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Soups & stews · Myeongdong

Hadongkwan

하동관

Since 1939Michelin GuideLocal classicOn TVGreat for solo diners ⓘ

Korea time, from recent reviews. Hours may differ on holidays.

Seoul's benchmark gomtang since 1939: Korean beef and tripe in a clear, savory broth, poured over rice in a heavy brass bowl. It opens at 7 a.m., serves only breakfast and lunch, and the menu is just soup and boiled beef.

서울특별시 중구 명동9길 12

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How it works here

  • Pay when you order: Order and pay at the counter by the door, then take a seat.· 4 reviews
🥢 How Korean restaurants usually work

Waiting

Short wait
Just join the line

Lines form at breakfast and lunchtime, but bowls come out fast and seats turn over quickly. Expect to share a table when it is busy. Weekday afternoons often have no wait.· 4 reviews

What to order

📖 What is Gomtang?📖 What is Suyuk and dombe-gogi?
  • Gomtang곰탕

    The standard bowl: sliced beef brisket and a little tripe in clear broth, with the rice already in the bowl.

  • Large gomtang특곰탕

    More meat and tripe. Regulars order the bigger bowls by number, such as "25".

  • Suyuk (boiled beef)수육

    A platter of sliced boiled Korean beef, good to share.

How much to order

  • 👤 1One gomtang. Go for the large bowl if you are hungry.
  • 👤 2Two gomtang. Add a plate of suyuk if you want something extra to share.
  • 👤 3-4One gomtang each, plus a plate of suyuk for the table.

How to eat it

  1. 1Add chopped green onion from the table, and salt or pepper to taste.· 2 reviews
  2. 2Halfway through, pour a little juice from the kkakdugi (radish kimchi) into your soup for a tangy second flavor. Regulars call this "kkakguk".· 4 reviews

Insider tips

  • Don't leave it to the last hour. The soup is made in a set amount each day, and the shop has been known to close early when it runs out.· 3 reviews

Why it's famous

Opened in 1939 in Suha-dong, by the Cheonggyecheon stream. When the old block was redeveloped in 2007 it moved to Myeongdong, bringing the old wooden gate with it.· 4 reviews

  • Michelin GuideListed in the Michelin Guide Seoul.· 3 reviews
  • Local classicOne of Seoul's oldest restaurants, named again and again among Myeongdong's classic old shops.· 3 reviews
  • On TVFeatured on the food show The Delicious Guys (2024, in a special on 100-year-old restaurants).· 3 reviews

Did you know?

  • The soup comes in heavy brass bowls called notgeureut, a traditional Korean tableware the shop has always used.· 3 reviews
  • The rice is warmed the old Seoul way, called toryeom: hot broth is poured over the rice in the bowl and drained off, again and again, before serving.· 3 reviews

Good to know

  • Monday to Saturday 07:00 to 16:00. Closed on Sundays. No dinner service.· 3 reviews
  • About 3 to 5 minutes from Euljiro 1-ga Station exit 5 (Line 2), or Myeongdong Station (Line 4).· 3 reviews
Where this comes from (30 reviews)

Summarized in our own words from Korean diners' blog reviews; each fact is backed by at least two reviews. Last checked 2026-10-23.