Yangpyeong Chueotang

About

A long-running, comforting Seochon alley restaurant serving hearty chueotang boiled in large pots alongside savory side dishes.

Tucked inside an alleyway off Jahamun-ro in Seochon, marked by a plain yellow sign, Yangpyeong Chueotang feels like stepping into a grandmother’s house. Warm wood trim, quiet stone-wall views, and the steam drifting from earthenware pots set a restorative tone after a walk past Gyeongbokgung or the Blue House. Long-standing and certified as an exemplary restaurant, this neighborhood staple operates with an unfussy devotion to mudfish soup. Meals begin with comforting warm tea and a half-dozen house-made side dishes, where marinated perilla leaves (*kkaennip-jangajji*) stand out for cutting through the richness to come. The defining chueotang arrives bubbling in a substantial communal vessel rather than individual bowls, accompanied by smaller earthenware dishes so diners can ladle out portions at their own pace. The mudfish is finely ground without grit, simmered into a deep, earthy broth infused with tender *siraegi* (dried radish greens), perilla powder, and chewy bites of hand-torn *sujebi* (dough flakes). Free of any muddy odor, the soup carries a velvety body that coats rice grains effortlessly, ready to be tuned to taste with chopped hot peppers, crushed perilla seed, or numbing *jepi* (chuanjiao) powder from the table. Beyond the signature soup, the kitchen turns out classic companions. The *chueo-twigim* features whole mudfish fried crisp in a batter reminiscent of old-school market rotisserie chicken, while the seafood pajeon emerges thick and fragrant. For groups lingering over midday drinks, a blend of bokbunja-ju with cider and soju pairs neatly alongside tender sliced tofu and kimchi. Free from trendy culinary theatrics, Yangpyeong Chueotang remains a deeply grounded Seochon address where honest broth and time-tested hospitality provide an enduring antidote to Seoul’s brisk winter winds or sweltering summer afternoons.