Here is my penultimate report from our week in Seoul in July. One of the first meals we’d eaten on the trip featured barbecue. That was at Hwapo Sikdang near Namdaemun Market, and that meal was centered on pork. The boys had asked to eat a beef barbecue meal as well and that is what we did at Iksundong Mokjang on our penultimate night in Seoul. We were going to be in Jongno-gu in the early evening and looking around for a well-reviewed bbq restaurant, I happened on Ikseondong Mokjang (or Iksundong Farm in their English signage). All signs pointed to a good meal and so it turned out to be. Here is a quick look.
The restaurant, which has a very attractive front, has a nice vibe and even though it was early on a weeknight, and it was raining, they were pretty full throughout the evening. Given the large number of barbecue restaurants in the immediate vicinity, that is a sign of a strong reputation in Seoul. They are apparently known for serving very meticulously sourced pork and Korean beef. Their other hallmarks include serving shredded potato on every grill and Maldon salt to eat the meat with. As at most barbecue restaurants in Seoul, a staff member handles the grilling of the meat you order.
What did we order? The missus consulted with our server and ordered the following for the grill; beef brisket, beef striploin (x2) and pork neck. This last is not listed on their menu (which you access on your phone via qr code—it includes an English option); I can’t remember now if he recommended it as a special. The meal comes with complimentary doenjangjjigae (soybean paste stew), bubbling in a stone pot. In addition we got an order of their steamed egg custard and the customary end to a barbecue meal: a bowl of chilled mul naengmyeon.
The meat was all very good—and the striploin was particularly good. We also enjoyed the egg custard and the naengmyeon—though in the humid height of summer in Seoul even a passable bowl of mul naengmyeon would be better than almost anything else. To be safe, we also fought the humidity with a large chilled bottle of beer.
For a look at the restaurant, the menu and everything we ate, launch the slideshow below. Scroll down to see how much it all cost and to see what’s coming next on the food front.
Service was the usual Seoul restaurant efficient/brisk. Price? 129,000 won all in or $88. It wasn’t the largest meal we ate on the trip but it was still an excellent value compared to the price of a comparable Korean barbecue meal in Los Angeles. On our longer visit next spring, we’ll actually be living not too far from Ikseondong Mokjang and often at the nearby Jongno-3 subway station, and so it’ll be tempting to return. More likely, however, we’ll try some new places instead. But if you’re in Seoul and looking for barbecue in the general vicinity, I’d recommend them for sure.
Alright, only one more meal report to go from this Seoul trip. That’ll be up before the week is out. Tomorrow, however, I’ll have a report from the Twin Cities metro. It’ll be of an Indian meal eaten in the southern suburbs.