Insa-dong noodle restaurant: 2-person set for ₩38,000 at Goshine

On a weekend I headed toward Anguk Station for a bit of culture — an exhibition — and got hungry, so I wandered around looking for a good Korean restaurant near Anguk Station. That's how I ended up at Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch. 😊

Where is Goshine Donghae Makguksu in Insa-dong, and when is it open?

Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch is on the 1st floor at 3 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and it's open daily from 11:00 to 21:30 (with a break from 16:00 to 17:00). They have a vegan menu, and group use and group reservations are also available.

It sits right on the main road of Insa-dong, so even first-time visitors can find it easily without getting lost — a big plus.

Thanks to how accessible it is, customers kept streaming in nonstop. The hanok-style exterior matches the Insa-dong vibe so well, I thought foreign friends would love it if I brought them here.

The sign out front mentioned that the noodles are made in-house, which caught my eye. Knowing they're handmade buckwheat noodles, different from store-bought ones, only raised my expectations even more. 😊

Inside Goshine Donghae: group tables and the self-bar

Walking into Goshine Donghae Makguksu Jongno branch, the space was much bigger and more comfortable than I expected. The tables were spaced generously, so overall capacity seemed ample. There was also a separate private room, which looked great for group reservations depending on the occasion or party size.

There were Korean decorative items displayed all around, which made it fun to look around.

It's been a while since I've seen a hahoetal (Korean traditional mask) like that. 😊

The self-bar had small plates, pickles, yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi), and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) — help yourself to as much as you like.

What we ordered at Goshine Donghae and what it cost

Here's what I ordered:

• 2-person set for ₩38,000, which lets you try two noodle dishes plus boiled pork
• Salad buckwheat gimbap (seaweed rice roll) for ₩7,000
• Buckwheat crepe, half-and-half — kimchi and gondre — for ₩9,000

Salad buckwheat gimbap, 7,000 won

Buckwheat gimbap has been trending on social media lately, so I ordered it.

Instead of rice, it was packed with buckwheat noodles and vegetables — it looked healthy just by looking at it.

Without rice, it was light, and the crisp crunch of the vegetables was great, so this would be perfect for anyone who prefers a diet-friendly or light meal. 😊

The 2-person set: water makguksu and perilla oil makguksu

For the noodle dishes in the set menu, I picked two: water makguksu and perilla oil makguksu. The water makguksu (cold buckwheat noodle soup) came with fine ice shards floating in it, perfect for a hot summer day. It had some spicy seasoning mixed in, but not too much, so it was fine even for an elementary schooler.

The perilla oil makguksu had a light perilla aroma, and it was topped generously with gim (roasted seaweed) flakes, which gave it a nice nutty flavor.

Overall the flavors weren't intense, more mild and understated, so it was easy to eat without any issue. The noodles themselves — handmade buckwheat noodles — went down smoothly. 😊

The bossam boiled pork included in the set

The bossam (boiled pork wraps) included in the set had a fairly strong natural meat flavor for my taste. Still, it was fine overall.

Buckwheat crepe half-and-half, kimchi and gondre, 9,000 won

The buckwheat crepe came in two flavors, kimchi and gondre (mountain vegetable), and it was fun cutting them up myself with scissors, snip snip.

It had a mild, clean style rather than an intense flavor, so it should suit anyone who usually prefers subtle, healthy tastes.

Is Goshine Donghae worth it for a light meal near Anguk Station?

Overall it was a solid, easygoing meal! The location is so good and accessible that it was a convenient stop for grabbing a simple meal without any waiting.

If you're looking for a place near Jongno and Anguk Station to enjoy tidy, well-made buckwheat dishes without wandering around, I hope this visit report helps when you're deciding what to order. 😊