Jongno Korean restaurant in a hanok for gomtang: Wolhadong

A hanok gomtang restaurant in an Insadong alley

Insadong Korean gomtang :: Wolhadong ::

As you walk through the alleys of Insadong, you come across hanok restaurants that preserve the look of old tiled-roof houses.

Of them, Wolhadong (월하동), where I went, suited the atmosphere of Insadong so well from the moment I stepped inside.

What was the hanok atmosphere like?

Wolhadong was created by preserving an old tiled-roof house, so it had a peaceful, traditional atmosphere. Gayageum music was playing too, and it went so well with a neighborhood like Insadong.

I thought Wolhadong would let overseas visitors really experience a Korean atmosphere too. I hope places like this become better known to international visitors :)

The menu also had English, Japanese, and Chinese, so it looked like a good place for international tourists to visit. Although it is a converted hanok, the restroom was also kept clean when I visited.

There were bar seats too, so I think it would feel perfectly comfortable to come for lunch in Insadong alone.

Wolhadong menu and ordering

My husband and I visited together and ordered Wolha Gomtang (beef soup) for ₩12,000, Hong Gomtang for ₩13,500, and a half portion of naeng jeyuk (chilled sliced boiled pork) for ₩10,000.

Two bowls of gomtang plus chilled pork. Another satisfying meal for us today :)

Clear and savory Wolha Gomtang

First, the basic Wolha Gomtang. The broth was quite clear, but when I took a sip,

It was clean and savory! There isn't any unpleasant meat smell at all?

The rice comes mixed into the soup in the torim style. After trying it, my husband said it reminded him of a famous gukbap place he had eaten at in Busan. The meat in the gomtang was sliced very thinly, but there was quite a generous amount of it.

And what really stayed with me here was the dipping paste for the meat. Even on its own, it was not overly intense—salty and nutty—and I kept reaching for it.

According to the restaurant's description, this paste is called Cheonggeunjang, a radish-based dipping paste. Wolhadong makes Cheonggeunjang with radish based on a preparation method recorded in the Joseon era. Dipping the meat from the gomtang into Cheonggeunjang was such a good match :)

Hong Gomtang with a spicy kick

Hong Gomtang is, just as its name suggests, a spicy gomtang. It contains chili oil and chopped Cheongyang chilies, so it had a fairly spicy kick. Even so, the broth itself still felt clean :)

If you like a pleasantly spicy broth, do try the Hong Gomtang. I enjoyed it too, but my vote goes to the Wolha Gomtang, where I could enjoy that deeply savory broth. Haha.

A good side of half-portion chilled pork

We ordered the half portion of chilled pork because gomtang alone felt a little incomplete. The meat came sliced quite thickly, and it was clean and tasty with no unpleasant smell :)

The chilled pork had another lovely flavor when dipped in the sauce served with it, and it paired nicely with the gomtang. And the result was...

Yes. We finished every last bit :)

Hours, distance from Anguk Station, and parking

According to the restaurant's information at the time of my visit, hours were 11:00–21:00, break time was 15:00–17:00, and last orders were at 14:30 / 20:30.

Wolhadong is about a 5-minute walk from Anguk Station on Line 3. Dedicated parking is not available, so if you are driving, it is best to look into parking in advance. We used a nearby paid parking lot. Please check the hours and parking information once more before visiting :)

A meal that suited Insadong perfectly

When eating Korean food in Insadong, you want to enjoy not only the food but also the atmosphere of the space, right? At Wolhadong, I could have a warm bowl of gomtang while listening to gayageum music in a space that preserves an old tiled-roof house, so it suited Insadong beautifully.

The clear, savory Wolha Gomtang, the spicy Hong Gomtang, and the clean chilled pork with no unpleasant smell. Above all, I keep thinking about the Cheonggeunjang I dipped the meat into. If I return, I think I will order Wolha Gomtang and chilled pork again :)