Korean restaurant on Yeonmujang-gil, Seongsu: Dwaeji Gomtang House

There's no shortage of pasta or meat spots in Seongsu, but when I actually wanted a hot bowl of soup or a proper Korean meal, I found myself wondering where to go.

So this time I went looking for Korean food near Seongsu Station and ended up at Dwaeji Gomtang House, in the special pop-up zone on the 4th floor food court of Musinsa Grand Store. Once I tried it, the broth was so clean yet rich that I thought it was worth recommending to anyone searching for good eats in Seongsu.

Where is Dwaeji Gomtang House, and how far is it from Seongsu Station?

Dwaeji Gomtang House was an easy, unhurried walk from Seongsu Station Exit 3. It wasn't a bother to head over for a meal after browsing around Yeonmujang-gil.

Head up to the 4th floor of Musinsa Grand Store and you'll find the special pop-up zone. Along with Dwaeji Gomtang House, there are other restaurants in the same space, so it seemed like a good option if a group wants to pick different menus.

It felt like a really convenient route for grabbing a meal right after shopping in Seongsu.

Inside Dwaeji Gomtang House: seating and kiosk ordering

Dwaeji Gomtang House runs like a typical department store or mall food court. You order at the kiosk, grab a seat up front, and pick up your food yourself once it's ready.

The kitchen is open, which made it look really clean and gave me more confidence in the food.

When I visited, the light was great and the space felt more spacious than I expected. Seongsu and Yeonmujang-gil tend to get crowded no matter where you go on weekends, so it was nice to sit down comfortably for a meal instead of waiting outside a restaurant.

Dwaeji Gomtang House menu and prices

I ordered the clear gomtang set and the spicy gomtang set. The clear gomtang set was ₩15,000 and the spicy gomtang set was ₩16,000.

There were also other items like the house seaweed soup set, herring roe radish, and minari and tot (seaweed fusiforme) king mandu. If I'd had more of an appetite, I would've wanted to try the cold jeyuk too — I'll save that for next time.

They say the pork broth is made clear by simmering at low temperature under high pressure, and honestly, once I tried it, it felt quite different from the heavy pork gomtang I was expecting.

Clear gomtang vs spicy gomtang: which tastes better?

I tried the clear gomtang I ordered, and the broth was really clean yet rich. There was more meat than I expected too, and my sibling said the mushrooms inside were a sneaky highlight.

Adding the cheongyang chili jangajji (pickled hot chili) that comes alongside gave the meal a spicy kick every few bites. The herring roe radish in particular was a real treat, pairing well with the meat.

The spicy gomtang was quite a bit spicier than I expected. If you like a bold, spicy broth, you'll enjoy it — but if you're not great with spice, I'd recommend the clear gomtang instead.

The spicy gomtang also came with a generous amount of meat, so one bowl left me quite full. It seems like the kind of dish that comes to mind in Seongsu when you're craving something hot and spicy instead of greasy.

Parking at the Musinsa Grand Store

If you're driving, you can use the Musinsa Grand Store parking lot. Based on the signage I checked, it's ₩3,000 for the first 30 minutes, then ₩1,000 per additional 10 minutes.

That said, Seongsu is a pretty car-heavy area, so taking the subway is probably more convenient if you can.

Overall, Dwaeji Gomtang House was a great place to stop by for a comfortable bowl of soup while exploring Yeonmujang-gil or the wider Seongsu area. Next time I'm shopping in Seongsu and craving Korean food, I'd rather come back here than wander around looking for somewhere else to eat.