Tranquil stone-walled path in heart of Seoul lined with gamut of restaurants, bars and cafes
Head to Seosulla-gil, a serene and idyllic stone-walled route in Jongno-gu in the heart of Seoul, where old meets new and you will see restaurants, bars and cafes next to jewelers and their workshops.
While wandering around the path surrounded by lush greenery, stop by at Kaesung for a bowl of piping hot North Korean dumpling soup.
As the name suggests, the restaurant serves food in the style of Kaesong -- a city in North Korea that was once celebrated for its fine cuisine.
From the outside, the wooden decor recalls a Korean kitchen in the 1990s. It is compact in size -- the restaurant only has nine seats, the bar stools lined in a straight row facing the bar and the open kitchen.
The signature dish at Kaesong is manduguk, or dumpling soup, served North Korean style. Four pieces of pyeonsu, long triangular meat dumplings, float in a light beef broth, topped with garnishings of green onion and pulled beef.
The broth is made by simmering first-grade Hanwoo beef brisket, which adds a rich flavor to the soup dish. Priced at 15,000 won ($10.19), manduguk is served with other soy sauce for dipping the dumplings, kimchi and baek kimchi without red pepper powder.
One way to enjoy the dish is to eat the dumpling after dipping it ever so lightly in soy sauce before taking spoonfuls of the broth to refresh your taste buds. Another way to enjoy manduguk is to to add soy sauce directly to the soup for another layer of richness. When there is only one dumpling left, ask for a bowl of rice -- provided at no extra charge -- and mix the last piece of dumpling and broth with the rice for a satisfying end to the meal.
Apart from the dumpling soup, Kaesong offers a North Korean-style suyuk or boiled pork. A small serving -- 330 grams -- is priced at 20,000 won, while the medium-sized plate -- 450 grams -- is priced at 30,000 won. The restaurant prepares only a limited amount of suyuk daily and there is a high chance of the dish being sold out by dinner time. Going in for lunch or early dinner is highly recommended.
The eatery also stocks makgeolli, or fermented rice wine, and Asahi beer.
Kaesug is open from 11:30 a.m. to 6:40 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. The last order is taken at 6:10 p.m.
