Gangnam Korean restaurant with pollock salad: Geumnyeong Gomtang

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch near Sinnonhyeon Station

This spot sits beside Coffee Bean near Sinnonhyeon Station. It is practically right in front of Exit 4 of Sinnonhyeon Station, where Line 9 and the Shinbundang Line meet, so the access is excellent. Parking is unavailable due to the building, so I recommend parking at a nearby public lot before visiting.

A clean, spacious interior and a focused menu

The interior at Geumnyeong Gomtang, a Gangnam meal spot, is so clean, comfortable, and spacious. As you would expect from a newly opened Korean restaurant, every corner was spotless, and the owner was kind too—there was so much charm that put me in a good mood from the moment I walked in.

The menu here focuses on just a few things: gomtang (beef soup), pho, seasoned pollock salad, boiled beef slices, and dumplings. I loved that the simple menu made choosing easy, while also making me expect they would do each dish really well. Bongsam came alone, but ordered both minari gomtang and a generous serving of seasoned pollock salad.

Crisp, tangy kimchi and self-serve side dishes

Honestly, kimchi is everything at a gukbap or kalguksu restaurant, and I always think places that bring it out in a little jar have the basics down. This was clearly house-made Korean kimchi, and it was truly so crisp and tangy—absolutely delicious.

I noticed a self-serve corner when I came in, so I went to take a look. Is Geumnyeong Gomtang, this Gangnam meal spot, secretly a baekban restaurant...? Kimchi alone would have made this side-dish lineup moving enough, but there were no fewer than six more side dishes ready to go. Bongsam took just a little to taste, and every single one was a winner.

Savory minari gomtang broth and beef shank

Wow, the dishes came out quickly after barely any wait. Seriously, what is this visual? The second they hit the table, I was completely won over.

What is this generous bowl..? It was piled high with finely chopped minari (water parsley), and even though I had not ordered the special size, it was full of meat. There was also plenty of rice inside, properly soaked in that savory broth. The presentation was incredible.

There was seriously so much tender beef shank. The thickness was just right, so it was not tough at all and tasted so, so good. The fragrant minari joined the pleasantly salty broth, and wow—I immediately thought, ah, this is why people come here.

And with crisp, sweet-and-tangy kimchi on the side, what more is there to say...? This alone was already a perfect meal, so I honestly did not need any other side dishes. It was such an eye-opening delicious bite that I wanted to praise myself for finding this place today.

A solo-meal combination with seasoned pollock salad

And then there was the seasoned pollock salad, which I could not possibly skip even though I had dropped by alone for a Gangnam meal. I was honestly surprised—this was the first place that had served it with this much vegetables.

Wow... the seasoning had such great balance: sweet, tangy, spicy, with nothing missing. It was so soft that I could not feel a single bone, yet it also had that pleasing chewiness. It was just amazing.

Paired with the crisp vegetables, it gained freshness as well as texture, and the harmony was wonderful. One bite made me instantly understand why they serve it as a full plate. Owner, you clearly know good food—two thumbs up.

And when you put it on the gukbap, the combination is wonderful in a completely different way. If you usually love pickled foods or sweet-and-tangy flavors, this pairing is an absolute must. Next time Bongsam comes to eat alone in Gangnam, I will come here again and order this exact combination.

Oh my—while eating, I found the cute detail of a few tteokguk rice-cake slices tucked inside. It felt a little like finding treasure, and their chewy texture made the meal even more fun. On my way out after paying, I popped a lollipop in my mouth as a palate cleanser—how nice is that?

My thoughts on this Korean restaurant for solo dining

So, after visiting Geumnyeong Gomtang, Bongsam personally felt that it was a Korean restaurant perfectly suited to eating alone. The savory broth is excellent, and every basic seasoning is delicious. It is kind, clean, and the food tastes great—a place you will not regret visiting, so go check it out in style!