Jongno hanok cold noodle house with bossam set: Goshine Donghae

Recommended restaurant in Insa-dong Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch

Where is Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch, and what are the hours?

Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch is on the 1st floor of 3 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's open 11:00–21:30, with a break time from 16:00–17:00 and last order at 21:00. Amenities include group seating, takeout, reservations, wifi, and men's/women's restrooms.

A hanok Korean restaurant to stop at on an Insa-dong date

The weather was so nice that I told my husband to take the day off, and we wandered around Ssamziegil hand in hand, looking at everything on our Insa-dong date. Trips around Seoul are just so nice. Living in Seoul, I feel like there are more and more interesting restaurants popping up around Jongno lately :) So we went to eat at Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch, a Jongno favorite.

It's a restaurant with a hanok (traditional Korean house) atmosphere. Since it's right in view from Ssamziegil, there were lots of foreign tour groups, and even though it was early for lunch, there were quite a lot of customers. We went in craving cool makguksu (buckwheat cold noodles). They also take reservations, and there's a private room for groups. The inside turned out bigger than expected, so it's great for group visits — nice!

Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch is a hanok restaurant in Insa-dong where you can enjoy various buckwheat makguksu and Korean dishes. Walking in, the hanok structure let in a nice cool breeze. Sitting in a breezy restaurant in this weather, decorated with an outdoor-dining feel, was really lovely. Recommended restaurant in Insa-dong: Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch.

When you're craving a clean, filling meal in Jongno, this is the Korean restaurant to come to. Makguksu means twirling buckwheat noodles around in a cool broth — that's the whole point of the dish.

Makguksu menu and set prices at Goshine Donghae

Time to order. We went with the 2-person set — a meal where you can try both the noodles and bossam (boiled pork) at once.

• 1-person set ₩21,000–29,000
• 2-person set ₩38,000–54,000
• Water makguksu ₩11,000
• Perilla-oil makguksu ₩12,000
• Spicy mixed makguksu ₩12,000
• Pollock jeotgal bibim makguksu ₩13,000
• Pine nut soft tofu makguksu ₩14,000

Water makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles), 11,000 won

The cool water makguksu arrived — ₩11,000. A secret broth base of steeped kelp and soy sauce. Slurping the noodles together with the broth, you get a faint, savory buckwheat aroma, refreshing and clean, really easy to eat. My husband genuinely drank the broth. He said it hit the spot and cleared his head right up :) Enjoy plenty of it.

Perilla-oil makguksu, 12,000 won

Perilla-oil makguksu, ₩12,000. I love perilla oil, and the first bite was a little mild, but the nutty perilla flavor paired really well with the makguksu. The charm of the buckwheat noodles plus the savory depth of the seasoning was great. At the end I added a splash of broth, and honestly that's when it got really good. Mixing it in with the broth made it a perfect 100-point perilla-oil makguksu. Delicious. The buckwheat noodles aren't heavy or overwhelming, so it's perfect for lunch or dinner :)

The suyuk (boiled pork slices) in the set for two

We also ordered the bossam set to share. It's nice that the bossam (boiled pork) comes as a taste-sized portion. A piece of pork with kimchi, wrapped up together with the chewy buckwheat noodles, is packed with sweet-and-tangy flavor. If you're visiting with a few people, I recommend ordering the makguksu set with bossam.

A table full of food — how could it not be good?! From the cool water makguksu, to the clean-tasting perilla-oil makguksu, to the bossam plus skate salad (hongeo-muchim) that pairs so well with makguksu — with a combination like this, you just can't resist. A big mouthful of chewy buckwheat noodles is so good.

Avocado buckwheat gimbap, the surprise side order

We also ordered avocado buckwheat gimbap (seaweed rice roll). Avocado and buckwheat go really well together. Instead of rice, it's made with buckwheat noodles aged in black vinegar, which I think makes the flavors blend even better. Taking a big bite loaded with avocado and nut toppings, you get softness and nuttiness all at once. Avocado buckwheat gimbap has a totally different texture from the makguksu, so it's great to order and share when you want variety!

A second-generation Gangneung makguksu house, now in Insa-dong

Goshine Donghae Makguksu has been run for two generations in front of Gangmun Beach in Gangneung. This Jongno branch operates directly in Seoul's Insa-dong, so if you're on a date in Insa-dong or looking for a good meal along Insa-dong's cultural street, this could be a pretty great meal to have 🐳

Since the noodles are house-made and pulled fresh to order, you can enjoy a variety of makguksu styles, and the buckwheat noodle gimbap is a nice specialty dish too :) The makguksu menu has a good range to choose from, and the buckwheat noodles are full of savory depth and nuttiness. A recommended restaurant in Insa-dong: Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch 💛