Solo lunch kalguksu and boiled dumplings at Jongga Mandu, Jongno

On the way to the department store, Jongga Mandu near Jongno 3-ga station

I was heading to the department store to run some errands and figured I'd sort out lunch first — that's how I ended up at Jongga Mandu (종가만두), a dumpling hot pot spot near Jongno 3-ga station.

It was a bit past the office-worker lunch rush so the place was fairly quiet. It was raining, so I was craving a hot dumpling hot pot, but I had a dinner appointment later, so I decided to keep it light instead.

Aside from the first setting, you just help yourself to kimchi and danmuji from the self-serve corner here.

What I picked at this handmade dumpling specialist

Jongga Mandu, the dumpling hot pot spot near Jongno 3-ga station, doesn't use store-bought dumplings — everything is handmade. I almost ordered the warm jorangi-tteok mandu-guk (dumpling soup with twisted rice cakes) but instead went for the mash-and-mix bibim kalguksu, said to be the signature dish, plus boiled dumplings to pack up if I couldn't finish.

Homemade-tasting geotjeori and danmuji

Unlike places that always serve Chinese-made kimchi, this one set out geotjeori (fresh kimchi salad) and danmuji that tasted homemade.

It had been a while since I'd had geotjeori like this, and I could really tell their style — less sweet than other places and lighter on the seasoning, so it didn't leave my mouth feeling heavy. I liked that.

While waiting for the food, I could watch the dumplings being made by hand — neat, pretty shapes, folded one by one.

The boiled dumplings came out first, and the bibim kalguksu followed soon after — everything was set on the table quickly. Guess that's why it's known as a dumpling hot pot spot near Jongno 3-ga station: the food didn't take long at all.

Looking at the spread, I briefly thought I'd ordered wrong — it looked plenty generous for one person, and the bibim kalguksu alone would have been enough.

Boiled dumplings, half kimchi and half meat

The dumplings were also pretty sizeable — about the size of a kid's fist, exactly the kind with the filling peeking through that Percy would love. On top of that, the boiled dumplings came half kimchi, half meat, so I got to try both without having to choose — no decision paralysis needed.

How do you eat the mash-and-mix bibim kalguksu?

This is Jongga Mandu's signature dish, and I was curious how it'd taste. Two big flat dumplings, like chunky flattened mandu, sat on top, topped with perilla leaf, danmuji, and gim (seaweed flakes).

The owner kindly showed me how to eat it — snip the dumplings thin sideways with scissors, then mix them right into the noodles.

This combo was seriously good, haha — tangy, with noodles thicker and chewier than regular kalguksu, and the sweet-sour-spicy sauce really suited my taste. Plus you got the bite of the dumpling filling mixed in, which made for a fun texture. The scent of julienned perilla leaf kept rising up, and the danmuji was crunchy enough that I didn't feel like I needed any other side dish — it was a genuinely enjoyable bite from start to finish.

The difference between the kimchi dumpling and the meat dumpling

I personally like spicy kimchi dumplings, but sometimes the kimchi can be a letdown, so having a dumpling that lets me try both kimchi and meat halves actually made it easier to order without worrying.

What I especially liked about the dumplings here: some dumplings are better with glass noodles inside, and some are better without — personally I prefer dumplings without them. The filling here was soft and moist, and the tofu and aged onion gave it a clean, mild flavor with just the right amount of spice, which suited my palate well.

So how about the meat dumpling? I cut it in half right after and tried it — at some places the oil just drips out and it gets greasy, but Jongga Mandu's was really clean-tasting, comfortable, like a dumpling made at home. The seasoning wasn't overpowering, so it sat easy on the stomach.

One bibim kalguksu is plenty for a solo meal

In the end I only tasted one dumpling of each kind and packed the rest to go. The mash-and-mix bibim kalguksu alone was plenty in portion, and with dumplings mixed in, it was enough for a full lunch on its own. Jongga Mandu, the dumpling hot pot spot near Jongno 3-ga station, felt like a place office workers could drop into for lunch without any pressure — and somewhere I'd want to come back to on a rainy day when I'm craving something warm.