Andong Guksu

About

40-year-old Yeouido institution serving traditional Andong-style noodles made with soybean flour in a rich beef broth, paired with seasoned perilla leaves.

Tucked onto the second floor of the aging Goryeo Building near Saetgang Station, across from the Indonesian Embassy, this stalwart noodle house has served Yeongdeungpo office workers for four decades. The footprint spans across the hallway with a spacious main hall and an annex that accommodates large lunch crowds and solo diners alike, offering both standard tables and traditional floor seating. The lived-in atmosphere feels comfortably grounded in an older Yeongdeungpo, largely insulated from the neighborhood's shifting restaurant trends. The centerpiece is the namesake Andong *guksi*, rooted in the traditions of North Gyeongsang's historic noble households. Unlike common seafood- or anchovy-based noodle soups, the broth here is simmered entirely from beef bone and beef cuts, yielding a pale, deeply savory, non-stimulating soup with a gentle richness. The noodles are mixed with soybean powder and rolled thin, creating tender, silky ribbons that yield softly to each bite rather than snapping with high chewiness. To offset the mild, velvety broth, the kitchen relies on a trinity of side dishes: fresh *baechu* kimchi, tangy garlic chive salad (*buchu-muchim*), and pickled perilla leaves (*kkaetnip-jangajji*). Wrapping a tender chopstickful of noodles inside a perilla leaf cuts the rich beef base with a bright, herbal pop of acidity. Table orders frequently center around shared plates, particularly the *modeumjeon*—an assortment of freshly fried pancakes including beef *yukjeon*, stuffed green chili peppers, and mushrooms—which pairs reliably with bowls of local Jangsu makgeolli. Diners also share the *dotorimuk*, featuring springy acorn jelly cubes tossed with crisp cucumbers, shredded lettuce, sliced chili, and roasted seaweed flakes in a savory dressing. For midday workers splitting dishes, the kitchen accommodates splitting large bowls of *guksi* into smaller portions, making it easy to anchor a hearty meal alongside platters of savory pancakes.