Creamy Peanut Butter-esque Kongguksu at Jindo Jip

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Kongguksu at Jindo Jip

Kongguksu is a summer time dish that is made from ground soybeans and noodles. The chilled, thick soybean broth has noodles and it is a great dish for those that are vegetarian and for those looking for a light meal to beat the summer heat. My search for the best Kongguksu House took me to Yeouiddo where they serve their bowl of noodles for 9,500 won a bowl- almost double that any other place would dare to charge. Very expensive, chilled noodle soup? I was was intrigued.

The setting is nothing special. The only distinctive thing about the atmosphere is that it is big and busy. They have a very sparse menu- only noodle dishes. You can get chicken noodle soup, spicy mixed noodles, mandu, and a variety of rice cake soup.

I mean this place even charges extra for extra noodles and for broth! I couldn’t believe it since Myeongdong Gyoza charges almost 8,000 for a bowl of their noodles, but they give complementary refills on noodles and broth if asked.

So 9,500 won for cold noodle soup? Is it worth it?

Yes.

The broth is creamy and thick and fresh. It’s like a liquified, creamy peanut butter that is chilled. The broth is perfectly seasoned and the noodles are slick and chewy- a perfect carrier for the yummy broth. The best part is that you can take their mild, slightly sweet kimchi and have it with the noodles. It is a match on par with strawberries and cream or kimchi and pork.

Delicious and definitely worth a return trip.

Jindo Jip

3 Stars (out of 4)

Jinju Jip

02-780-6108

Yeouiddo-dong 36-2 Yeouiddo Baekhwajeom Basement

Directions: Go out Yeouiddo Station Exit 6 and make a U-Turn. Make a left at the first corner and walk to blocks and make a left when you see Yeouiddo Department Store

Kongguksu and Bibimguksu at Jindo Jip

Konguksu and Kimchi? Yes, at Jindo Jip

About the Author

Daniel

Daniel Gray is a Korean adoptee that returned to Korean in 2005 because he wanted to try and find his birth mother and to learn about Korean culture. He started a restaurant review blog in 2007, www.seouleats.com, that became a local and international hit. He and his blog has been featured in the New York Times, Monocle Magazine, The Kimchi Chronicles, Bizarre Foods, Rudy Maxa, Olive Magazine, Euronews and much more. He now is a partner at O’ngo Food Communications (www.ongofood.com), which is a culinary tourism and consulting company that offers Korean cooking classes and restaurant tours to travelers. Their food tours and cooking classes are ranked as one of the top attractions in Seoul according to tripadvisor.