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Located behind Mangmi subway station gate 8 in Suyeong-gu, Gugane has been loved for its great Hanjeongsik for more than a decade.
This popular Korean table d’hôte eatery is a family affair — owner/chef Mrs. Gu Sun-yeon takes charge of the kitchen while her daughter is in charge of serving.
The unpretentious atmosphere of the restaurant makes it seem like a casual dining spot, however the quality of the food surpasses most diners expectations.
Your meal begins with a glass of sungnyung, a traditional Korean infused drink of made from boiled, scorched rice.
For a reasonable price of 8,000 won, an array of side dishes make up this full-course Korean traditional meal, once reserved for aristocrats.
On my visit, I enjoyed grilled fish (top left in the photo above), gochu-jang-bulgogi (top middle in the photo above), jeon (top right in the photo above), naengchae (vegetables with a mustard based sauce, below the fish in the photo above), japchae (next to the naengchae), and daseulgi-deulkkae-tang (thick soup made with march snail and perilla seeds) aside from other side dishes including kimchi.
As far as hanjeongsik restaurants go, this one does not disappoint. The savory side dishes were cooked and served just perfectly — the crunchy fish is boasting of its tenderness inside and in that way the jeon can be its rival; the kimchi is relatively softer (it is possibly a bit panfried), and the well-made tang and the japchae, my favorite, are also a must. All were served fresh and perfectly balanced .
For orders for two or more, ssam (vegetables for wrapping) are additionally served.
As with many Korean traditional restaurants, only floor seating is available. Parking is not available, but until 3 p.m. parking on the road across from the restaurant is not regulated. It gets a bit busy during lunch time and reservations are recommended for bigger groups.
Open: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily (except the second and fourth Sundays. need to check for national holidays)
