Mandu

만두

Korean dumplings

♨️ Served hot🙂 Not spicy🥬 Vegetarian versions exist: ask

Korean dumplings filled with ingredients such as pork, tofu, vegetables and kimchi. They are steamed, boiled, pan-fried, or served in soup (mandu-guk).

What it is

Common fillings are ground pork, tofu, mung bean sprouts, glass noodles, garlic chives and kimchi.
Gogi mandu has a meat filling; kimchi mandu is a little spicy and tangy.

Styles & local versions

Napjak-mandu납작만두

Daegu's flat dumplings: a thin wrapper with only a little filling, mostly glass noodles and vegetables such as chives. They're boiled, then griddled until crisp, and eaten with a soy-based sauce. Said to date from the early 1960s, they're a market snack sold at Seomun Market and around the city.

How to eat it

1Dip them in soy sauce mixed with vinegar, with a little chili if you like.

History

Dumplings are thought to have reached Korea during the Goryeo period, often linked to contact with the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. Other theories place their arrival earlier.
Gaeseong, the old Goryeo capital, is known for dumplings with wheat wrappers, and Gaeseong-style mandu is still a well-known style in Seoul.

Allergies and diet

Usually contains

wheatporksoy

Vegetable dumplings exist but are less common.
Kimchi fillings usually contain fish sauce.

Recipes differ between restaurants. If you have an allergy, always ask the staff before you order.

🗣️ Allergy card for the staff

Pick your allergy to see the sentence in Korean.

