★★★★☆김진영1 year ago
I stumbled upon this restaurant while researching information.
Judging by the limited reviews, it seems to have opened recently. Usually, they promote their openings with a marketing campaign, but this place doesn't seem to even do that.
Sunday.
I stopped by on my way to work because I had a meeting at work, and I was the first customer there.
They make gomtang (beef bone soup) with dry-aged Korean beef, and the walls are covered with descriptions of aging and savory flavor.
The starting price is reasonable at 8,800 won. Adding options increases the price.
They make a single dumpling for 2,900 won. Even sweet red bean buns are around the same price, so it's hard to call them expensive. And if they're delicious, then so be it.
I ordered the dumpling set. I always order the basics on my first visit. I was curious about the dumplings, so I ordered the set that comes with one.
The soup arrived about five minutes later.
The meat was a bit dark in color.
The aging period is 14 days. It was just about time for the aging to take place, so I thought maybe leaving it a little longer would be a good idea.
I left it for about six more days, and 20 days would be perfect...
I tasted the meat first.
The dark exterior is evidence of aging. If this were steak, the moisture would evaporate, making it tough and unusable. When I was a former Coupang team leader, I received 30-day-old aged beef. I shaved off the dark exterior and made a delicious soup with it. Since it was soup, they seemed to use it as is. It didn't matter. It wouldn't be edible as a steak, but it's perfect for soup.
The meat has a chewy texture. It has a faint aroma similar to yogurt. After aging for about 30 days, it develops a rich aroma, like when you open a Yoplait container. The savory flavor from the soup is also quite good. I absolutely loved the soup. There was nothing to complain about, either in price or taste. As a side note, aging pork doesn't always produce a pleasant aroma. The texture is soft, but the flavor doesn't change as dramatically as beef.
One dumpling is okay, but two is questionable. They were a bit too fatty for my taste. If you like juicy dumplings, you'll like them. If you like them a bit moist, like me, you'll dislike them. It's not that they were bad.
Overall, for a meal under 10,000 won, this was the most satisfying meal I've had in a while. However, I wish they'd omitted the pepper from the soup before serving. Pepper and red pepper powder are a matter of taste, and I wish they'd let diners adjust the amount to their liking. Another thing I wish they'd offered ground pepper at the counter. I couldn't appreciate the pepper flavor, and the spiciness ruined the lingering flavor of the soup.
My Review
: If I lived nearby, I'd visit often. It's opened up a new horizon for Korean beef soup.
