Ansan Korean restaurant: bibimbap mixed in pork set sauce, Morakmorak

What we ate at Morakmorak Seolleongtang this time

This time at Morakmorak Seolleongtang (모락모락설렁탕) Ansan Seongpo Main Branch, we ate the jeyuk set (spicy stir-fried pork set) and yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef bibimbap). I'd had the beef bulgogi rice bowl before and was curious about the other dishes, so I went back.

Last time I couldn't decide between the yukhoe bibimbap and the jeyuk, then suddenly switched to bulgogi, haha. This time I ordered both of the dishes I'd agonized over!! It's a seolleongtang (ox bone soup) place, but if you're like me and prefer meat with rice over soup-and-rice dishes, there's plenty to choose from.

Morakmorak Seolleongtang Ansan Seongpo location and opening hours

Morakmorak is on the first basement floor of Star Plaza in Seongpo-dong, Ansan, open daily 10:00–20:30 (last order 20:00). The address is 513 Hwarang-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi, South Korea (Unit 8 and 9.9-2, basement floor).

Take the elevator down and the fresh, leafy-green interior greets you. There are seats on both sides of the kitchen and tables for bigger groups, so it works well for a family meal too.

Inside the restaurant

Morakmorak Seolleongtang menu and prices

Morakmorak isn't just seolleongtang and galbitang (short rib soup). The menu also has yukhoe bibimbap, a beef bulgogi rice bowl and a jeyuk set. Prices below are from the menu I photographed this time!

• Seolleongtang ₩9,000 / Special seolleongtang ₩14,000
• Galbitang ₩14,000
• Yukhoe bibimbap ₩10,000
• Beef bulgogi rice bowl ₩10,000
• Jeyuk set ₩14,000 (gochujang / soy sauce)

For the jeyuk set you can choose gochujang (red chili paste) or soy sauce seasoning, and it comes with brisket doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) and a bowl of rice. For someone like me who ends up reading the non-soup part of the menu first even at a seolleongtang place, that lineup is a delight.

What the basic side dishes look like

Here's the basic side dish setup at Morakmorak Seolleongtang.

We ordered the jeyuk set and the yukhoe bibimbap. The two dishes I'd been torn over last time, finally ordered. Two rice dishes instead of soup!!

You get kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), onion and chili peppers, ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste) and namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes. It's not just rice and meat; the table is set so you can eat a bit of everything.

How was the yukhoe bibimbap (₩10,000)?

The yukhoe bibimbap looks delicious from the colors alone: green vegetables, red raw beef and a yellow yolk, with sesame seeds sprinkled over the beef. The rice comes separately, so you put it in the bowl and mix everything together.

The raw beef alone makes you want to pick it up piece by piece. There are plenty of vegetables too, so once the rice goes in the bowl is full. The beef sits on one side and the vegetables on the other, so you end up taking photos before mixing!!

A milky white broth comes with the bibimbap too. Even if you pick a rice dish, you still get soup on the side! Salt and pepper are on the table, so season it to your taste bit by bit.

Morakmorak also runs a butcher shop near the restaurant, which may be why the meat quality is so good. The freshness is incomparable to other restaurants, and the quality and texture of the meat are both great.

What's in the jeyuk set (₩14,000)?

And the jeyuk bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork) we ordered together!! It's listed as the jeyuk set on the Morakmorak menu, and it includes brisket doenjang stew and a bowl of rice.

The meat and onions come on a round plate. There's onion tucked between the meat, and the glossy seasoning makes it a perfect match with rice. If yukhoe bibimbap is a dish where you toss everything in one bowl and mix, jeyuk is more like home cooking: a piece of meat on top of white rice. Both are meat dishes, but you eat them in completely different ways.

A plate of meat plus stew in one meal!! It reminded me that last time, with the bulgogi rice bowl, the staff told me to dip onion or chili in the ssamjang. This table had onion, chili and garlic too, so you can alternate them with the jeyuk.

Mixing yukhoe bibimbap into the jeyuk sauce

I ate the yukhoe bibimbap, but I also stole some of the jeyuk my companion ordered. As you'd expect from a place with its own butcher shop, the meat quality is great..

How did they make the jeyuk sauce so rich and savory? The cooking here is just so good. I mixed my yukhoe bibimbap into the jeyuk sauce, and it was incredibly tasty whichever way I ate it.

I wasn't even that hungry, but I cleaned my plate, it was so delicious.

Is Morakmorak Seolleongtang worth a return visit?

Even on my last visit I thought Morakmorak was a legendarily delicious place, and coming back gave me exactly the same feeling. Just that all-time-great-delicious feeling.

It tastes like home cooking, like the home-cooked meals made by a mom who's an incredible cook!! The prices are reasonable and the food is good, so I think anyone who comes once will become a regular. It's a great Seongpo-dong, Ansan restaurant for when you crave a home-style table of meat, rice and side dishes.