Naju Gomtang

I was excited when it turned out that my hotel was near by legendary gomtang house, Hadongkwan. It was less good news to find the place being completely rebuilt so unavailable for restorative beef soup when that’s exactly what I needed.

With Dr Google duly consulted, it turned out that there was another gomtang house just around the corner, so I decided to give it a look. Called Naju Gomtang House, it’s open 24 hours for all your late night and/or early morning soupy noodle needs.

I found it during quite a quiet period so took a seat at one of the tables and promptly ordered the gomtang from their list of options.

As the way, intro snacks of kimchi and other pickled things arrived. These were very good.

The soup soon followed looking as bubbling and steamy as expected. Topped with spring onions, generous slices of beef lurked just beneath on a bed of glass noodles. I was urged to add my little pot of rice into the mix, too. Who am I to argue with double carbing?

It all made for a hearty and restorative stuff although the subtlety of the broth got lost somewhere in the mix.

So overall, Naju proved an able substitute for my gomtang needs. I’m not convinced it’s up there with the best you can find in the city, but it gave me a good insight into a dish I was keen to try. It certainly set me up for another day of exploration around the avenues and alleyways of Seoul.

Scores
Blythe scores Naju
4/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
3.5/5 for setting
3.5/5 for service
giving an overall 14.5/20

I ate: gomtang

I drank: barley tea

I wore: shorts

Total bill: 9000 won