Yangja Seolleongtang: A Quiet, Affordable Local Soup Spot in Seoul
2025-03-14 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)
Sometimes on my way home, I get a craving for gukbap (hot soup with rice) and a shot of soju. Having a delicious soup place nearby where I can comfortably go alone is the best kind of luck. I have a place exactly like that in my current neighborhood: Yangja Seolleongtang (ox bone soup).
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| Hard to believe they don't use any artificial seasoning |
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| Great prices considering today's inflation |
Every time I visit, it's completely empty, which makes me wonder how they stay in business, but they've been open for years now. If you go at night, there's just one lady running the place alone, but it's amazing that they're holding on. They also seem to sell gamjatang (pork bone stew) and beef. The owner gives off a very strong "I own this building" vibe. Please stay open for a long time!
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| Korean comfort food |
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| Seolleongtang |
They claim not to use any artificial seasoning, but the broth tastes almost like it has soup powder in it. If this broth is truly made just by boiling bones with nothing else added, that's some incredible skill. It has a milky smoothness to it. I suspect they might use a bit of non-dairy creamer, but maybe they really don't use other seasonings, because you have to add a lot of salt and pepper yourself.
Since it's a classic seolleongtang, you just eat it the classic way. Eat the noodles first, mix in your rice, and then enjoy the rice and meat. With a shot of soju for every bite, of course.
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| They give you plenty of noodles |
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| The real charm of this place is the kkakdugi |
The soup is excellent, but the real reason Yangja Seolleongtang is so good is because of their
kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi). Strangely enough, their regular kimchi isn't really my style, but the kkakdugi is absolutely delicious. They put quite a bit of sugar in it, so the radish broth has a strong sweet taste. Eating it all by itself might feel a bit weird. But when paired with the seolleongtang, it creates an unbelievable balance.
Taking a shot of soju, having a spoonful of soup, and biting into a piece of kkakdugi melts all my stress away. Because it has a slightly thick sweetness, adding a couple of ladles of the kkakdugi juice into your leftover seolleongtang broth at the end makes it incredibly tasty.
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| A quiet restaurant again today |
The economy is tough lately, but even when times were good, this place never had many customers, so I worry a lot that it might close down. The prices are affordable—fitting for a neighborhood joint—and the food is quite good, so I really hope they stay in business for a long time. Good restaurants are practically non-existent around Korea University (in Seoul), making this place incredibly precious to me.
