Late-night naengmyeon and beef mineari at Gongdeok's Horangi Gotgan

Late Sunday night, a Korean meal in Gongdeok

🌙 You know those nights when you suddenly get hungry out of nowhere.

I'd already had dinner but still felt kind of empty, and going straight home felt like a waste lol. While wondering what to eat around Gongdeok-dong, I ended up at Horangi Gotgan, which I'd found while looking up Gongdeok Korean restaurants.

Even though it was late on a Sunday, the tables were almost completely full when I walked in. This many people at such a late hour! Seeing a place packed like that really does inspire confidence that it's a good restaurant haha. It put me in a good mood too, so I quickly grabbed a seat and looked over the menu.

🍚 The happiest moment is deciding what to eat

Horangi Gotgan had a wider menu than I expected. Every single photo on the menu looked so mouth-watering that honestly, this moment of deciding what to eat might be the happiest part of the whole meal.

You know that stretch of time when you're starving but can't decide, so you just keep driving around... lol. So the fact that I'd actually parked and walked into the restaurant today already felt kind of exciting.

It seems like a wait can form during peak hours, so that's worth keeping in mind if you're planning to visit.

After going back and forth between menu items, I figured the cool season was coming soon and I might miss out on this kind of dish, so I decided on naengmyeon!

What I ordered and the price

Call it my last naengmyeon of the summer haha. Since there was yeolmu naengmyeon on the menu, I ordered the naengmyeon for 10,000 won, and since noodles alone felt a bit lacking, I also ordered a side of arongsatae minari muchim for 16,000 won.

Great menu choice today~!! Nice~!! 😆

❄️ Icy shards floating on top — naengmyeon is a summer must

After ordering, it didn't take long for the naengmyeon to arrive. Just the sight of the ice floating on top made me feel like all the sweat from the day was cooling right off. With the chilled broth topped with yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi), my mouth started watering just looking at it.

And really, when it comes to summer, yeolmu kimchi has to be one of Korea's essential summer delicacies, right haha. Who was the genius who first thought of putting yeolmu kimchi into naengmyeon?! As someone just eating it, I'm simply grateful lol.

The chewy texture of the arrowroot noodles was great, and the broth was so refreshing — perfect for hot weather. Eating it together with the yeolmu kimchi added a crunchy texture and tangy flavor, and I finished the whole bowl in no time.

🥩 The beef shank and water celery combo is impossible to resist

And the dish that impressed me more than expected was the arongsatae minari muchim. Just look at the presentation~ haha. Slicing the beef shank so neatly like this! The thin, easy-to-eat slices of arongsatae came out with minari muchim on top, and just looking at it revived my appetite instantly.

I'd suddenly decided to skip alcohol today, but the craving crept up on me... lol. Gotta hold back~!! Rice it is today~!!

The arrowroot noodles are so chewy!! And the broth is incredibly refreshing

Eating a piece of arongsatae together with the minari muchim, the mild richness of the meat and the fragrant minari really worked well together. The freshly tossed feel of the minari muchim in particular stood out — I'd say it's on par with the minari muchim you get at some well-known restaurants haha.

Eating a slice of boiled arongsatae together with the minari muchim, I couldn't help but think this combo would go really well with a glass of makgeolli. Maybe next time I should come during the day and actually order some makgeolli lol.

🍜 Naengmyeon plus meat — today's menu choice was a win!

Cooling my palate with the naengmyeon and then following it with the arongsatae and minari muchim, the combination was even better than I expected. I'd come because I was hungry, but the food itself turned out to be so good that I barely had time to savor it — I just cleaned everything up.

Late-night visit and parking

This seems like a solid place to go for a hearty Korean meal in Gongdeok-dong late at night. Best of all, there's a parking space right in front of the restaurant, which made it easy to visit by car. I dropped by almost like a little night outing, had a delicious meal, and headed home feeling satisfyingly full.

I'd gone looking for this place because it's known as a Gongdeok Korean restaurant, and after eating there, I could see exactly why it has that reputation. The menu is varied, so I'd love to try other dishes next time. It seems like it's actually more famous as a lunch spot, so next time I'll try to time it right and stop by for lunch.

Today I properly caught the last naengmyeon of summer~! haha. If you're looking for a hearty Korean meal in Gongdeok, Horangi Gotgan, a well-known Gongdeok Korean restaurant, is worth adding to your list for next time.