Yeongchunok, Seoul gukbap restaurant recommendation

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Restaurant information 

Restaurant name	영춘옥 (Yeongchunok)
Address	13, Donhawmun-ro 5-ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
parking lot	X
nearby subway station	About 100 meters from Seoul Subway Line 3, Exit 2-1
business hours	24/7
Type of food	Hot pot, rice soup
shape of a seat	floor and cushion chair
Number of seats	Hold 10 or more tables

     Yeongchunok, which has been in the tradition of about 80 years since 1942. In the past, it was the most visited downtown area in Seoul, along with Jongno and Myeongdong, until Seoul was expanded due to the development of Gangnam. In front of the restaurant was the famous Piccadiri Theater (now CGV). The people who watched the movie in this theater ate hot rice soup inside the Yeongchunok restaurant. 

     The representative menu, "Bones", provides a pile of neck bones and tangle bones of cattle boiled full of earthen pot. The visuals with a large frame and thick meat are appealing. The soft meat that is gently separated from the bone, the soft bones that are chewed, and the sludge that adds rust form a perfect triple beat. 

     The inside of the restaurant is small, but it has a two-story structure, so it has more than 10 four-seater tables.

Menu (as of October 2023) 

• 꼬리곰탕(Tail Gomtang): 25,000 won 
• 해장국(Hangover Soup): 10,000 won 
• 곰탕(Gomtang): 11,000 won 
• 꼬리찜(Braised tail): 50,000 won 
• 편육(Pyeonyuk): 25,000 won

Restaurant Review

     This restaurant usually goes to relieve hangovers around sunrise after drinking all night. Calm down your stomach with warm soup makes both your body and mind relaxed. In fact, rice soup is a Korean soul food, and there are many very famous rice soup restaurants in Korea. Nevertheless, there is only one reason to recommend this restaurant. It's because of the taste of the soup. The subtle differences in umami make you visit this restaurant even if it's expensive. 

     I ordered the tail bone soup, the signature menu of this restaurant. The rice soup served in the earthen pot is a rather insincere visual at first glance. However, when you stir the soup with a spoon or chopsticks, the contents begin to be seen.

     First, scoop up the soup with a spoon. If you feel the smell and subtle flavor of the soup, your appetite that you didn't have will be revived. You can drink soju in the morning with this rice soup. It's so delicious when you pick up your appetite with the soup, pour a glass of soju into your mouth, pick up the meat of the tail bone soup and dip it in the sauce. This rice soup serves as a hearty meal as well as an incredibly delicious wine side dish. 

     No matter how many pictures you show and explain in writing, you can feel the food only when you try it yourself. If you like Korean food and love rice soup, make sure to visit this restaurant. I will never regret it.