을지다방
About
Retro Korean tearoom in the Euljiro printing district.
Since 1985, this second-floor tearoom above Euljiro has served egg-yolk ssanghwa-cha to factory workers, BTS pilgrims, and anyone drawn to a Seoul that predates kiosks. The owner still boils instant ramen for craftsmen who skip breakfast—four thousand won, rice and house-made kimchi included, until 11 a.m. only. That's not on the menu board. Neither is the teatime ritual she'll teach if you ask: roll the raw yolk in the hot herbal brew, swallow it whole, then sip the ssanghwa studded with pine nuts, jujube, and peanuts. The flavor is sweet-medicinal, never bitter, and the yolk leaves a silky coating before the tea washes through. The room is larger than expected—vinyl booths, old television sets, a paper daily-tear calendar on the wall—but spotless. BTS filmed a season greeting here in 2021, so the window table draws fans from Manila to Paris. Weekday mornings belong to regulars nursing iced coffee or ginger tea; weekends pull thirty-minute waits. The owner's a talker, bright-voiced and generous with backstory, and she'll walk you to the door when you leave. Nothing here costs more than six thousand won. Euljiro 3-ga station, exit ten, thirty meters. Cash only. Weekdays open at six, Sundays at nine. Go early if you want the ramen, or late afternoon to dodge the pilgrimage crowd. No English menu, but ssanghwa-cha is easy to point to.
Menu
- Ssanghwa-cha (Traditional herbal tea)₩6,000
- Cold coffee₩5,000
- Ramen₩4,000
- Tomato juice₩6,000
- Jujube tea₩6,000
- Cold ginger tea₩5,000
- Cold jujube tea₩5,000
- Cold kudzu juice₩5,000
Local tips
- Arrive early (before 11 AM) to try the exclusive ramen—morning-only specialty at 4,000 KRW with homemade kimchi.
- For first-timers: ask the owner how to eat ssanghwa-cha—roll the egg yolk in the hot tea, eat it whole, then sip the herbal tea with nuts.
- Best visited on weekdays or early afternoon; weekends and evenings get crowded with BTS pilgrims and tourists.
- This is a genuine 1985 tea house, not a trendy retro café—expect vintage furniture, no kiosk ordering, and genuine warmth from the elderly owner.
- Photo spot: the window seat where BTS filmed their Season Greeting video is marked; great for souvenir photos before ordering.
Details
- 을지로3가역
Opening hours
- Sunday
- 09:00–20:00
- Monday
- 06:00–21:00
- Tuesday
- 06:00–21:00
- Wednesday
- 06:00–21:00
- Thursday
- 06:00–21:00
- Friday
- 06:00–21:00
- Saturday
- 06:00–21:00