Gangnam Korean restaurant for hearty gomtang: Geumnyeong Gomtang

One minute from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 4: Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch, carrying on the legacy of the Wangsimni flagship store, is just one minute from Exit 4 of Sinnonhyeon Station.

The interior is incredibly clean, with an atmosphere that practically gives off great-restaurant vibes. From tables for two to tables for six, it can easily handle group gatherings too.

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch displays the condition of its top-grade Korean beef every day like this. It uses 1++ Korean beef—the only restaurant in the industry to do so—so it feels even more trustworthy!

From the kimchi to the nostalgic water pitcher

First, a look at the kimchi. The seasoning has soaked in beautifully, making it perfect with the gomtang broth. There are cubed radish kimchi and napa cabbage kimchi mixed together, so eat whichever you prefer.

Grandmas and grandpas who recognize this water pitcher, please stand up... It is such a nostalgic pitcher. It was originally a bigger glass pitcher with orange juice in it—you all know, right? Haha.

Two servings of minari gomtang and seasoned pollock sashimi

The menu includes gomtang (beef soup with rice), minari gomtang, rice noodles in a gomtang-broth base, and minari rice noodles. The seasoned pollock sashimi is especially so good you would not notice if one person died while two were eating it! It is wonderfully tangy, and the pollock itself is high quality.

I ordered two servings of minari gomtang.

Minari gomtang (₩14,000), packed with minari (water dropwort), which is good for you, has a lovely texture, and smells wonderful too.

They give you this much meat? It is clearly top-grade Korean beef, and they did not hold back at all.

Broth-soaked rice and self-serve side dishes

The flavor of the broth seeps between every grain of rice through the to-ryeom style, where the rice is warmed in the broth. The depth comes through the instant you lift a spoonful, and that is why I keep coming back.

Other than the kimchi, you can get the side dishes from the self-serve corner. The dried radish strips are especially the kick.

Minari gomtang packed with finely chopped, fragrant minari! Since I love minari, this is what I order every time I come.

Gomtang for solo meals, company dinners, and drinks

Honestly, gomtang works for solo dining, lunch, dinner, company dinners, drinks, and gatherings. That makes it great because anyone can come without worrying about preferences. And it tastes good too... Ah, ma'am, one glass of soju pleaseㅠ

There is plenty of protein-rich Korean beef, plenty of fiber-rich minari, and a nourishing broth carefully simmered every day with medicinal herbs! Just think of this bowl as a tonic.

Eating the Korean beef with dried radish strips

I took a close-up of just the meat. Perhaps because the fat is finely and evenly spread in long diagonal streaks through it, it is tender and flavorful. The meat is incredibly tasty even on its own.

But when you top it with dried radish strips or kimchi, the gomtang tastes even deeper. Hot broth with tangy dried radish strips—just perfect...

For days when you need a hot bowl

There are Chupa Chups candies at the register too—Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch even takes care of dessert. In summer, I come here worn out by the air-conditioning; in winter, I come worn out by the cold. There is something immensely grounding about a hot bowl of gomtang.

Not only is the fragrant, clean-tasting minari gomtang a proper meal, but so is the sweet-and-tangy seasoned pollock sashimi. Every banchan (side dish) is delicious, and all the vegetables are fresh. I recommend it for everything from solo meals to group gatherings.