Barley rice gomtang, Seongdong Korean restaurant: Dwaeji Gomtang House

It had been a while since I went to Seongsu with a friend... Seongsu was already hot, but it has become even more of a hotspot. (There were so many foreigners, I wondered whether I was in Korea or abroad.) And when you go to Seongsu, you simply cannot skip Musinsa shopping, haha. ✨ Musinsa Mega Store ✨

A special pop-up at Musinsa Mega Store Food Garden

This is one of those must-visit Seongsu hotspots these days, but did you know the Mega Store even has a Food Garden?! I went shopping at Musinsa and heard a special pop-up restaurant had appeared, so I stopped by Dwaeji Gomtang House.

There was also a Pokémon Pokopia pop-up on the first floor, so it was packed again hahaha.

From B1 to the fourth floor, Musinsa Mega Store is fun to browse for fashion, beauty, accessories, and more, haha. But first, we needed to fill up before shopping, so we headed straight to the fourth-floor Food Garden. 💨

Today's mission: find Dwaeji Gomtang House 💚 Since it was a special pop-up, there was no way I could miss it. You can find it by entering Pop-up Store A and turning left.

Dwaeji Gomtang House menu and ordering

The menu is sooo simple 🌿 You can order at the kiosk.

• Clear gomtang set ₩15,000
• Spicy gomtang set ₩16,000
• House miyeokguk (seaweed soup) set ₩17,000
• Minari and hijiki jumbo dumplings, 3 pieces ₩9,000
• Cold boiled pork, half portion ₩16,000
• Herring roe dried radish strips ₩5,000
• Steamed rice ₩1,000

Dwaeji Gomtang House's main branch is also in Seongsu, but perhaps because this was a pop-up inside Musinsa Mega Store, they were even selling House T-shirts here. 🤣 So cute.

A Food Garden like an urban garden

While we waited for our food, I looked around the Food Garden, haha. True to its name, it really nailed the urban-garden concept! Such a restorative atmosphere amid all those dazzling buildings~ (We ate first and shopped after, though hahaha.) As expected, lots of people shopped first and then came here to eat.

When the food is ready, they let you know with a pager. Salt and pepper are set out by the cutlery station, so you can add them to taste. 👍

Clear gomtang set with barley rice mixed into the broth

The clear gomtang set (₩15,000) came out so neatly, didn't it?! The weather had suddenly turned chilly, and I had been craving a hot bowl of soup—this was exactly what I needed, haha. If you're looking for a good gukbap (rice in soup) place in Seongsu-dong, come here. The broth was clear and clean but deeply flavorful, totally the kind of taste that makes you want rice. .ᐟ.ᐟ

The rice was hiding in the broth, haha. Mixed into the clear gomtang broth, it went down so easily.

And it wasn't just plain white rice—it was barley rice ㅠㅠ The little popping texture was fun, and it was seriously filling~

My favorite thing about House Gomtang was how generously it was piled with meat! Can you see how tender it is~? It was really soft and delicious ㅠㅠㅠ

Following the owner's recommendation, I added the gochu dadaegi (spicy chili seasoning), and that little spicy kick was everything. 👏

At a gukbap place, the kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) has to be good above all else..! This kkakdugi was nicely sweet too—the textbook gukbap-restaurant kimchi, haha. The special side dish you can only try at House, herring roe dried radish strips, also went so well with the gukbap. The herring roe made it a texture genius.

Spicy gomtang with a hit of spice after the aromatics

The spicy gomtang set (₩16,000) was what my friend ordered, and I was curious so I stole a bowlful 🤭 The spicy version had a completely different charm!!! There was a slight aromatic-spice flavor, so the first bite felt a little exotic, then Korean heat came rushing in right away. It was subtly addictive. It would be perfect as a hangover cure too, hahaha.

If you're looking for a great gukbap spot in Seongsu-dong for weather as chilly as this, run to Dwaeji Gomtang House Musinsa Mega Store Branch (돼지공탕 하우 무신사 메가스토어점) before the pop-up ends. ੧ᐛ੭