Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SPINOZA]

Someone I worked with recently told me of a place in Jongno in downtown Seoul that sells the best Dwenjangjigae in Korea. I totally forgot to get directions.

Apparently, at this place, people queue up outside to eat there, and you've got to leave as soon as you've finished because they're so busy and popular. I fookin love 된장찌개 - it's my big favorite - so I've gotta eat there. It's only 3000w as well.

So, where is it? Someone must know.

Besides, where's your fave dwenjangjigae place? I know a place near me (Yeonshinnae, Seoul) that's so good it's worth a journey if you're interested. The Namsan restaurant (couple of flights of steps below the tower) is awesome as well and their kimchi is the best I've ever had. If you think "if you've had one, you've had 'em all" you're clueless. Good 된장찌개 is definitely one of the best dishes in world cuisine.

[Donkey Beer]

There is no famous doenjang place. You should just check out the kimbap shops and find some places you like.

If you like doenjang so much you should try some of the soups. sallongtong, boshingtong and fish soups are all very good.

[kangnam mafioso]

dwen-jang is nothing special. i like it more to accompany other dishes -- sam gyup sal or kalbi, for instance. some of the dwen-jang places have good side dishes that are almost better than the soup itself -- fried fish, omlettes, beef, etc. it would be almost impossible to tell you how to get to those places. sorry.

[billybrobby]

don't listen to these guys, they don't understand the sublime art of dwenjangjjigae....although, maybe they're right. I've never found a place that specialized in dwenjangjjigae. But I've never looked.

If you like 된장찌개 you should try 청국장 if you haven't already. It's like superduper 된장찌개.

[chronicpride]

Before I start moving around more in Korea, I'd always frequent the same places based on how good their 된장찌개 is. Even if their galbi was nothing great. If the soup is bean-based (none of that shellfish BS) with good gochu peppers, the ajumma gets a high five.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

[Thunndarr]

There definitely are places that make 된장찌개 better than others. My favorite place at the moment is near Mia Station. It's at this little galbi place where the adjosshi is his own butcher, so, first of all, the cuts of meat are about 10 times better than the average galbi place. Second, it's a bit cheaper. Third, the 된장찌개 (which is free) is the best I've had. Very strong, nice color, very thick, and nice and spicy.

[Woland]

I have to agree with Thundarr. There are some places that doenjang jjigae better than others. I have the good fortune to live around the corner from 'Kimbap Akadaemi', where the ajumma in charge does a wicked good one, with good sides to boot. She also does a great sundubu jjigae. The jae yuk dop bap and bibim naengmyeon need some work, though.

This is my experience of little punshik type places - you have to learn what the cook does well and stick to that when you go there. The problem is, you have to order a certain amount of failures to learn this.

One real plus for Kimbap Akadaemi is that whenever I go there, it has some neighborhood people in chowing down and stopping off to pick up kimbap. I take this as a good sign about the quality of the cooking there in general.

[Jack_Sarang]

Its probably the place next to Gyungbokgung Palace and the Blue House. The whole area has restaurants that serve traditional korean fare.

The area is called Samchung-dong. There is a very famous dwaenjangchigae restaurant there where people do line up to eat. However this dwaenjangchigae is served with dumplings in the pot.

There are numerous restaurants there where people line up out the door. Including a Su-jae-bi place and a pat-jook place.