Gimgane - Myeongdong - Seoul, South Korea.

Gimgane

After a few searches on Google, I finally found the English name of this restaurant. Google never ceases to amaze me with its superb searching capabilities.

For our first dinner in Seoul we couldn't decide on what to eat given our lack of knowledge on what was good and what was not. It's not easy finding a recommended restaurant in Korea, so we thought that could wait till the next day, when we became more familiar with the place. There are a plethora of options available in Myeongdong but after a long, tiring flight, our sense of taste was near non-existent.  We even contemplated on going to KFC but how could we go to KFC when we can have that back home. Though, I hear it is much better than what we have available in Australia.

After walking a few laps around the area, we saw a cosy, little restaurant on the same street and a few buildings away from McDonald's and KFC. From the outside, it looked fairly busy and there were many locals who ate in so that was a good sign.

There was a menu outside and the options looked appealing, so we decided to give it a try and walked in. It was nice to be able to escape the chilly cold and be in the perfectly heated room.

Gimgane is casual Korean restaurant run by a Korean family. I only just found out that they are a franchise so there are many branches throughout Korea. They specialise in noodles, kimbap and rice dishes. They have a lady at the front of the restaurant making fresh kimbap which looks like sushi. Everything is good value and inexpensive.

Table water, cutlery, tissue and kimchi is all self-serve. I really liked the kimchi here as it was crunchy and wonderfully flavoured with the right amount of spice.

Love the cartoon pictures of the Korean dishes in the menu which makes ordering much much easier as the staff don't speak much English. So you can just point and they will know.

The 'Soft Tofu Ramen (4500 KRW)' is the best comfort food in the chilly cold, topped with clams, kimchi, chilli's, soft tofu and shallots.The soup is piping hot and steaming with smoke, it just warms your body instantly. The noodles are like the instant noodles you get in those packets, but that's how Koreans usually have their ramen. It is cooked well in that it is springy and still a bit chewy.  The star of the dish was definitely the melt in your mouth tofu which was so smooth and silky.

'Spicy Seafood Ramen (4500 KRW)' is very similar to the soft tofu ramen. It uses the same type of noodles but the toppings are different. The stock is much spicier and there are more vegetables. A bit too much onion but I still really enjoyed it.

The staff are friendly and service is very prompt and efficient. Don't expect superior service here as it is a casual restaurant that offers authentic Korean meals at very affordable prices.

Where?
45-1, Myeongdong 1-ga,
Jung-gu, Seoul
South Korea

Phone no: 02 777 7879

Opening Hours
NA

Website
https://www.gimgane.co.kr/