📍 Where to try it

🍜
1969 Buwon-dong Kalguksu (Nampo Main) 1969부원동칼국수 남포본점
Noodles · Nampo & Jagalchi, Busan · Since 1969
A knife-cut noodle house going since 1969, listed by reviewers among Busan's Michelin picks. Try the house kalguksu, or the bibim kalguksu in a spicy sauce, with a plate of dumplings on the side. A warming, low-key stop near Jagalchi Market, and a good hangover cure.
Try: Buwon kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup)
Short wait
🥟
Boyoung Mandu (Bukmun main branch) 보영만두 북문본점
Street snacks · Hwaseong Fortress & Downtown, Suwon · Since 1977
The original Boyoung Mandu, by Janganmun Gate, open since 1977. Order crispy fried dumplings with a bowl of spicy, chewy jjolmyeon. Suwon's classic combination.
Try: Gun-mandu (fried dumplings)
Short wait
🍜
Chanyangjip 찬양집
Noodles · Jongno, Seoul · Since 1965
A seafood kalguksu shop at the entrance to Ikseon-dong, running since 1965. The menu is almost just one noodle soup, full of clams and shrimp, plus hand-made dumplings, at prices that keep Jongno office workers and older locals coming back.
Try: Haemul kalguksu (seafood noodle soup)
Locals' pickShort wait
🥢
Cheongsil Hongsil (Sinpo main branch) 청실홍실 신포본점
Noodles · Chinatown & Sinpo, Incheon · Since 1979
Incheon's favorite buckwheat noodle house, near Sinpo Market since 1979. Order pan-memil, chilled noodles served on a tray with a cold dipping broth, and a steamer of thin-skinned dumplings.
Try: Pan-memil
Short wait
🥟
Kkangtong Mandu 깡통만두
Street snacks · Seochon & Bukchon, Seoul · Since 1988
A dumpling house in the Bukchon lanes near Anguk Station, in the same spot since 1988 and often named among Seoul's three best for mandu. Order dumpling soup, or the noodle and dumpling combination, and expect a wait.
Try: Manduguk (dumpling soup)
1 hr+ wait
🥟
Miryang Son-mandu 밀양손만두
Noodles · Jongno, Seoul · Since 2009
A small hand-made dumpling shop on Gyedong-gil in Bukchon, open since 2009. The go-to order is mandu-guk in milky beef-bone broth or the spicy version, often with kalguksu noodles added. Koreans call it the local choice near better-known Kkangtong Mandu.
Try: Sagol mandu-guk (dumplings in beef-bone broth)
Locals' pickShort wait
🥟
Nambuk Tongil 남북통일
Noodles · Hongdae, Seoul · Since 1994
A Pyongyang-style dumpling house open since 1994 in the lanes between Hapjeong and Hongdae; the name means "North-South Unification". Big, mild North Korean-style dumplings go into a shared hot pot, a knife-cut noodle soup or a rice cake soup, with famously good kimchi on the side.
Try: Mandu jeongol (dumpling hot pot)
Short wait
🥟
Sandong Gyoja 산동교자
Korean-Chinese · Myeongdong, Seoul · Since 1978
A small Chinese restaurant run by an ethnic Chinese (hwagyo) couple across from the Chinese Embassy in Myeongdong, open since 1978. Crisp fried dumplings, juicy boiled dumplings, five-spice pork and oyster jjamppong draw long-time office regulars.
Try: Gun-mandu (fried dumplings)
Locals' pickShort wait
Sinpo Woori Mandu (original shop) 신포우리만두 본점
Street snacks · Chinatown & Sinpo, Incheon · Since 1971
The first Sinpo Woori Mandu, a dumpling-and-noodle shop in Sinpo Market that's widely called the original home of jjolmyeon, chewy noodles in a sweet, spicy sauce. Now a national chain.
Try: Jjolmyeon
🥟
Bongsik-i Old-Style King Dumplings 봉식이옛날왕만두
Street snacks · Gangnam, Seoul
A tiny takeout dumpling shop near Apgujeong Station, making fist-sized wang-mandu (king dumplings) with fermented dough and steamed buns by hand from early morning. Locals grab a box for breakfast or a snack.
Try: Pork king dumplings
Locals' pick
🍜
Busan Son Kalguksu 부산손칼국수
Noodles · Bomun Lake & Bulguksa, Gyeongju
A local noodle shop near Bulguksa Station, despite the name. The noodles rest for 48 hours, then go into a thick perilla broth, or into cold soy broth in summer. Sales stop at 300 servings a day.
Try: Perilla seed kalguksu
Locals' pickShort wait
🍗
Cheogajip 처가집
Soups & stews · Dongdaemun, Seoul
North Korean-style steamed chicken served in an old house with no sign above the gate. A whole chicken is cooked plain until tender and arrives on a bed of soft chives; you dip it in a tangy soy and chili sauce. Buckwheat makguksu noodles and steamed dumplings complete the meal.
Try: Ibuk-sik jjimdak (North Korean-style steamed chicken)
Short wait
🥟
Darakjeong 다락정
Soups & stews · Seochon & Bukchon, Seoul
A hand-made dumpling house on Samcheong-ro, serving North Korean-style mandu. Families share pots of kimchi- or doenjang-based mandu-jeongol (dumpling hot pot) with a mung-bean pancake on the side. It's a calmer pick when Samcheong-dong Sujebi up the road has a line.
Try: Kimchi mandu-jeongol (kimchi dumpling hot pot)
Locals' pickShort wait
🥟
Gaeseong Mandu Koong 개성만두 궁
Street snacks · Jongno, Seoul
A hanok dumpling house tucked down an Insadong alley, making Gaeseong-style mandu: large, delicate dumplings from the old city of Gaeseong in today's North Korea. They come in a clear, gently seasoned soup or a bubbling hot pot to share.
Try: Gaeseong meat dumpling soup
30-60 min wait
🥟
Gamegol Son Wang Mandu 가메골손왕만두 본점
Street snacks · Namdaemun & Seoul Station, Seoul
A Namdaemun Market favorite for wang-mandu: giant hand-made dumplings filled with pork or kimchi. Most people queue for takeout, but you can also sit down with a bowl of hand-cut kalguksu.
Try: Gogi wang-mandu (giant pork dumplings)
Short wait
🥟
Gubok Mandu 구복만두
Street snacks · Namdaemun & Seoul Station, Seoul
A dumpling shop near Sookmyung Women's University that has been in the Michelin Guide every year since 2017. Try the house Gubok dumplings and the shrimp dumplings, and order a few kinds to share.
Try: Gubok traditional dumplings
Short wait
🍜
Gyeongin Myeonok 경인면옥
Noodles · Chinatown & Sinpo, Incheon
A Pyongyang naengmyeon house near Sinpo Market, running since the 1940s and counted among Incheon's three best. Mild, clear cold buckwheat noodles, with steamed dumplings and Korean beef on the side.
