Insadong soba lunch with a friend: tempura cold soba, karaage set

An Insadong favorite: Insadong Jemyeonso

This summer was really hot, but I still ended up going all over the place, and the dish that stuck with me most was cold soba. The noodles were great, but it was the cold, perfectly seasoned broth that made it so delicious — and one of the places I had it was Insadong Jemyeonso, an Insadong favorite. I got to enjoy tasty cold soba and take in the whole Insadong scene, and it was such a fun day that I want to go back already. Insadong, sitting between Jonggak Station and Anguk Station, isn't quite as hyped as it used to be, but it's still a hot spot.

What's the vibe on the 3rd floor of Annyeong Insadong?

Annyeong Insadong has so many unique shops that you could wander around just here and have fun, but first things first — let's fill our stomachs. Taking the escalator up to the 3rd floor, you find the restaurant, which is a nicely sized space — not too big, not too small. Honestly, too small can feel cramped and too big can be hard to manage well, so this size seems like a sweet spot. There's a menu board outside and waiting chairs too, which come in handy if there's a wait or you're meeting a friend.

The kitchen is open, so you can see in if you look, and it still has the original name, Cheonaebu, written on it. I'm guessing the name didn't roll off the tongue easily, so they changed it — but you can tell there's still some affection for the old name, haha. Building up a great restaurant isn't easy, but coming up with a name and sticking with it seems tough too. The tables are spaced generously apart, which I liked, and there's also a kids-friendly zone with separate tableware for children.

Seasoning adjustments and unlimited rice refills

I heard the restaurant started as Cheonaebu in Suwon, and maybe that's why it feels extra careful about flavor. On the table it says to just let them know if the seasoning is too salty or too bland — amazing. It would already be nice enough if they'd just fix it when asked, but offering it upfront... Of course the food was just the right level of seasoned so there wasn't really anything to say, but this kind of thoughtfulness feels so nice. And unlimited rice refills too — that generosity seems to be exactly what makes Insadong Jemyeonso the Insadong favorite it is.

It's been a while since I was in Jongno or Insadong, so I didn't know about this, but there was a unique event going on, so I snapped a photo. It sounded like it covered a few different spots — you'd need to check the QR code for details — but either way, it looked like a good deal. It's limited to once per store, which is a bit of a bummer. If I could've used it twice just at Insadong Jemyeonso, I probably would've bought it.

Tempura cold soba — that broth is true love

The friendly staff brought the dishes out pretty quickly, and I ordered my favorite, tempura cold soba. The broth was so good I felt like I'd basically finished the meal just from that, and getting tempura alongside it made it even better. The prices were reasonably affordable too, which was a nice bonus — my friend, who works nearby, said she'd have to come back more often, clearly satisfied. The tempura was freshly fried, so it was crispy and delicious. Now that the weather's getting colder, next time I'll have to try the hot soba.

It had that slushy, half-frozen look, but no annoying ice chunks getting in the way while eating — just the right texture, haha. I don't like scallions, and I only regretted not asking them to leave it out after the food arrived — lesson learned, ask ahead next time. If you do that, you can really drink the broth down to the very last sip. Cold soba broth, I... I love you. It might honestly just be a soy sauce–based broth, but why is it so good... that sweet-and-salty flavor has me drooling just thinking about it.

Shrimp tempura and pumpkin tempura

The tempura came out simply as shrimp tempura and pumpkin tempura together, which made it even more enjoyable — nice variety, good stuff. It would've been fine even served just on a plate, but having it laid out neatly on paper like this made it even more satisfying, haha. There was clearly a reason this place is known as an Insadong favorite, and maybe that's why there were quite a few customers even on a quiet weekday evening. The side dishes came out looking clean and tidy too, but I enjoyed the main dishes plain so much that I didn't even touch the sides — such a waste, ㅠㅠ.

My friend's pick: cold soba + karaage set

My friend also ordered cold soba, but paired it with karaage as a set, and she ate it up happily, haha. Cold soba is good on its own, but a noodle dish all by itself can feel a bit lacking. That's probably why they put together sets with tempura or other sides like this — and the price is still nice and affordable. My friend was dieting at the time, but I'm pretty sure she finished all the karaage that day, right? Lol.

The extra croquettes we ordered

After ordering, I somehow still felt like something was missing, so we added croquettes — soft and delicious, nom nom. It tasted exactly like I imagined, which made it even better, and given today's prices, even the side dish prices feel reasonable. (The rent fees for a spot inside Annyeong Insadong must be pricey, so I found myself worrying whether they're actually making any profit at this price, ㅠㅠ.) Since it's fried food, there was a bit of oiliness, but laying it out on paper like this soaked it all up nicely, which I appreciated.

After lunch, exploring Annyeong Insadong

Both my friend and I have been watching our weight and body fat lately, and ironically we ended up eating even more calories than usual. Still, the signature dishes look even higher in calories, so I'll comfort myself with the thought that we did okay, lol. Then we headed to the K-pop store right across the way, which I'd wanted to visit even before coming here. Ahh... so exciting. My friend's a BTS fan and also keeps up with the latest songs in general, so her knowledge was impressively deep and made it extra fun. I was feeling pretty full, but walking around here chatting about this and that helped a lot with digestion.

Visiting Insadong on a weekday gave it this nice quiet, timeless feel, which I liked, and Annyeong Insadong had plenty to see too. Between food, coffee, desserts, and even a convenience store and K-pop shop, there's plenty to browse and shop for, haha. There was also a little flea market happening on the 1st floor that day, so I checked it out briefly and found it full of interesting stuff. It's already been a while since this visit, and I'm starting to crave that cold soba again — I should really go back soon, haha.