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Street snacks · Myeongdong

Myeongdong Chungmu Gimbap

명동충무김밥

Since 1983Celebrity pickLocal favoriteGreat for solo diners ⓘ

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

A Myeongdong landmark since 1983 that sells just one thing: chungmu gimbap, little rice-only seaweed rolls eaten with fiery squid salad and crunchy radish kimchi. Business has been so good that the restaurant fills its own building.

서울특별시 중구 명동10길 16

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How it works here

🥢 How Korean restaurants usually work

Waiting

Short wait
Just join the line

There is often a short line, but with one dish and seats on several floors it moves quickly. Weekday evenings can have no wait at all.· 3 reviews

What to order

📖 What is Gimbap?
  • Chungmu gimbap충무김밥

    The only dish: small rice rolls with spicy squid salad and radish kimchi (seokbakji) on the side.

How much to order

  • AnyOne serving per person, ordered on the table tablet. That is the whole menu.

How to eat it

  1. 1The rolls have nothing inside on purpose. Pick up a roll, then a piece of squid or radish, and eat them in the same bite.· 3 reviews

Insider tips

  • Your first extra helping of squid salad is free. After that, there is a small charge.· 3 reviews
  • It is spicy. If you do not handle heat well, go easy on the squid.· 3 reviews
  • Takeaway is very popular, so it makes an easy picnic for a walk around Myeongdong.· 3 reviews

Why it's famous

Serving one dish in Myeongdong since 1983.· 3 reviews

  • Celebrity pickOn TV host Choi Hwa-jung's list of favorite restaurants that ship nationwide.· 3 reviews
  • Local favoriteMany Seoulites have eaten here since childhood and still stop by on every Myeongdong trip.· 3 reviews

Did you know?

  • "Chungmu" is the old name of Tongyeong, a port on Korea's south coast where this style of gimbap began.· 3 reviews
  • The Myeongdong version is its own style: no fish cake, just squid, and spicier than the Tongyeong original.· 3 reviews

Good to know

  • Open weekdays 09:30 to 22:00, weekends 09:00 to 22:00.· 3 reviews
  • Order on the tablet at your table. If the ground floor is full, go upstairs.· 2 reviews
  • Portions are small for the price, so it works best as a light meal or snack.· 2 reviews
Where this comes from (35 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.