Sangam Korean restaurant for a solo dumpling-set lunch: Sangam Hoegwan

Sangam Hoegwan

The weather's been so back and forth lately. It gets cool enough to feel like fall, then suddenly it's hot again. Days like this call for kongguksu (cold soy milk noodle soup)! There's a restaurant in Sangam that's famous for it — it's packed with customers year-round, no matter the season. So I went to check out Sangam Hoegwan, the kongguksu spot everyone talks about.

Where is Sangam Hoegwan, and what are the hours?

Basement 1 food court, Sangam IT Tower, 434 World Cup buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea Mon–Fri 10:00–22:00 Sat, Sun 11:00–22:00 Parking available

Sangam Hoegwan is located in the food court on the basement level of Sangam IT Tower, so it has plenty of regulars. Because it's a food court, tables turn over quickly even during busy hours.

Walk straight down and you'll spot it right at the corner. There's a standing sign out front, so it's easy to find. Kongguksu is usually thought of as a summer treat, but honestly I enjoy it any time of year.

Sangam Hoegwan menu and what three people ordered

Here's the menu. I was curious about the ube soy milk noodle, but it was sold out the day I went — a bit of a bummer! Besides kongguksu, they also have perilla oil milmyeon (chewy wheat noodles), so you can bring along a friend who can't do soy milk noodles and still have a great meal together. I really liked that variety.

Here's what I ordered!

• Kongguksu mandu-jeongsik (soy milk noodle dumpling set)
• Sweet pumpkin kongguksu mandu-jeongsik
• Perilla oil milmyeon mandu-jeongsik
• Kimchi-jeon (kimchi pancake)
• A plate of dumplings (4 pieces)

Gotta eat a hearty lunch, right?

The food arrived — the portions were seriously generous.

Each set comes with kongguksu, kimchi, and 2 dumplings. The kimchi-jeon was fried up nice and crispy. I prefer crispy over soggy jeon, so this hit the spot.

How do the perilla oil milmyeon and pumpkin kongguksu taste?

Sangam Hoegwan's perilla oil milmyeon looked spicy and delicious, topped with a boiled egg too!

The sweet pumpkin kongguksu! If you like your soy milk noodles on the sweeter side, I highly recommend this one — the broth is seriously thick and rich.

Sweet pumpkin kongguksu! If you like your soy milk noodles on the sweeter side, I highly recommend it — the broth is seriously rich.

Kongguksu — the classic is always the best, right? And when the basic version is this good, the other variations can't possibly be bad either! The broth was so rich, they must be using good quality soybeans.

Why the dumpling meal set is the one to order

Sangam Hoegwan's kimchi-jeon and dumplings were genuinely great — the plump dumplings were packed with meat and vegetables. They were good enough to take home separately, perfect as a meal on their own.

Kongguksu alone is already tasty, but ordering the set instead of a single dish gets you dumplings too, which makes it even better! Even big eaters will get plenty full, so it's excellent value. It's especially great to add a side like kimchi-jeon.

Sugar or salt: which kongguksu should you choose?

I had the sweet pumpkin kongguksu, and I loved that it was already sweet enough without needing extra seasoning. The soy broth was thick and creamy, so it was satisfying to eat spoonful by spoonful.

With kongguksu, people tend to fall into the sugar camp or the salt camp. If you like things sweet, I'd recommend the pumpkin kongguksu; if you prefer salt, go for the regular kongguksu. There are separate salt and sugar shakers on the table so you can season to taste. I'm firmly in the sugar camp, so the pumpkin kongguksu suited me perfectly.

Is Sangam Hoegwan good for lunch alone in Sangam?

The kimchi-jeon actually paired surprisingly well with everything. Eating the cool kongguksu broth alongside the crispy, salty kimchi-jeon made both taste even better! At Sangam Hoegwan, I'd definitely recommend ordering a side dish too. The set with 2 included dumplings is especially good — even big eaters will leave full.

Sangam Hoegwan is a great Sangam lunch spot, and since it's in a food court, it's perfect for solo dining too. Next time I want to come back and try the ube kongguksu!