YOUTUBE URL: https://youtu.be/ma4tQO_HAjs

Seohogun: A Hidden Gem of Old-School Chinese Cuisine in Seoul

Many of you probably recognized this place from the thumbnail! I’m excited to finally introduce you to this restaurant. I like to call it a “Chinese restaurant for men.” Let’s delve into the charm of this small, long-standing establishment nestled in the heart of Seoul. I’m Kidari Jjamppong Ajusshi!

Yes, as I mentioned, today’s restaurant is exactly the kind of place Kidari Jjamppong Ajusshi would recommend. I used to frequent this spot five years ago, before I started my YouTube channel. But I haven’t been able to visit as often since then. My trips to this neighborhood have become less frequent. However, whether I was a student or an adult, this place has always been in the same spot, serving up dishes with a unique, slightly rough-around-the-edges, yet delicious and heartwarming flavor. It’s a true old-timer in the neighborhood, a pillar of the community.

If I had to compare it to another restaurant I’ve introduced, the feeling is most similar to Donghae Banjeom in Yeongdeungpo. I used to be a regular there too, but I haven’t been able to go as often recently because I don’t visit the area much. The common thread is that they both have that old-school Chinese restaurant vibe, and when you first taste the food, it’s not overwhelmingly delicious, but more of a “Hmm, this is pretty good” kind of feeling. Yet, strangely, you end up emptying a bottle of Kaoliang liquor and making plans to come back with someone else. That’s the kind of restaurant it is.

Location and Atmosphere

Today’s featured Chinese restaurant is Seohogun, located in the center of Seoul’s old downtown, near Jongno 3-ga and Supyo Bridge. Many of you probably know this place. Here’s Kidari Jjamppong Ajusshi’s introduction!

Seohogun is truly in the heart of Seoul. It’s close to Jongno 3-ga Station (Lines 1, 3, and 5) and Euljiro 3-ga Station (Lines 2 and 3). Zooming in, you’ll see that this area is full of long-standing 맛집 (delicious restaurants) and is situated between Jongno and Cheonggyecheon Stream.

The restaurant has a charming ambiance. It’s in an old-looking building with a 기원 (Ki-won; a place for playing Go and other board games) on the first and second floors. It has that old neighborhood feel. From the outside, it looks small, but the interior is deep. There are about five rectangular tables in the hall, and on one side, there are about four small round tables. There isn’t a separate room, but it’s possible to create a partitioned space, although it’s also nice to eat with the area open to the others. The atmosphere is great, and it’s conducive to drinking. The restaurant is clean and not too noisy.

I mentioned earlier that it’s a “Chinese restaurant for men.” That’s because even when I used to come here, the proportion of male customers was high. Not all 화교 (Hwagyo; overseas Chinese) restaurants are like that. If you go to Yeonnamdong Yeongyo, Wollyangguan, or Yeonhui-dong Jinmi, you’ll find many female customers even though they serve authentic Chinese cuisine. But at Seohogun, about 80-90% of the customers are often men, and sometimes it’s 100% male. The Euljiro area has many “Hipjiro” (hip place in Euljiro) establishments for younger crowds, but this area has a slightly older, more established vibe, which might be why. Also, the dishes are the kind that go well with Kaoliang liquor, with a slightly rough and hearty deliciousness.

However, I think women will also enjoy the food here. The menu has become much simpler. I have a photo of the menu I took about six years ago. It used to be like this. I used to order the meat tempura and eat it with salt, and the two-flavored cold dish and three-flavored cold dish are now gone. But if you ask for tempura, they’ll probably still make it. I also liked the Yusanseul here, but what should we try today?

The Feast Begins: A Look at the Dishes

I used to like the Yusanseul here, but we’ll start with Ohyang Jangyuk. Then, we’ll try a chicken dish, Yuringi, and Nanjawanse (I’m the Kidari Nanjawanse Ajusshi, after all!). Since it’s a restaurant that’s good for drinking, we’ll add another dish, Gochu Japchae, and maybe some Gunmandu. For meals, we’ll have Mapo Tofu Rice and Japtangbap. I’ll tell you in advance, the fried rice is quite good. We’ll also try the 4,000 won Jjajangmyeon, and for the finale, we’ll have Jjamppong.

Ohyang Jangyuk: Clean and pretty. There’s crushed peanut on top of the meat, and sliced onions. There’s probably sliced cucumber underneath. The portion isn’t large, but it’s not small either. It’s perfect for about three people to share while drinking. Maybe even ground 피단 (Pidan; thousand-year-old egg) mixed in? Upon tasting, no. The appearance of Ohyang Jangyuk varies greatly from restaurant to restaurant. Some are cold dish style, some have a lot of sauce, some have a sour and sweet taste, some are sophisticated, and some are a bit rough. Seohogun has everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t. It’s a 화계 장터 (Hwagye Market) style Ohyang Jangyuk, and the taste is simple. But strangely, you keep drinking. It’s a good dish that goes well with this restaurant.

