I first knew of Bukcon Son Mandu thanks to a friend who did her homework on where to eat in Insadong.
To be honest, I wasn’t particularly excited by the prospect of eating dumplings. I mean, how exciting do dumplings sound to you?? I wasn’t even excited by the thought of eating Michelin-approved dumplings at Myeongdong Kyoja!
However, I’m sure glad we went ahead with this! In fact, I liked the food in the original Insadong branch so much that I ate this again in their Myeongdong branch.
What to eat at Bukchon Son Mandu
The branch you find in Insadong is the original one, so you’ll find lots of people queueing early and squeezing in here. We came at around 5pm and there was already a crowd inside the store!
You know what keeps tourists and locals alike coming, even if it means long queues, squeezy seats, and definitely not the best customer service? THESE:
My favourites are the fried and kimchi dumplings. The fried ones look a bit like curry puffs but no, they’re leaner, crispier, and stuffed with delicious filling.
It’s a great mix of flavours and textures that will make you think: “Wow, I’m glad I came for this.”
The kimchi dumpling is, obviously, filled with kimchi, which makes for an interesting and spicy chewing experience. If you love eating kimchi, you’ll love this.
We also ordered a serving of naengmyeon (cold noodles) to share – perfect for cooling off in the hot summer weather. The noodles are super chewy though – you may struggle a little to finish this.
On my fourth Korea trip, I finally realized why the mandu shop near my hotel was always packed with people. It was the Myeongdong branch of Bukchon Son Mandu!
This time we ate this in winter, so we ordered piping hot chopped noodles instead.
Having tried both branches, I would say that the dumplings in Bukchon Son Mandu’s Myeongdong branch taste exactly like the ones in Insadong.
The main difference between these two are the dining space and staff. Insadong’s is a small, packed space with staff who are always so, so busy; Myeongdong’s is slightly more spacious, with staff who are more polite and patient, even when it gets busy.
Is Bukchon Son Mandu worth visiting?
Having tried a couple of other mandu places since I first wrote this post, I have to say that Bukchon Son Mandu still serves good, if not one of the best, mandu in Seoul.
I like that you have both fried and steamed options to try, as the taste can greatly differ between the two. My friend, for example, was no fan of the fried ones. However, she did appreciate the steamed mandu.
If you really want to try out Bukchon Son Mandu, I’ll recommend going to the Myeongdong branch instead. But for those who want a taste of the original store – it would do best to go early, and be less mindful about the staff attitude.
DIRECTIONS
Insadong: 153-1 Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Myeongdong: 10, Myeongdong 9-gil, Jung-gu 1f, Seoul 04538 South Korea
Related Posts:
- Andong Jjimdak: Seoul chain restaurant for the hearty dish
- [REOPENED] Sinseon Seolleongtang: delicious ox bone soup in Myeongdong
- Tosokchon Samgyetang: best ginseng chicken soup in Korea!
- Hang Zhou Xiao Long Bao 杭州小籠湯包: Michelin-approved dumplings in Taipei
PIN THIS!
Leave a Reply