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Okdongsik aims to fight to the finish with the single menu item of pork bone soup. The restaurant was introduced in “Wednesday Food Talk” and “Tasty Guys” through word of mouth. The restaurant was also mentioned in the “MICHELIN Guide Seoul 2021 Bib Gourmand Selection.” The pork bone soup may appear watery, but the soup is rich in flavor. The thinly sliced pork and hot soup are served as rice soup with rice that is heated by pouring the broth over the rice a little at a time. Unlike the common way of making pork bone soup by boiling the bones and intestines, the pork bone soup of Okdongsik uses only boneless pork to boil their soup for a deep and light taste. Okdongsik’s secret is to use the largest seeded rice, which allows for the flavor of the soup to seep into the rice. Brassware bowls are used to keep the food warm for a long time. The branches in Seogyo-dong and Hannam-dong only serve 150-200 bowls a day so it is recommended that customers visit the restaurant earlier in the day.

If you crave a hot bowl of chicken soup in the cold winter, visit “Sarangbang Kalguksu” in the Print Alley in Chungmu-ro. This popular restaurant was featured in the movie “Sikgaek” and various programs like “Travelog of Sikgaek Huh Young-man,” “Wednesday Food Talk,” and “Gourmet Road.” Sarangbang Kalguksu is a veteran of Chungmu-ro that has stood in the same exact spot for over 50 years since 1968. The restaurant’s beloved menu item is the whole chicken soup with rice and Korean set menu that is served with half a chicken, chicken soup, and rice. The light taste of meat enjoyed with crunchy, fresh kimchi soothes the soul. Customers begin to line up outside before lunch time, so be prepared to wait in line for your visit.

Gaeseong Traditional Dumplings House Koong is a restaurant that specializes in dumplings and has been open in Insa-dong for over thirty years. The restaurant’s Gaeseong-style dumplings are big with thin dumpling skins that transparently show the inside of the dumplings. The dumpling stuffing that is a mixture of tofu, pork, cabbages, mung bean sprouts, and garlic chives is packed with broth, and the chewiness of the dumplings is charming in and of itself. Customers can find the artisan continuously making dumplings by the window in the restaurant. The dumpling hot pot with light dumplings and a simple soup is highly recommended. The traditional Gaeseong dishes of rice cake soup with peanut-shaped rice cakes and dumpling soup with peanut-shaped rice cakes are also popular menu items. As the dumplings are steamed by order to provide customers with the best flavors, customers must have the patience to wait at least ten minutes for their food.

This traditional tea house is an annex of the Kyung-in Museum of Fine Art where the house of Park Yung-hio, the maker of Taegukgi, is located. Inside the tea house are windows lined with hanji (Korean traditional paper), old, lacquered furniture, floor tables, and a natural array of traditional elegance and mood. Enjoy warm traditional tea, such as jujube tea and lingzhi mushroom tea, in a space where the elegance of hanok can be experienced to relax and momentarily step away from the busyness of the city. The traditional tea is served with light Korean refreshments. Various exhibitions can be appreciated for free at the six galleries that are open year-round at the Kyung-in Museum of Fine Art. Sculptures and three-dimensional works of art are installed throughout the garden that is popular as a cultural area of relaxation in the city.