Yusanseul: It looks like a typical Yusanseul. There’s meat, shrimp, some dried sea cucumber, mushrooms, and squid. The seasoning is moderate, but what stands out is the strong squid flavor. It almost tastes like squid Yusanseul. But that’s strangely good. It makes you want to drink. If you come here, you should try it. Recommended.

Yuringi: For those of you who might secretly enjoy being ‘Yurin’dang (being toyed with)’ (which you shouldn’t!), I’ve prepared Yurigi. In fact, Yurigi is a dish that almost everyone enjoys. Fried chicken with cabbage, vegetables, sliced peppers, minced garlic, and a sweet, salty, sour, and spicy sauce. If you want a chicken dish with your drinks, now that the weather is getting warmer, ordering Yurigi is a good choice. It goes well with beer or Kaoliang liquor. Rather than having a special taste compared to other places, it’s well-made, clean, and impactful.

Nanjawanse: Finally, I’ll reveal my true identity once again. I’m Kidari Nanjawanse Ajusshi, and this is Seohogun’s Nanjawanse. Wow, it looks so good! It’s a style with a lot of sauce, and the color is beautiful. The vegetable ingredients look great. Mushrooms, bamboo shoots, broccoli, and Bok Choy. There’s even water chestnut here! It’s hard to find water chestnut in Chinese restaurants these days, but when it’s in stir-fried dishes or even Jjamppong, the texture is so good. The meatball is quite thick. Eight substantial meatballs. If two people eat it, they won’t be able to eat anything else. It’s good for three or four people to share. The meatball style isn’t the kind where the sauce is soaked into the inside of the meatball, making it chewy. It’s the kind where the thick, meaty texture is well felt. In this case, it’s perfect if there’s a lot of sauce, which this place has. It’s a pretty good Nanjawanse.

Gochu Japchae: I’ll briefly show you Gochu Japchae. I apologize to those of you who are watching this at night because I’m showing you five consecutive Chinese dishes that are perfect for drinking. It’s a very typical dish, not too much and not too little. The meat, peppers, mushrooms, and vegetables are stir-fried deliciously. It’s the perfect 안주 (Anju; side dish for alcohol). It was simple but very good.

Gunmandu (Fried Dumplings): They look crispy. They seem edible, but maybe not handmade. Nevertheless, the filling isn’t bad, and the fried dumpling skin is just right. If it’s like this, ordering Gunmandu would be satisfying. Of course, if your sole purpose is to eat Gunmandu, Andongjang or Ogubanjeom nearby have a great merit for Gunmandu.

Mapo Tofu Rice: It’s as expected. It’s not a strong Mapo Tofu that costs 4,000 won. It’s a gentle style from a long-standing Chinese restaurant run by overseas Chinese in Korea. Soft tofu. Even though it’s light, it’s soft and delicious.

Japtangbap: The color is very dark. There’s some sea cucumber, shrimp, and a lot of squid. There’s also water chestnut here. Unlike Mapo Tofu, it’s slightly intense. But it’s hard to say that there are diverse and abundant seafood ingredients. It’s almost like squid Japtangbap. Since Yusanseul is a specialty of this place, I think Yusanseul Rice would be better than Japtangbap.

Fried Rice: Don’t worry, the fried rice here is very good. It’s a shrimp fried rice. It’s the kind of delicious fried rice you can expect from a small, old-fashioned Chinese restaurant. Of course, 계란국 (Gyeran Guk; egg drop soup) comes with it. It’s not severely undercooked or gritty, but it’s well-stir-fried with a good oily coating. The scallion oil and scallion flavor are very savory and impressive. The ingredients are shrimp, eggs, scallions, and carrots. It’s not as heavily seasoned as the dishes, but it’s delicious enough to eat just the fried rice without Jjajang sauce. It’s not overdone. It’s just delicious Chinese restaurant fried rice.

Jjajangmyeon: 간짜장 (Ganjjajang; Jjajangmyeon with sauce fried separately) is gone. Several people shared a 4,000 won 쟁반짜장 (쟁반 Jjajang; Jjajangmyeon served on a platter). It doesn’t taste like 4,000 won at all. It should be called spicy stir-fried sauce. The seafood such as squid and octopus, and vegetables that were in the other dishes are stir-fried and come out. It’s quite spicy and seasoned. It’s not a dish you would eat as a meal, but it’s perfect for when several people order various dishes and want to have Jjajangmyeon. It’s not a unique taste, but it’s quite delicious. The noodles aren’t mushy and have a good chewy texture, so you can call it Anju-style Jjajangmyeon.

