I’d been craving makgeolli and pajeon for a while (it’s been who knows how many years since I last had that combo), and I’d heard this place was good for it in Gangnam, so off I went. You walk a long way up a hill, and since it’s tucked away inside, you’d never find it unless you knew where it was. It seemed to cater to the office workers nearby. It’s a bit noisy inside, but the interior itself is clean and tidy. It’s the sit-on-the-floor style, so I suspect young women might give it a miss. But when I actually got there, they had neither makgeolli nor pajeon, which threw me. The person who recommended it said they’d assumed a Namdo restaurant would have them. Well… the food was good, so I was very happy with the meal itself.
Spicy gizzard shad sashimi salad
Gizzard shad is eaten a lot in Japan too, but I rarely get the chance to have it Korean-style, tossed in a spicy dressing (hoe-muchim), so I ordered it. A full plate was around 45,000 won, which I thought was pricey, but even a half plate shared between two was plenty. The price list scared me a bit when I first walked in, but for this, it’s really good value for money.
Side dishes 1
Of course, being Namdo style, a spread of side dishes is a given. They weren’t amazing and the seasoning was a little light, but as something to go with the main dishes I think this is more than enough.
Side dishes 2
When you live in Japan, the Korean custom of laying out a whole spread of side dishes comes as a real shock. I’ll have to introduce this place to my Japanese friends at some point.
Dongdongju
No makgeolli, so dongdongju instead… It’s just okay, fine enough to sip with the meal.
Seaweed soup (miyeokguk)
A piping hot soup came out and warmed me up inside. On the house, of course… Pretty generous for someone who only ordered half a plate of gizzard shad.
Around this point I tried to order one more thing, but maybe the order didn’t go through, because it just never came. The service seems to have a few issues… So I simply ordered the house specialty instead. To be honest I was already full from the gizzard shad alone, but I felt bad just walking out..
Spicy yellow croaker stew (jogi maeuntang)
A cleanly made spicy fish stew, and it tasted absolutely fantastic. Clean, refreshing, with the rich, savory flavor of the yellow croaker really coming through. I’ve rarely had a croaker stew this good. If you want to keep it simple, just this plus dongdongju and a bowl of rice would be great. It was really cheap, too. At first I thought it was a pricey place and was a bit intimidated, but it isn’t really, and it’s right in the middle of Gangnam, so it’s a handy place to know in many ways. If I ever meet friends around here, I’d like to go back. Back-alley gems like this are hard to find unless someone tells you about them, so I owe a thank-you to the person who recommended it. One thing I realized after eating here: I never thought I’d end up loving spicy yellow croaker stew. I think I’m hooked..