so they were great placed right on top of the meat. Since the gomtang broth overall was mild, adding the pickled mushrooms partway through livened up my appetite.

The small-cut kkakdugi was easy to eat in one bite too and went well with the broth.

Cabbage mandu as a side for the gomtang

Feeling like gomtang alone wasn't quite enough, we also ordered the cabbage mandu (dumplings). Since they're served freshly cooked and piping hot, the staff told us to let them cool for about a minute before eating them in one bite. So I sipped the broth while waiting, then popped one in whole, haha.

Instead of a regular dumpling wrapper, the filling is wrapped in cabbage, which made it feel lighter to eat. Inside was packed with meat, kimchi, and more. The flavor wasn't intense — overall quite mild. The cabbage's sweetness and crunchy texture wrapping around the outside gave it a completely different feel from regular mandu. They weren't small either, so picking one up between bites of gomtang made the meal even more filling. They also paired well eaten alternately with the warm broth.

Is Baekok Yongsan worth a visit? My honest take

I finished everything because it was that good, haha. When I think of pork gomtang, I usually picture a thick, heavy broth. But the pork gomtang at Baekok Yongsan was clear while still keeping a savory, umami-rich flavor alive. I enjoyed it fully without adding any extra seasoning. With the tender meat and rice together, it made for a satisfying meal on its own.

If you want to try something a bit different, I'd also recommend the herbal gomtang. Its mild broth with added herbal aroma was great to alternate with the pork gomtang. And for a side, I highly recommend the cabbage mandu!! They're great to pick up one at a time between spoonfuls of gomtang, and the crunchy texture of the cabbage worked really well.

There are several fun events running in the restaurant too, so check the menu and posters. When I visited, there was a Baekok x Baeksaeju collaboration event going on.

If you want a warm bowl of soup near Yongsan Station or Sinyongsan Station, or you're a fan of the clear-style pork gomtang, Baekok Yongsan is worth a visit.