Gamegol Sonmandu in Namdaemun x Lazy Blog.

Gamegol Sonmandu in Namdaemun got hugely famous after chef Son Jong-won said on TV that it was delicious. Well, actually, the line was long even before that. It just got longer.

The vibe

Everyone giving it their all folding dumplings..

This is how they pack it up for you.

I bought half meat dumplings, half kimchi dumplings.

The wait is not as long as you would think, but you have to get the timing right to actually eat. When the line gets long they cut it off and stop letting people join, so you wait by circling around outside the shop, and the moment they say you can line up again, you have to hop in quick. Do that and you can eat in about 30 minutes. I guess the dumplings turn over so fast that this is the system they ended up with. It is not that they do not want customers; it is just that a line that is too long is a nuisance to the neighbors. But if you wander off thinking, I will just come back in 30 minutes, then when you return it is back to square one. If you want to buy some, you have to keep hovering around..

Hotteok

I used to love this kind of deep-fried hotteok, but now I am too full to buy one..

Dumplings eaten in Namsan Park

I was thinking, how good can a dumpling really be, and the filling is on the ordinary side, but the wrapper is thick yet chewy. It feels like the dough has been rested really well.. The price is easy too, so it is just the right taste for a market snack, though I am not sure it is worth lining up this long for.. Anyway, the kimchi dumplings were more my taste, and they are better eaten warm, but they were still fine cold.. They do make them well, that is for sure..

Namdaemun Park