Hongdae Korean restaurant for a meal with parents: Baengni Gomtang

I wanted a hot, soupy meal with my parents, so we went to Baengni Gomtang (백리곰탕) in Hongdae. It hasn't been open long, but I'd heard the reviews and the food were both good, so I gave it a try.

Baengni Gomtang hours and parking

Baengni Gomtang is at 1F Unit 1, 40-18 Wausan-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's open 11:00–22:00 and closed on Thursdays. Break time is 15:00–17:00, and last order is at 21:00.

There's no parking at the restaurant itself, but the Donggyo 1 street public parking lot (350-2 Seogyo-dong) is 60 m away, so I don't think you need to worry too much if you bring a car. Takeout and reservations are both possible, and you can pay with local currency or Zero Pay.

Corkage is free for 1 bottle

Corkage is allowed here too, and it's free for up to 1 bottle, which sounds fantastic for anyone who likes a drink. Beyond one bottle, it's ₩20,000 extra per bottle.

Is it a good atmosphere for taking parents?

Even from the outside, Baengni Gomtang gave off a clean, neat feeling. Maybe because it's newly opened, the inside was spotless too. The interior has a Korean touch, including a jagaejang (mother-of-pearl inlaid cabinet),

Overall it felt warm and cozy, a good place to bring parents. The seating is chairs rather than floor seating, and private hire is available, so it could work for group gatherings too.

Baengni Gomtang menu and prices

As the name suggests, the main dish is hanwoo gomtang (Korean beef bone soup). Besides the deeply flavored, clean-tasting gomtang, you can try various hanwoo dishes such as fresh hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap (rice bowl with seasoned raw beef), hanwoo yukhoe, tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties) and hanwoo jeongol (hot pot).

• Hanwoo gomtang: ₩12,000
• Hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap: ₩13,000
• Hanwoo jeongol (large): ₩49,000
• Makgeolli (one glass): ₩2,000

We ordered 2 hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap and 1 hanwoo gomtang.

How do the hanwoo gomtang and hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap taste?

Most ingredients at Baengni Gomtang are domestic, so it's a place you can eat at with confidence.

The table has a cute mini fan plus salt and pepper. Lots of people sweat while eating gomtang, so it's a small but thoughtful touch.

The food came neatly served in brass bowls, and it passed the look test right away! ✨

Hanwoo gomtang: deep, rich broth with no gamey smell

I took a spoonful of the hanwoo gomtang broth and it was excellent, deep and rich. Maybe because it's simmered for so long, there was zero artificial taste and no gamey smell from the meat. The meat was tender and plentiful, and I never ran out before finishing.

It's also topped with sprouted ginseng, said to be Baengni Gomtang's signature, and somehow it makes me feel healthier! Put rice into the soup, add some kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and that's heaven right there.

Hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap: nutty soy base, not gochujang

The hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap here isn't gochujang-based (red chili paste), so the natural nuttiness and freshness of the raw beef came through much more. It's packed with vegetables, so the texture is good, and mixing it up was pure bliss! There was quite a lot of yukhoe too, so I enjoyed it to the last bite. This one also had cute sprouted ginseng on top.

Personally, the hanwoo yukhoe bibimbap suited my taste better. The soy sauce is nutty and a little salty, so the rice itself tastes great, and since it's hanwoo, the yukhoe is incredibly fresh.

Side dishes refilled twice

Also, the side dishes at Baengni Gomtang were so good that I got two refills. That potato... salad? plus the jeotgal (salted seafood) and the radish, all delicious.

Looks great too~~~~ and apparently I scraped the bowl clean.

Kkakdugi on gomtang meat is a winning combo. If you order the yukhoe bibimbap, they also give you gomtang broth, so it's nice and warm.

Just imagine how good it is with jeotgal on top of the rice~

Final verdict on Baengni Gomtang, a Korean restaurant in Hongdae

I was glad to find such proper, easy-on-the-stomach Korean food in Hongdae. The tagline "a bowl you'll remember even a hundred ri (about 40 km) away" feels spot on.

I recommend Baengni Gomtang when you want a hearty meal, when you want clean Korean food with your parents, or when you're looking for a good Korean restaurant in Hongdae. It's clean, the service is good, and I was satisfied overall!