Pop-up Korean restaurant in Seongsu, minari mandu: Dwaeji Gomtang

Where is Dwaeji Gomtang House Musinsa Mega Store Branch?

Dwaeji Gomtang House Musinsa Mega Store Branch is inside the 4th-floor food court of Musinsa Mega Store, a 5-minute walk from Exit 3 of Seongsu Station. The original restaurant sits between Seongsu and Ttukseom, so when I heard it had opened a pop-up in the Musinsa food court's special zone, I had to check it out.

Seongsu has so many places to see and so many good restaurants! Yeonmujang-gil is always packed — even a bowl of udon means waiting in line — so it was nice that the new Musinsa store food court is uncluttered, clean, and quiet enough to actually enjoy a meal. And right there in the special pop-up zone was Seongsu-dong gukbap (Korean soup with rice) favorite Dwaeji Gomtang House.

Walking down from Exit 3 toward Daelim Changgo, you'll spot the Musinsa Mega Store. Floors 1–3 run as pop-ups and Musinsa retail space, and floor 4 is a separate food court. I've been in and out of Musinsa stores plenty of times and had no idea there was a food court up there haha.

Inside the 4th-floor Food Garden at Musinsa Mega Store

The 4th floor of Musinsa Mega Store has its own food court called the Food Garden, with a mix of stalls — pizza, tteok (rice cake), bingsu (shaved ice) — all in one spot!

Dwaeji Gomtang House is here as a special pop-up. The original location sits between Seongsu and Ttukseom, but now you can get the same flavor right in the middle of Seongsu on Yeonmujang-gil, without traveling far — a real Seongsu-dong gukbap favorite.

The food court itself was clean and pleasant. Since it's fairly new, it's spotless and not too crowded — a comfortable, relaxed place to eat right at the top of the Musinsa building in the heart of Seongsu.

Dwaeji Gomtang House, this Seongsu-dong gukbap favorite, sits at the far left as you walk in.

Pop-up-only menu at Dwaeji Gomtang House and how to order

The Dwaeji Gomtang House pop-up uses its own kiosk for ordering — no cash or bank transfer, card only. Having a dedicated kiosk made ordering so convenient!

Being a pop-up, only the core menu was available, unlike the main branch. On this visit, I could only order gomtang, spicy gomtang, minari tot giant mandu, cold pork, and herring roe radish.

I ordered one clear gomtang and the minari tot giant mandu! The kitchen is open, so I could watch everything being cooked — and it was spotless, which only added to my trust in this Seongsu-dong gukbap spot.

True to a food court, there's a separate corner for dishes, water, and tissues, kept spotless by a staff member cleaning constantly — no discomfort or hesitation about eating there at all.

How does the clear pork gomtang set taste?

The clear gomtang set from Dwaeji Gomtang House comes with a bowl of pork gomtang, kimchi, radish strips, salted shrimp, and a slice of orange for dessert. Like a typical gomtang, the rice comes toreom-style (blanched with hot broth), topped with meat and garnish. Tot (fermented seaweed) is added alongside the green onion, giving it an even more refreshing, clean taste.

The broth was clear, clean, and refreshing! No excess fat, just a light, satisfying flavor that was still rich in taste.

The rice comes warmly soaked in the broth too, and it's not plain rice, so it has an extra nutty, savory flavor. The broth soaked well between the grains, making every bite hearty and satisfying.

The best side dish: herring roe with dried radish

The meat was tender and soft, sliced thin so it was easy to eat, but my favorite part was the herring roe radish!! It's not just plain radish strips — herring roe is mixed in, giving a satisfying crunchy texture and an even more refreshing, clean flavor that paired perfectly with rice. First time I've scraped every last bit of broth off a radish side dish, haha.

Minari and hijiki giant mandu, 9,000 won: size and juiciness

The minari tot giant mandu I ordered alongside comes to ₩9,000 for three pieces, and each one was so huge it took up half the gomtang bowl.

The dumpling skin is thin while the filling is thick and moist, and the meat juices burst out almost like xiaolongbao;; honestly the best mandu I've had in Korea. The meaty flavor is rich, but the tot and minari (water dropwort) cut through it for an extra clean, refreshing taste! Nothing here was overpowering, yet I kept reaching for more from start to finish — a true Seongsu-dong gukbap favorite.

The chili paste served alongside is great with the boiled pork, and stirring it into the broth adds a spicy kick — unlike typical red chili paste, it's not heavy or muddy at all, just a clean spiciness that made this Seongsu-dong gukbap pop-up even more delicious.