Try: Pyongyang naengmyeon
Locals' pickShort wait
🍜
Gyeongpyeong Myeonok 경평면옥
Noodles · Gangnam Station & COEX, Seoul
A second-floor Pyongyang naengmyeon house between Samseong and Samseong Jungang stations. The buckwheat noodles sit in a clear, very mild beef broth, and regulars add chilled sliced pork or handmade dumplings on the side. A calmer choice than the bigger naengmyeon names nearby.
Try: Pyongyang-style cold buckwheat noodles
Short wait
🍜
Hyundai Jang Kalguksu 현대장칼국수 본점
Noodles · Downtown, Chodang & Gyeongpo, Gangneung
One of Gangneung's best-known jang-kalguksu shops: knife-cut noodles in a red, spicy soybean-chili broth. A clear, mild kalguksu is there for anyone who can't take the heat.
Try: Jang-kalguksu
Short wait
🍜
Jeongseong Son-kalguksu 정성손칼국수
Noodles · Itaewon, Seoul
An old hand-cut noodle shop on Yongridan-gil, a short walk from Yongsan and Samgakji. Office workers come for the house kalguksu, big dumplings and crisp potato pancakes, with famously good kimchi on the side.
Try: House kalguksu
Locals' pick
🍗
Manpo Makguksu 만포막국수
Noodles · Dongdaemun, Seoul
A North Korean–style eatery by Yaksu Station, running since 1978. The signature is Ibuk-style jjimdak, plain steamed whole chicken torn up and dipped in a sharp vinegar-mustard sauce. Handmade tofu-and-vegetable dumplings and buckwheat makguksu complete the meal.
Try: Ibuk-style steamed chicken with mustard sauce
Locals' pickShort wait
🍜
Milbon 밀본
Noodles · Yeongjongdo, Incheon
A popular lunch restaurant near Unseo Station, with an airport branch of the same name. The favorite order is mandu-kalguksu-jeongol, a bubbling pot of noodles and dumplings, and boiled pork bossam comes on the side. It's a good stop if you're staying on the island before or after a flight.
Try: Mandu-kalguksu-jeongol (noodle and dumpling hot pot)
Short wait
🥟
Miseongdang (main shop) 미성당 본점
Street snacks · Downtown & Seomun Market, Daegu
The best-known name in Daegu's napjak-mandu: thin, flat dumplings with very little filling, griddled until crisp. Eat them with spicy jjolmyeon noodles, the local way.
Try: Napjak-mandu
🥟
Mr. Seo Wang Mandu 미스터서왕만두
Street snacks · Sinchon & Ewha, Seoul
A small Chinese-style dumpling shop between Sinchon and Ewha. Soup dumplings, shrimp dumplings and fried dumplings are the favorites, and the prices suit a student neighborhood. Popular with Chinese visitors, which says something.
Try: Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)
🥟
Nammun Gyoja 남문교자
Market food · Myeongdong, Seoul
A basement noodle shop in Namdaemun Market serving Myeongdong-style kalguksu: rich meat-broth noodle soup with dumplings. Locals and market shoppers come here instead of facing the lines in Myeongdong.
Try: Kalguksu (noodle soup)
Locals' pickShort wait
🍜
Nampo Myeonok 남포면옥
Noodles · Myeongdong, Seoul
A decades-old North Korean-style restaurant tucked in the Da-dong alleys between City Hall and Myeongdong. Come for eobokjaengban, sliced beef and offal simmered on a wide brass platter at your table, then cool off with Pyongyang naengmyeon in a light radish-kimchi broth and a plate of dumplings.
Try: Eobokjaengban (beef hot pot on a brass platter)
Short wait
🥟
New Mandu-jip 뉴만두집
Street snacks · Gangnam, Seoul
A Michelin Bib Gourmand dumpling house in Apgujeong Rodeo, making North Korean-style hand-made dumplings since the early 1980s. Order the manduguk, big dumplings in a clear, gentle broth, with crisp stuffed-pepper pancakes or a nutty soybean stew on the side.
Try: Manduguk (dumpling soup)
Short wait
🍲
Okdongsik 옥동식
Soups & stews · Hongdae, Seoul
A tiny bar-counter restaurant near Hapjeong Station that serves one thing: dwaeji-gomtang, a clear, delicate pork soup over rice, plus kimchi dumplings. It is a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick, and its chef appeared on Netflix's Culinary Class Wars, so expect a long wait.
Try: Dwaeji-gomtang (clear pork soup)
1 hr+ wait
🥟
Pyeongando Mandujip 평안도만두집
Soups & stews · Jongno, Seoul
A basement dumpling house behind the Sejong Center in Gwanghwamun, serving mild North Korean-style dumplings. Office workers share a pot of mandu-jeongol (dumpling hot pot) here; it's a calmer alternative to the famous dumpling spots in Bukchon.
Try: Mandu-jeongol (dumpling hot pot)
Locals' pickShort wait
🥟
Sandong Gyojagwan 산동교자관
Korean-Chinese · Gangnam, Seoul
A tiny Chinese dumpling house by Apgujeong Station, run in the tradition of Korea's long-settled Chinese community (hwagyo). Its pan-fried dumplings, crisp outside and full of juice, are among the most praised in Gangnam, and the five-spice pork and stir-fried eggplant are worth sharing.
Try: Gun-mandu (pan-fried dumplings)
Locals' pick30-60 min wait
🍜
Seolmaene 설매네
Home-style meals · Gangnam, Seoul
A basement Korean restaurant that Apgujeong residents have relied on for more than thirty years. At lunch it's a bowl of kalguksu or manduguk; in the evening tables share bossam, dumpling hot pot, tangpyeongchae (mung bean jelly salad) and spicy stir-fried octopus.
Try: Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup)
Locals' pickShort wait
🥟
Simnihyang 십리향
Korean-Chinese · Chinatown & Sinpo, Incheon
A Chinatown stall baking stuffed buns in a clay oven (hwadeok mandu). Buy one hot and eat it as you walk. There's usually a line, but it moves fast.
Try: Meat bun
Short wait
🥟
Yeongsaengdeok 영생덕
Korean-Chinese · Downtown & Seomun Market, Daegu
A dumpling house on Jongno, run by ethnic Chinese owners for about 50 years. Order the crisp fried dumplings with a plate of gan-jajang.
Try: Gun-mandu (fried dumplings)
Locals' pickShort wait
🥟
Yeonmil 연밀
Korean-Chinese · Hwaseong Fortress & Downtown, Suwon
A Chinese-style dumpling house between Haenggung Palace and Paldalmun Gate. Try the juicy pork dumplings and the crisp 'ice flower' pan-fried dumplings. Regulars also love the dried tofu dish.
Try: Juicy pork dumplings
Short wait