Mukshidonna Tteokbokki
Where: Samcheongdong, Jongno-gu, Anguk-dong, 17-18
Korean Address: 서울특별시 종로구, 안국동, 17-18
Phone Number: +82 2 723 8089
Hours: Daily 11:00AM to 8:30PM (Closed on select Sundays)
I recently visited Seoul and found a new appreciation for Korean cuisine. Every meal my partner and I ate was delicious and well balanced. Not to mentioned, the street food scene in Myeongdong, where we stayed, was awesome. So much great food to be had! We were only in Seoul for 4 days though, but without a doubt, our favorite meal was in the quaint little neighborhood of Samcheong-dong, at the internationally known Mukshidonna.
At Mukshidonna, you can order their version of the “Army Stew”, a large hot pot with spicy broth and tteokbokki (Korean rice cake), with your selection of added ingredients. When my partner and I went, we ordered veggies (5000w), bulgogi (5000w), ramyeon noodles (1000w), tempura (1000w), meat dumplings (1000w), egg (1000w), and cheese (2000w). Yes, cheese! If you haven’t yet tried cheese in your ramen or soup and this idea is brand new to you, don’t fear. It’s delicious! The pot was huge, more than enough food for two people. We finished ours. We also ordered the fried rice (2000w), which came after we finished our stew. It was a good amount. We were worried at first that the portion would be too much for us to finish, but it was just right.
The tteokbokki was delicious. The combination of flavors gave the stew solid depth. What was most impressive was how despite the combination of everything in the stew, each ingredient maintained it’s individual flavor, making each bite interesting a flavorful. Usually with stews, everything takes on the same flavor and after a while get tiring, but this stew was perfection!
The fried rice that followed was unlike any other fried rice I’ve ever had. Heavy with nori flakes (dried seaweed) and corn, the flavor was a great compliment to the soup. My only wish was that we got to eat the rice while eating the soup, rather than eat them in separate courses, but still, the meal was perfectly thought out and thoroughly enjoyable.
The meal was also very affordable. For a restaurant with such quality food, and one so historically popular, you’d expect it to be overpriced, but it wasn’t! We got our meal for roughly w18,000, which is about $17USD.
After lunch (or dinner), you can take a stroll around the Samcheongdong and enjoy the cute boutiques, artisanal cafes, and beautiful traditional architecture of the surrounding area. Overall, highly worth the time and money.
