Udon shop by Insadong's flea market: karaage cold soba set, Jemyeonso

I finally took a trip to Insadong after ages~ I wandered around, saw an exhibition, poked around the prop and gift shops, and then while browsing the Annyeong Insadong flea market I got hungry. I went looking for something cool and refreshing among the restaurants in Annyeong Insadong and ended up at Insadong Jemyeonso!!

Location and hours of Insadong Jemyeonso Annyeong Insadong Branch

Insadong Jemyeonso Annyeong Insadong Branch (인사동제면소 안녕인사동점) is a 3-minute walk from Anguk Station, in Room 303 on the 3rd floor of the Annyeong Insadong building. It is open daily from 10:30 to 21:00, with last order at 20:30. At first I was like, where is it? But once I got up to the 3rd floor it wasn't hard to find!

• Address: 49 Insadong-gil, 3F Room 303, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Hours: daily 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Wi-Fi available
• Group seating available
• Takeout available
• Paid parking available (Annyeong Insadong underground car park)

Is the restaurant big, and does the wait go quickly?

The restaurant is bigger than I expected, so it seems fine for groups, and the food comes out fast, so tables turn over quickly! Even if there's a wait at lunchtime, I think you'd get in soon haha

Apparently Insadong Jemyeonso is a brand that started with Cheonaebu in Suwon and also has branches at Starfield Anseong and Lotte Department Store in Myeongdong. They boil their tsuyu (Japanese noodle dipping broth) by hand and put effort into developing distinctive dishes, so it's an Insadong restaurant that has been on TV several times.

Inside, the decor is tidy and the tables are spaced generously, so it was comfortable to eat, and the whole place felt bright and pleasant! It seems fine for eating alone, and no problem for a big group either!

Insadong Jemyeonso menu and the set for two price

Insadong Jemyeonso is a Japanese-style udon specialist, so the menu has things you rarely see at ordinary udon places: daechang (beef intestine) rice bowls, eel rice bowls, bukkake udon (udon with concentrated broth poured over), cold udon and more! Bukkake udon is my personal favorite, but, sob, you can't choose cold bukkake udon for the set for two. So sad..

The set for two is a good-value way to eat here at ₩29,000! You pick 2 meals + 1 side + a drink, so it's a solid lineup!! Depending on the menu item there's an extra charge of about ₩1,000–2,000, so just keep that in mind.

Even with the extra charge, the set for two was cheaper haha If there are two of you, I highly recommend the set for two lol We chose karaage (Japanese fried chicken) cold soba and tempura cold udon as our meals, and tempura as the side!

By the way, Insadong Jemyeonso is really good at tempura lol It was seriously crispy and delicious. Next time I want the tempura udon again, sob.

How is the karaage cold soba at Insadong Jemyeonso?

The wasabi for the cold soba and cold udon comes in a separate dish, so it was easy to adjust how strong I wanted it!

First, cold soba, as hot in summer as naengmyeon (cold noodles) is!! That icy broth looks cool just from the sight of it, ahhhh. The noodles were springy, and the tsuyu broth wasn't overly salty, with a clean savory depth!!

Maybe because the tsuyu is house-made, the flavor felt much deeper than ordinary cold soba, and adding wasabi makes it even fresher and tastier! It's the kind of taste you'll think of in summer when you have no appetite!

Tempura cold udon at Insadong Jemyeonso, with the tempura served separately

I assumed the tempura would be in the udon, but? They served it separately, which made me even happier haha The karaage is good too, and it's even better dipped in the turmeric powder? curry powder? that comes with it!

The cold udon noodles are also super chewy and springy, so I'm torn about next time: udon.. no, cold soba at least once.. no, still udon? That's how bouncy the texture is!!

The bouncy bite in your mouth is so, so good, and the broth is cool and clean-tasting! It has a different charm from the cold soba, so I strongly recommend the cold udon too haha

Side tempura: karaage, shrimp and sweet pumpkin

The fried items, from karaage to shrimp tempura and sweet pumpkin tempura, were crispy outside and moist inside, perfect with the noodles! The batter wasn't too thick, so it wasn't greasy, and the chicken in the karaage was tender too!

The set for two is really good value, so unless you're eating alone, I recommend going for it!! They also sell beer and highballs, so it looked fine for a light drink with dinner too~

Insadong Jemyeonso Annyeong Insadong Branch: a good date course?

I was happy with the tidy atmosphere, the varied menu and the deep flavor of the house-made tsuyu at Insadong Jemyeonso Annyeong Insadong Branch. On the 1st floor of the Annyeong Insadong building there's not just the flea market but also prop shops and various brand stores, so it'd work as a date course too! There's plenty to see around and it's easy to reach, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a restaurant in Ikseon-dong or Insadong~