After the motor show I headed to a place right across the street that I’d been wanting to try. It’s called Seodongkwan, and like Hadongkwan, gomtang is the main thing on the menu. Ilsan is a long way for me, so when I finally make it out here I have to hit every place I’ve been meaning to visit.
Kimchi and scallions
The basics of any gomtang place.
A daytime drink
Maybe it’s the makgeolli boom, but everyone seems to be selling makgeolli these days. Gapyeong is close to Ilsan and supposedly has good water, so I ordered this one, and it tastes pretty good. Though I can’t really say whether the pine nuts make it any better.
Special tripe gomtang
It’s pricey, so the portion is generous. That’s definitely something you can’t expect at Hadongkwan.
Brisket and tripe gomtang
Generous again. The portion was a bit much and I overdid it that day. The broth here is very clean and light, but personally I’m still more drawn to Hadongkwan’s richer flavor. I should drop by the Hadongkwan in Gangnam sometime soon.
I couldn’t skip dessert, so we went to Mealtop on the 8th floor of the Hyundai Department Store in Ilsan, right across the street.
Patbingsu at Mealtop
They serve the red beans on the side as well. Now that’s the kind of service you expect from a department store.
Extra rice cake
The rice cakes were so good that I asked for more, and they brought them without any extra charge. We ordered just one between the two of us and then kept asking for extras like annoying customers, but luckily the service was great. I think I’ll be going to Mealtop often from now on.