Myeongdong 8-gil alley gomtang restaurant: basic pork bowl at Baekok

The weather's getting cooler and cooler — autumn, the season of clear skies and hearty appetites, is here 🍂 Mornings and evenings have turned chilly and suddenly I was craving something hot and soupy! (Do I sound like an old man? haha)

Then I heard there was a great clear-broth gomtang (bone soup) place near Myeongdong Station, so I went straight there! I wasn't in the mood for anything spicy or heavy, so I went in hoping for something clear and deep in flavor 🫪

Where is Baekok Myeongdong and how far is it from Myeongdong Station?

Baekok Myeongdong is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 5 or 6 of Myeongdong Station! It's tucked between alleys so it might seem hard to find, but the sign kind of comes out to greet you, so I found it faster than expected 😃

Solo seats and the room inside this Myeongdong gomtang restaurant

Baekok Myeongdong sits right in the middle of Myeongdong but actually has solo dining seats,,, I was touched 🙊🙊 Outside it's loud and covered in flashy neon signs, but the moment you step into Baekok, it's tidy and quiet, which put my mind at ease.

There were about 4–5 solo seats, plus 2-top and 4-top tables too.

Apparently it's been featured on a Korean TV info show! The dishware and interior have this cute, distinctly Korean feel haha, I think foreign visitors would love it too!

Baekok Myeongdong menu: basic, mild herbal or spicy gomtang?

Menu

I went back and forth for a while between basic, mild herbal, and spicy gomtang,, but in the end I wanted the plain, clear gomtang that stays true to the basics, so I went with the regular pork gomtang! To really know the true flavor, you have to try it with nothing added and nothing changed, right? haha So I chose the plain, non-spicy, clear and deep basic pork gomtang ✨✨

Pork gomtang (medium) for 11,000 won: how were the broth and meat?

Baekok Myeongdong's pork gomtang (medium) is ₩11,000. There's really a lot of meat!!! And the broth is so clear!!! I took a spoonful of just the broth first, and wow,,, it's a flavor that warms you from the inside. No pork smell or gaminess at all, not spicy or heavy, but deep in flavor! You can immediately tell it's been simmered for a long time,,♨️

Can you see the meat piled up like a mountain,,, it's even tender,,, the ratio of meat to fat is absolutely fantastic! I don't like it when there's too much fat, it gets greasy, but too little and it's dry, so I prefer a bit of fat — and this meat hit exactly the balance I wanted!

It went really well with the diced radish kimchi served alongside! They put in plenty of green onion too, so I got that refreshing, fragrant broth flavor 👍

Cabbage dumplings for 8,000 won: why there is still room after the soup

Baekok Myeongdong's cabbage dumplings are ₩8,000, and they're truly a special treat,,,, honestly the gomtang alone is already filling so I hesitated on ordering these, but since they're wrapped in cabbage instead of flour, I figured they'd sit light even on a full stomach, so I ordered them right away.

And it really did sit light, I was properly full but they kept going down,,, the cabbage wrapper is mild but the filling inside is well-seasoned, the seasoning balance was spot on! Genuinely delicious haha

They were bite-sized and the cabbage leaves were wrapped well without tearing, so they were easy to eat too. It looked like there was kimchi and tofu inside the cabbage, totally a health food,, so eating them came with zero guilt 🫪 So I finished all 4 pieces haha

Mouthwash, candy and floss at the counter: the last impression

I had a filling but light meal and went to pay, and,,, this is exactly the kind of thoughtful little touch that easily wins me over,, mouthwash, candy, and floss all set out! So I grabbed a mouthwash on my way out 🫧🫧

If you're looking for a mild, non-spicy meal in Myeongdong, the ultimate spot for bold flavors, try Baekok Myeongdong, which carefully serves up a bowl of clear, deep pork gomtang 🤍