Dangha-dong Korean restaurant course for two, 33,000 won: Damil

I was looking up good restaurants in Dangha-dong a while back and ended up at Lotus Leaf Rice and Noodles Damil Geomdan, which people said was great for taking your parents out for Korean food :) Every dish had solid quality overall, and the flavors were mild rather than intense — the kind of place that works for pretty much anyone. Definitely recommending this one!

Where is Damil Geomdan, and what are its hours and parking?

Lotus Leaf Rice and Noodles Damil Geomdan Branch is on the 2nd floor at 669 Wondang-daero, Geomdan-gu, Incheon. It's open 11:00 - 21:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00, and last order is at 20:30.

• Address: 669 Wondang-daero, 2nd floor, Geomdan-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00 - 21:00 (break time 15:00 - 17:00)
• Last order: 20:30
• Parking: Geomdan 5 Wanjeong Miso public parking lot available

Inside Damil Geomdan: dining room and seating

Inside, the tables range from 4-seaters to 6-seaters, and the wood-heavy interior gives it a comfortable feel.

What we ordered: the C course for two, 33,000 won

C course, ₩33,000, for two — ordered!

Course starters: young ginseng, Caesar salad, royal pine nut porridge

The course kicked off with young ginseng and a Caesar salad. Nice that it didn't start off heavy — light dishes that wake up your appetite instead :) The young ginseng especially — just one bite and I somehow felt healthier already haha 🌱

Next up was the royal pine nut porridge. The distinct nutty, rich flavor of pine nuts spreads through your mouth, and the porridge itself goes down soft and smooth — I think even older folks would enjoy it without any trouble.

Tofu steak and japchae made with Damil's handmade tofu

Then the tofu steak came out! It felt like a light, plain grilled tofu dish — apparently Damil uses handmade tofu, and you could really taste the tofu's own soft, nutty flavor because of that.

The japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) was my number one pick. The noodles hadn't gone soft — nice and springy — and the seasoning wasn't too strong, which was just right.

The dish my partner raved about: lotus-leaf sweet and sour pork

The lotus-leaf sweet and sour pork looked delicious even before we tasted it 🤤

Maybe because it came fresh out of the fryer, the outside was crispy and the inside stayed moist — perfectly crispy-outside, tender-inside. My partner especially kept raving about how good it was while eating it haha

Lotus-leaf rice, Korean side dishes and braised short ribs

You can't skip the lotus-leaf rice at Damil! Served neatly wrapped in a lotus leaf, it looked properly healthy and Korean right from the start 🌿 And it's not just plain white rice but nutritious rice, so every spoonful somehow made me feel healthier haha

Along with the lotus-leaf rice came a variety of Korean side dishes. Overall the seasoning wasn't too heavy, and they went well with the rice — I kept picking at them one by one and somehow kept shoveling in rice too lol

Especially the braised short ribs!!!!! Forget any other rice thief — this tasted just like the rich braised short ribs my mom makes at home!!

Hoeryeong tofu hot pot and the closing fritters

The Hoeryeong tofu hot pot looked spicy just from the sight of it.

At the very end, fritters came out almost like a dessert — shrimp fritters and sweet pumpkin fritters, fried crispy in their batter. Finishing the course off this well left us seriously full~~~~

Who is the Damil Geomdan course best for?

Lotus Leaf Rice and Noodles Damil Geomdan Branch seemed like a great fit for people who prefer mild, clean Korean food over anything too intense. With familiar Korean menu items ranging from lotus-leaf rice to handmade tofu, japchae, braised short ribs, and tofu hot pot, I don't think there'd be much to dislike regardless of age or gender.

So I'd especially recommend it to anyone in Dangha-dong looking for a Korean restaurant to take their parents to :)