Gogung Insadong

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Gwanhun-dong Jongno District 38 , Insadong, B1 Ssamziegil, Seoul, South Korea

(02) 736 3211

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Joenju Bibimbap fit for a Chosun King

by Composthp

Singapore, Singapore

February 24, 2011

There are a few hidden restaurants in the basement of Ssamziegil, one of them is Gogung, a traditional Korean restaurant that prides itself for serving authentic Goldongban, essentially Jeonju-style bibimbap of rice mixed with assorted vegetables ...Read more There are a few hidden restaurants in the basement of Ssamziegil, one of them is Gogung, a traditional Korean restaurant that prides itself for serving authentic Goldongban, essentially Jeonju-style bibimbap of rice mixed with assorted vegetables and beef served to the Kings of the Chosun dynasty. This dish was created according to the principles of Yin and Yang and the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water and is said to be of highly nutritious. It is also a favourite Korean comfort food that is often featured in Korean dramas.

We arrived just after the peak dinner period so we were seated almost immediately. We were unable to communicate with the service staff but fortunately, the menu was pictorial so we ordered by pointing to the dishes that we wanted. As we waited for the food, we "read" the various activities that Gogung organised that were prominently displayed on the wall where we were seated. The activities were mainly creating giant sized bibimbap to feed up to 1000 people in various places in South Korea as well as in Japan, usually for charitable purposes (I think). We ordered the house specialty- the traditional Jeonju bibimbap, a vegetable bibimbap and a Pajeon kimchi pancake. We were served assorted kimchi as appetisers first. These were unfamiliar but we had fun trying to figure it out. The appetisers included beansprouts lightly blanched, it was bland but crunchy, the pickled cabbage was spicy and sour while the seaweed was fragrant with sesame seeds and crisp while The bibimbaps, when they arrived were colorful (denoting the five elements), fragrant with sesame oil and delicious to taste. We had fun mixing everything together and each ingredient complimented one another. The portions were large and could have easily fed 4 persons (we finished everything anyway as we were very hungry).

The meal came with complimentary soup and a refreshing rice barley tea (boricha) that cleansed our palate. We paid a total of KRW 33250 or about US$28 for the meal. For those who want to recreate the bibimbap at home, the special sauce can be purchased at the cashier.

Getting There
Head for Ssamziegil in Insa-dong. Just after the entrance, turn left and walk down the stairs. Look out for the gigantic size model of a bibimbap (you cannot missed it!) Close

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Joenju Bibimbap fit for a Chosun King