Jongno-gu is the historic heart of Seoul, containing Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Insadong's antique street. The area balances ancient and modern — traditional Korean restaurants, teahouses, and street food vendors operate alongside contemporary galleries and specialty coffee shops. Eating here feels like a connection to centuries of Seoul food culture.
A century-old restaurant, Jonggajip. I sweat a bit while eating the piping hot stone pot mushroom octopus tripe stew, savoring the flavors. It's perfect for lunch on a chilly day like today. The side dishes are refillable, and the rice is delicious. Best of all, the broth is red, but not spicy or overpowering! My only complaint is that I wish they'd cut the tripe a little smaller (my personal opinion). It's so hot, I'm tempted to eat a large portion... and my mouth starts to burn. But it's still delicious.
"Jonggajip," a gopchang restaurant I recently visited, is simply delicious. A fairly large hanok in Insadong has been converted into a restaurant, adding a touch of old-world charm. During peak customer times, the interior is thick with the smoke of gopchang fat, but not so much that it feels uncomfortable. Their signature performance is the first grilled tripe, then a soju fire show outside. The elderly, girl-crush servers, who pour fresh soju from the fridge, are charming and friendly. Opened in 1984, this 41-year-old restaurant truly stands the test of time. They serve beef tripe from Korean beef. While they didn't fry the rice for the second round, the fried rice looks delicious compared to other places. I have a Facebook friend who is a regular at "Jonggajip." They share the same surname and are the oldest in the family, but they're also a foodie. When the reporter ordered only the tripe, he insisted that the quantity be mixed and that it be fried with rice. Another person working at the Rural Development Administration called fried rice a "Korean dessert," emphasizing that "whether it's soup, steamed, braised, or grilled, a bowl of rice is added to the main dish and fried for dessert, shaped into a heart, and garnished with seaweed." In fact, rice fried in tripe fat is savory and flavorful. In the past, they would even package the solidified tripe fat in milk cartons, but these days, it's rare to find a restaurant like that. It's become a health concern to take tripe fat home, even if it's only occasionally. Dining in restaurants renovated from large or small hanok houses is inherently romantic. While the food may not be elaborate, it's cozy and comforting.
Korean blogger posts. Links open original posts on Naver.
