Nwijo (뉘조)

7.4Km 2024-03-06

27 Insadong 14-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-730-9311

Nwijo is a Korean table d'hote restaurant located in Insa-dong where you can enjoy course meals made from hundreds of wild herbs. Starting with pumpkin porridge and water kimchi, basic dishes such as wild herb salads, pancakes, kimchi with boiled pork slices, and mixed roots are served along with set menu and wild herb enzymes as a standard part of the meal.

Jirisan Restaurant (지리산)

7.4Km 2019-08-01

30, Insadong 14-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-723-4696

Jirisan is one of the representative Korean restaurants in Insa-dong, an area known for its traditional culture. One of the trademarks of this restaurant, besides its amazingly delectable bean and tofu dishes, is a wooden sign that welcome guests into a neat and cozy interior.

Each day, fresh beans are ground at the restaurant to prepare dishes such as soybean paste, soft tofu, and bean-curd tofu stew. Bean-curds are prepared by using seawater, which gives the tofu a unique flavor. The fresh and clean taste of the tofu is one of the many reasons that choosey tofu aficionados flock to the restaurant.

Not just limited to tofu, Jirisan presents customers with a full-range of side dishes such as kimchi, japchae (glass noodles with sautéed vegetables), cucumber kimchi, seasoned seaweed, braised lotus roots, roasted yellow corbinas (a type of fish), leafy greens, bean-curd stew, and more. The restaurant gives visitors a chance to experience a hearty traditional Korean-style meal, but has thoughtfully toned down its seasonings to appeal to a wider audience (particularly those not used to spicy foods).

One of the recommended menu items is the Jirisan set meal, which offers diners the chance to sample foods that are popular in the Jirisan region. Adventurous diners may want to try the sea urchin soup or dried Pollack soup.

The restaurant, originally a traditional Korean house, has been modified over the years to better suit the needs of its customers. The walls surrounding the structure were removed and a glass ceiling was installed to allow guests to enjoy the natural light of the sun as they sample some of the area’s best traditional Korean cuisine.

Cheongsongok (청송옥)

7.4Km 2024-02-20

14 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Cheongsongok is a jangteo gukbap (rice soup) restaurant that opened in 1984. The signature menu is jangteo gukbap, a rice soup with green onions and radishes in beef bone broth. The kimchi served with the gukbap is homemade, known for its spicy flavor and crisp texture. Nearby is Deoksugung Palace, and the Seokjojeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace presents a picturesque landscape harmonized with the garden, making it a popular spot for photography.