Woo Lae Oak is a north korean restaurant in Jung Gu, Seoul.
Editorially verified May 29, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Pyongyang naengmyeon, Bulgogi
Must order: Pyongyang naengmyeon: hand-pulled buckwheat noodles in cold hanwoo bone broth.
Tip: The broth is clear and mild; if you want spice ask for bibim naengmyeon. Bulgogi is the other order.
Address: 62-29 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
Family-run since 1953, Ojangdong serves Hamheung-style cold noodles: the noodles are made from potato starch and are notably chewier than Pyongyang-style.
Signature: Bibim naengmyeon, Mul naengmyeon
Order: Bibim naengmyeon: chewy starch noodles in a sweet-spicy sauce with cold beef slices and a halved boiled egg.
Tip: Cut the noodles with scissors if you prefer shorter strands; the kitchen leaves them long by tradition.
In the Michelin Guide and on 50Best Discovery, Byeokje Galbi has served premium charcoal-grilled hanwoo short ribs since 1986, handling its own butchery.
Signature: Charcoal galbi, Hanwoo ribeye
Order: Galbi (short ribs) over charcoal.
Tip: Book the private room for groups; the galbi course includes side dishes and a naengmyeon to close.
Family-run since 1953, Ojangdong serves Hamheung-style cold noodles: the noodles are made from potato starch and are notably chewier than Pyongyang-style.
Signature: Bibim naengmyeon, Mul naengmyeon
Order: Bibim naengmyeon: chewy starch noodles in a sweet-spicy sauce with cold beef slices and a halved boiled egg.
Tip: Cut the noodles with scissors if you prefer shorter strands; the kitchen leaves them long by tradition.
The original Maple Tree House, in a restored hillside house in Samcheong-dong, with a more intimate setting than the Itaewon branch and a view of the old.
Signature: Hanu beef, Samgyeopsal
Order: Hanwoo beef tasting set: three cuts of heritage Korean cattle served in the original house that started the Maple Tree brand.
Tip: The Samcheong branch has fewer tourist crowds than Itaewon on weekday lunchtimes.
Hadongkwan has been open since 1939 in Myeongdong and is in the Michelin Guide for a bowl of seolleongtang that has not changed: slow-cooked ox bone.
Signature: Seolleongtang
Order: Seolleongtang: ox-bone broth cooked until milky-white without additives.
Tip: The kitchen closes at 15:30 sharp; arrive for an early lunch to guarantee a bowl.
Korea's first registered restaurant, open since 1904 in Jongno, still serving a single dish: 17-hour ox bone seolleongtang with sliced brisket.
Signature: Seolleongtang
Order: Seolleongtang: 17-hour ox bone broth poured over sliced beef and soft wheat noodles.
Tip: Season the broth yourself with the salt provided; adding too much at once is the only mistake you can make.
A hanok courtyard dumpling kitchen in Bukchon, selling hand-formed mandu (dumplings) by the basket to a patient queue of Seoulites who find the 20-minute.
Signature: Steamed mandu, Mandu guk
Order: Steamed mandu (dumplings) with kimchi and pork filling, thin pleated skin.
Tip: The mandu guk (dumpling soup) is only slightly more expensive and adds a clear anchovy broth that makes it a meal.
