Gangnam Korean restaurant: solo minari gomtang at Geumnyeong

A little while ago, I was heading to a dermatology clinic near Sinnonhyeon Station that I had booked and started looking for a gukbap (rice soup) place where I could eat alone. Geumnyeong Gomtang (금녕곰탕), an up-and-coming Korean restaurant around Sinnonhyeon with great reviews, caught my eye, so I went to check it out!

How to get to Geumnyeong Gomtang from Sinnonhyeon Station

The alleys around Sinnonhyeon Station can be confusing, especially if you are directionally challenged, but Geumnyeong Gomtang is easy: come out of Exit 4 and turn into exactly the second alley. I found it right after turning right at the Seven Eleven convenience store by the entrance.

Address: 1 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Yeoksam-dong) Hours: Daily 10:30–22:00 Break time: 15:00–17:00 Last order: 21:30 Closed: Every Sunday Since it opens at 10:30 a.m., it is also great for an early brunch or for avoiding the lunchtime rush.

A comfortable atmosphere even when dining alone

I loved that the whole interior felt neat and hygienic. The décor was polished yet clean, and there were already lots of people even though it was not peak time. I especially liked the table layout and atmosphere, where solo diners could eat comfortably without feeling self-conscious. When I visited, there were quite a few nearby office workers and other people enjoying a solo meal around Sinnonhyeon, so I settled in with ease :) There are tables for two and four as well as group seating, making it good not only for dining alone but also for pairs, small lunches, or casual dinner drinks.

The open kitchen lets you see right inside, and it really showed how seriously they take cleanliness.

Ordering minari gomtang and the side dishes

Gomtang is ₩13,000, or ₩15,000 for the special, so the prices are not too burdensome, and they also sell pho. They have drinking snacks such as boiled beef slices and seasoned dried pollack sashimi, too, so I noticed some people having a daytime drink. This time, I ordered the minari gomtang (₩14,000)!

They promptly brought water and kimchi, and the kimchi was so tasty that I refilled it several times, haha.

Other extra side dishes are available at the self-service station.

Torim-style gomtang piled high with minari

Not long after I ordered, a steaming full set of minari gomtang arrived. As soon as the bowl landed on the table, I could smell the fragrant minari (water parsley) and the savory Korean beef broth..! It really comes topped with loads of minari :) The generous pile of fresh green minari looked so appetizing too, haha. There was also an incredibly generous amount of top-grade 1++ Korean beef on top, so it was a very filling portion~

I took a spoonful of the broth first. The broth itself was seriously rich^^ There was no artificial seasoning taste; instead, it was deep, rich, and clean, with Korean beef bones, meat, and medicinal herbs all coming together. In particular, the rice is served in the traditional torim style, meaning it is rinsed through hot broth before serving. Every grain had absorbed that rich broth base, so it stayed soft and went down smoothly from the first spoonful to the last without getting mushy, hahaha.

Many regular gomtang places use imported meat or lower-grade beef, but Geumnyeong Gomtang says it carefully selects only “the industry’s only top-grade 1++ Korean beef.” Maybe that is why the broth tasted even deeper and richer, while the meat was tender too. There was so much meat that I could keep eating it.

Their commitment to using only top-grade 1++ Korean beef, their nourishing broth simmered fresh every day, the kind service, and the pleasant space—everything came together! I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for clean Korean food near Sinnonhyeon Station, or a great Sinnonhyeon spot for a comfortable solo meal, haha.