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Read guide →Korean cuisine (hansik) is built around balance — fermented sides (banchan), a steaming bowl of rice, and a main dish that changes with the season. Meals are served all at once rather than in courses, and sharing dishes at the table is the norm. The depth of flavor comes from slow-fermented pastes like doenjang (soybean) and gochujang (chili), which form the backbone of soups, stews, and marinades across the country.
Seocho-gu — home to Seoul's arts corridor, the Supreme Court, and upscale residential areas — has a refined dining culture to match its address. Garosugil in Seocho is particularly known for its café-lined tree canopy street. Restaurants here tend toward the polished and premium, often with outdoor terraces and wine lists to match.
I wandered around trying to find something to eat and this spot had the best soup I’ve had. After sitting down, I realized it was a third generation restaurant with a soup recipe passed down and the radish soup spoke for itself. Unlimited self-serve sides (topokki, japchae, etc.) and a simple soup menu of 4 choices. I had the spicy siraegi and loved it. All for only 9000 won. I am a happy soul after this meal.
I think this place is meant for the working crowd because the serving is HUGE. The self serve banchan station was also quite amazing!! Their tteok & japchae could have been dishes on their own 😭. They also had this ‘old snack’ which was sugar coated rice flour (??) which i LOVED. This place serves radish root soup! Definitely not popular amongst tourists but their menu is in english. Their soup had a hint of seafood??? Some people may not like this but we found it so warm and soothing. Their pork was served room temperature which I was not used to. Their cockles were pretty fresh as well. The spread was insanely worth it for 12,000 KRW each. Overall, an interesting and satisfying meal.
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