Hidden Japanese Gem in Gongdeok: Sendai's Cod Soup
I was still nursing a hangover from last night's drinks and desperately needed a cure. It feels like I'm like this every day, but that's just a feeling—it's actually been a while since I needed a proper hangover meal. Instead of my usual pho or jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), I craved a mild, refreshing broth. A coworker knew exactly what I needed, so we headed out for some daegutang (cod soup).
To get our cod soup, we went down into the basement of a commercial building. I was a little skeptical at first, but I trusted my coworker's famously refined palate. Walking past the shabby-looking entrance, I immediately sensed the aura of a culinary master. How many Japanese restaurants actually dry their own eoran (mullet roe) right at the door? It seems we stumbled upon a place with serious substance, despite its humble exterior.
Since it was lunchtime (and I was hungover), we skipped the alcohol and went straight for the daegutang. The place gave off such a strong hidden-gem vibe that we decided to order some sushi to go with it.
I'm not sure if it was because we ordered the cod soup, the sushi, or just because we barged in right at opening time, but we were served a raw fish salad as an appetizer. They even gave us some thinly sliced sashimi on the house. I politely reminded them that we only ordered the cod soup, not a set course, but they assured us it wasn't a mistake since we were the only customers there. I guess this is just the warm hospitality of an old neighborhood joint.
The raw fish salad and sashimi were absolutely delicious. This is exactly why I changed the title of this post from "Gongdeok Daegutang" to "Gongdeok Daegutang and Japanese Food." Tasting the sashimi skyrocketed my expectations for a proper Japanese meal here. I made a mental note to come back and try their sashimi set or the chef's tasting course.
Our main dishes, the daegutang and sushi, finally arrived. The cod soup broth felt like it was washing away yesterday's soju straight down my throat and out of my system. Because we ordered it as a clear broth (jiri) rather than a spicy soup, the clean flavors really shined through. I just sipped the broth for a while before using my chopsticks to fish out some cod. They must have used a massive fish—pulling out just one of the two huge chunks made the soup level drop by more than half! The ingredients and taste were top-notch; I honestly can't remember the last time I had cod this plump and meaty.
The sushi was classic and textbook-perfect. The rice portion wasn't too large, striking just the right balance so you could truly appreciate the natural flavor of the fish. It felt like a very thoughtful touch.
Just like judging a person by their appearance can make you miss their true character, Sendai might look old on the outside, but it's a veteran restaurant that delivers incredible flavors. Having such a proper, satisfying meal at a place like this put me in a great mood today. I'll definitely have to come back for a sashimi dinner the next time we have something to celebrate.