The Finale: Jjamppong

Jjamppong: In fact, when I used to come here often, I thought it was a good place to have 고기 튀김 (Gogi Twigim; fried pork), 냉채 (Naengchae; cold salad), 오향장육 (Ohyang Jangyuk; braised pork in five spices), and 유산슬 (Yusanseul; seafood and vegetable stew) with drinks, but not a place where Jjamppong was very delicious. But conversely, coming here with that thought in mind, I ate it quite deliciously. The broth doesn’t have much 불맛 (Bulmat; fire flavor). The seasoning is strong. The spicy taste is slight. I think there used to be 미더덕 (Mideodeok; sea squirt) in it, but I might be mistaken. The ingredients are a large shrimp, squid, and octopus. The noodles absorbed the broth well and had a good texture. These old, representative neighborhood restaurants often don’t follow the trends when it comes to Jjamppong. This place is like that, but it has the feeling of a rich, old-fashioned Seoul Jjamppong that I’ve always enjoyed.

If I had to rate the Jjamppong, I would say it’s around 요 정도 (this much). The dishes here have their own unique charm, so it’s not a place where you would come just to eat Jjamppong. It’s better to come and enjoy various dishes and have Jjamppong when you need 국물 (Gukmul; soup). They used to have 울면 (Ulleomyeon; a type of Chinese noodle soup), 우동 (Udong; Japanese noodle soup), and 기스면 (Giseumyeon; a type of Chinese noodle soup), but now only Jjamppong remains.

Seohogun: Final Thoughts

To summarize Seohogun, it’s a small, delicious, old, traditional Chinese restaurant near Jongno 3-ga and Supyo Bridge in Seoul. I think it’s been around for about 60-70 years. The aura that you feel inside and outside the restaurant is good. The dishes are unique and delicious without being gimmicky. It’s a very charming restaurant, and strangely, you keep drinking. It’s the kind of restaurant where if you say, “Do you know any good Chinese restaurants?” you should know Seohogun.

Getting There

As I mentioned, it’s in one of the central hubs of Seoul’s public transportation network, between Jongno 3-ga and Euljiro 3-ga. It’s a place where you’ll be drinking, so don’t drive!

Alternative Restaurants

If you come here and there’s no room or the line is too long, a good alternative Chinese restaurant is… Seohogun is closed on Sundays, like many restaurants in this neighborhood. Although there are many good Chinese restaurants in Jongno 3-ga, Andongjang is a 10-minute, 600m walk away. I think it’s one of the representative Chinese restaurants in Korea. It’s classic and is the origin of Guli (a fried oyster dish). It’s a long-standing restaurant, but the dishes are sophisticated and delicious, and even the Gunmandu is good. Regardless of its history and tradition, the food is very good. But if you want to have a drink and order various dishes after work, like at Seohogun, Ogubanjeom is also an option. It’s closer, 6 minutes and 400m away. It’s also a 70-year-old restaurant with a good old-fashioned feel. The Gunmandu is good, and it’s good for a drink after work. However, Andongjang is more classic and luxurious, while Ogubanjeom has a stronger old-fashioned vibe, but the indoor seating is small. Today’s Seohogun has an old-fashioned feel but is also clean, so it’s just right.

Kidari Jjamppong Ajusshi Epilogue

I briefly rated the Jjamppong in the video. Instead, I’ll show you something interesting. I talked a lot about drinking today. There’s a liquor called 이과두주 (Igwadoju; Erguotou). It’s a very cheap Kaoliang liquor. It’s small in quantity, has a high alcohol content, and has the advantage of not causing a hangover because it’s distilled twice. But some people say it smells like alcohol lamps in a science lab. In that case, there are occasionally places that sell slightly more upscale Igwadoju. They sometimes sell this kind of thing. It looks a bit like Captain Q. I call this Captain Igwadoju. It’s good. And today, Seohogun sells 팔선 이과두주 (Palseon Igwadoju; Eight Immortals Erguotou). It looks like this. It’s slightly more expensive than regular Igwadoju, but it’s cleaner and has a good aroma. It still has a high alcohol content and doesn’t cause a hangover, so it’s quite good for a light drink. The bottle is quite pretty. Bring it home.

These days, Lego sells Lego roses. They cost around 20,000 won. If you assemble the Lego roses and put them in this bottle, it goes very well. Even if you can see the Igwadoju letters, it has a strange vibe. If you show the back, it’s very clean. Give a gift of Lego roses and twice-distilled Igwadoju to your girlfriend, which means you love her twice as much. Even though it’s Lego, it’s a rose, so your girlfriend will smell it and say, “Oh, this rose smells like Pega!” You should meet someone like that. Anyway, I’m Kidari Jjamppong Ajusshi, who enjoys these strange things. Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you next week. Everyone, 굿 짬뽕 (Good Jjamppong)!

Google Search Assessment

A Google search for “서호장 종로3가” (Seohogun Jongno 3-ga) reveals numerous blog posts, reviews, and Naver blog mentions, confirming its reputation as a well-known and established restaurant. The reviews generally highlight its old-school ambiance, reasonable prices, and classic Chinese dishes. Many reviewers praise specific dishes like the Ohyang Jangyuk and fried rice. The consensus from the search results suggests that Seohogun is a popular local favorite and a good option for those seeking an authentic, no-frills Chinese dining experience in Seoul. A search for “서호장 메뉴” gives many pictures of current and old menus.