Hongdae restaurant with cold makguksu and gomtang: Yukjeon Gukbap

It's Snail here! 🐌 The day after a heavy Saturday night of drinking, what's the first thing that comes to mind for hangover food? For me it's either a piping hot soup or a cold refreshing noodle dish. Today I'm introducing a Seogyo-dong spot that satisfies both cravings at once 🤤 Highly recommended not just for Seogyo-dong regulars but for anyone searching for restaurants in Hongdae, Seoul!

Where is Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch, and is there parking?

📍Location: 9-1 World Cup buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul. This is 'Yukjeon Gukbap' Seogyo Branch! It's close to Seogyo-dong and also easy to reach — just a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Hongik University Station 🚶‍♀️. There are even 4 parking spots right in front of the restaurant 🚘. And it's open 24 hours, so you can drop by for a meal anytime!

Inside Yukjeon Gukbap: solo counter seats and tables for groups

Yukjeon Gukbap doesn't have harsh lighting inside — it's soft and cozy, making for a comfortable meal. The solo seats are well set up too, and solo diners kept streaming in the whole time.

The interior is spacious, so it's also great for group visits. Nice and roomy!

What's on the menu at Yukjeon Gukbap Seogyo Branch?

• ✔️Meals — makguksu (buckwheat noodles), gukbap (soup with rice), gomtang (beef bone soup), bulgogi, etc.
• ✔️Fresh-fried pancakes — beef pancake, meatball pancake, seafood scallion pancake, kimchi pancake, perilla leaf pancake, etc.
• ✔️Stir-fries and hot pots — beef tripe hot pot, bulgogi hot pot, assorted hot pot, etc.

They also have set meals, so it's easy to pair gukbap or makguksu with a side of beef pancake or meatball pancake.

Here's a tip to make the wait for food more enjoyable 🤓

Kimchi, kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi), and pickled onion come as standard side dishes. The kkakdugi here was tangy and refreshing — honestly, any place that serves gukbap needs to nail its kkakdugi 😍

You can refill any side dishes you run low on at the self-serve bar. Note that the yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) is only available there, so make sure to grab some!💚

Mul-makguksu set and gomtang set: one hearty spread for two

Mul-makguksu set, gomtang set. With the set menus you can pick meatball pancake or beef pancake — we ordered both sets, so we got to try both.

The visuals are seriously no joke! 🤎 That day I was craving something cold while my boyfriend wanted something hot, and it wasn't easy deciding where to go. But we found a place that satisfied both of our cravings at once 😋

Meatball pancake or beef pancake? Both were a surprise hit

The moment they arrived, a savory pancake aroma wafted up! Not many places serve this kind of pancake these days, and paired with gukbap or makguksu, it's absolutely amazing 💛 All the pancakes are fried fresh to order rather than made ahead, so it might take a little time — but honestly, that's a good thing! 😍

The beef pancake had zero gamey beef smell and was really tender — it tasted savory and delicious even without dipping in soy sauce! It was so savory and soft that I instantly understood why the restaurant's name includes 'yukjeon' (beef pancake). Best of all, the beef wasn't tough at all.

Eating it with pickled onion in particular cuts through the oiliness and boosts the flavor. Looking at the photo, I'm amazed at how evenly they coated it in egg batter..!

The meatball pancake had no gamey smell either, so it was really tasty eaten plain. Plus it was thick, so every single bite was satisfying! 🤎

Since it was freshly fried, there was no greasy smell at all and it was so delicious. I almost polished it off before even pairing it with the gukbap..!

Rich, long-simmered gomtang beef soup

The gomtang looked like it had a generous amount of meat at first glance. It was packed with lean brisket, so the broth was rich and deep without being greasy.

Even without any added seasoning, just spooning up the broth alone felt like it settled my stomach instantly. The broth was clean yet deep in flavor. Dipping the meat in mustard sauce added great savory depth too 👍🏻 The meat was so tender and delicious.

But of course, you've got to pile on the black pepper! 🖤 Gomtang and pepper are inseparable 🥹 The distinct aroma of pepper really seems to make the gomtang even more flavorful.

Having somyeon (thin wheat noodles) included in the gomtang is a total win, isn't it? 🤍 There was a generous amount of noodles too, so as a noodle lover I was thrilled 🤤 And of course you have to finish off with a bowl of rice mixed into the broth after the noodles — it went down so smoothly.

Cold, clean-tasting mul-makguksu buckwheat noodles

It's topped generously with sweet-and-sour fruit sauce, cucumber, and seaweed flakes. Apparently there's no shaved ice in the mul-makguksu (cold buckwheat noodle soup) specifically to keep the noodles from getting too firm. And you're supposed to eat the noodles uncut to better enjoy the buckwheat's texture 😋

Even eating it plain without adding mustard or vinegar, the sweet-and-tangy flavor came through fully — I never felt like anything was missing.

The noodles had a subtle, nutty buckwheat flavor and a clean, snappy bite that was really appealing 🤎

Maybe because the sauce used real fruit, it was perfectly sweet and tangy — so good! And pairing it with the savory beef pancake was the best combination 💛👍🏻

The best makguksu tip: self-serve yeolmu kimchi in the noodles

Start by enjoying the makguksu as it is, then partway through, grab some yeolmu kimchi from the self-serve bar and mix it in! The crunchy texture and refreshing taste of yeolmu kimchi go really well with the makguksu.

The yeolmu kimchi itself wasn't overly salty, so it was perfect to mix into the makguksu! It even seemed to make the broth taste better. I highly recommend eating it with this yeolmu kimchi and makguksu combo 💚

Can you tell we cleaned our plates completely? 🥹 It was so good that I didn't want to miss even a single sip of the broth. For anyone looking for restaurants in Hongdae, Seoul, I highly recommend 'Yukjeon Gukbap'! 👍🏻