Tofu hot pot dinner at a Gangseo, Seoul tofu restaurant: Maetdolroman

I'm here to introduce a real tofu place. My husband's been working around the Gaeyang area lately, and I take every chance I get to go hang out there. Today I headed out around his quitting time, and I'd heard a tofu place near Yangcheonhyanggyo Station was super famous, so I checked it out... and it's genuinely so good.

What kind of restaurant is Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch?

Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch (맷돌로만 등촌점) is a tofu restaurant near Yangcheonhyanggyo Station. In daylight it looks pretty ordinary, like any other restaurant, but you can clearly see the sign saying it's a tofu specialty shop.

Unlimited sundubu refills?? Already got curious. I could see a whole row of menu names lined up — sundubu gukbap (soft tofu rice soup), sundubu-jjigae, hanwoo sundubu... so many kinds.

Apparently it's even been on TV, so I wanted to hurry in and eat.

What surprised me walking in was this stone mill machine. There's an actual stone mill sitting in one corner of the shop, and they said they grind soybeans on it every morning to make tofu and sundubu themselves. I thought, this isn't just any ordinary restaurant.

Inside Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch: mood and seating

Inside, Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch has wooden tables and benches, with a layout where you can see straight into the kitchen. When we opened the door, wooden tables and benches lined up, and even on a weekday evening there were quite a few customers.

From the other side you could see straight into the kitchen too...! There was a sense of care in how things were being made, even from a distance (after we finished eating, I thought, lucky officetel residents living nearby — if I had a place like this near my house I'd probably go every day).

Menu and prices: sundubu-jjigae at 9,000 won

Sundubu-jjigae at Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch is 9,000 won, and sundubu comes with unlimited refills. Looking at the big menu board on the wall, the sheer number of dishes was wild.

Up close, I was genuinely shocked to see sundubu-jjigae was only 9,000 won. With prices these days, is that even real? Plus the banchan (side dishes) were so generous, and unlimited sundubu refills on top of that.

Banchan at Maetdolroman: raw tofu, grilled tofu and tteokbokki

The banchan at Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch include raw tofu and grilled tofu, spicy seasoning and sliced boiled meat, napa cabbage kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, black bean salad, and even tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes). It's not self-serve — the owner brings everything to your table personally.

While we waited after ordering, I watched the banchan being prepped and there were quite a lot of kinds. Not self-service — the owner's own delivery system, haha.

Tteokbokki, napa cabbage kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, black bean salad — every single banchan felt made with care.

They also brought raw tofu paired with spicy seasoning and sliced boiled meat, and the look of it alone got my mouth watering.

And they serve raw tofu and grilled tofu separately as two kinds, so yeah — this is definitely a special tofu place.

And the tteokbokki was seriously delicious too — my chopsticks kept sneaking back for more.

• Tofu banchan (raw + grilled tofu)
• Spicy seasoning banchan
• Napa cabbage kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, black bean salad
• Tteokbokki (so good)

I felt like I could finish a whole bowl of rice on the banchan alone. Right when I thought I should pace myself — the hot pot arrived.

What does the tofu hot pot broth taste like?

The tofu hot pot (dubu-jeongol) at Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch has whole shrimp in it, giving a clear broth as refreshing as shrimp soup. The hot pot we'd been waiting for arrived, bubbling with enoki mushrooms and tofu, and just looking at it made me swallow hard.

The moment I tasted a spoonful, it felt kind of like shrimp soup. The broth was refreshing yet deep, and it completely blew past my expectations. Look how clear that broth is, ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

When I spooned it into my bowl, there were whole shrimp in there too, and with the napa cabbage and tofu all mixed in, it was the kind of broth that made me keep going back for more. I literally chugged this broth, lol ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Finishing the tofu hot pot down to the last drop

Eating in a daze, before I knew it, only a little broth was left. The solid ingredients had disappeared long before.

Out of all the businesses that hand out ad campaigns like this, there are honestly some that aren't great — but this place is the real deal. They really should build a whole building off this ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ. I was so satisfied I found myself giving a thumbs up without even realizing it. My husband and I just sat there going 'this is totally the real thing' over and over, marveling all evening.

Final verdict on Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch

Waiting for my husband to finish work now has a reason to look forward to it. If you're around Yangcheonhyanggyo Station, I'd absolutely recommend Maetdolroman. Next time I'm trying the tofu bossam (boiled pork with tofu)!! Wishing the owner nothing but success 🙏🏼

A Yangcheonhyanggyo Station favorite — is this price for real? A local's pick: Maetdolroman Deungchon Branch