Seongneomeojip

About

A long-running Eunpyeong chicken restaurant near Bukhansan, known for dakbokkeumtang with a rich, thick broth and generously sized potatoes.

In Eunpyeon, Seongneomeojip is best known for dakbokkeumtang, the slow-cooked chicken stew that gives this old restaurant its identity. The menu also includes samgyetang, but the blog accounts focus on the stew: a generous pot of chicken, potatoes and rice cakes in a thick, deep-red sauce, with scallions adding fragrance. It is rich and savory rather than aggressively sweet or fiery; one diner notes a light herbal aroma. The potatoes are more than a side ingredient here—soft enough to crush into the sauce, then stir through rice for a comforting last bite. The restaurant’s story stretches back to its earlier home in Seongbuk-dong, before its move to Eunpyeong. Though it is still associated with old-fashioned cauldron cooking, accounts say the current restaurant no longer cooks over a wood fire in a cauldron. What remains is the impression of a meal made to be shared and lingered over: stew arrives in a substantial pot, and the two-person serving is described as ample. The mood is homely, grounded by a spread of Korean side dishes—kimchi, spinach, bean sprouts, seasoned perilla leaves, radish salad, pickled onions and cabbage with dipping sauce. They change with the season, and visitors describe them as tasting like home cooking. If you want something crisp beside the stew, the potato pancake is grated fresh and fried thick, with a browned exterior and a soft center. One blogger also enjoyed the substantial, crisp-edged chive pancake. This is a meal for an unhurried appetite, not a quick stop: diners recommend calling ahead, especially for the stew, which takes time to prepare. Accounts place the restaurant in Eunpyeong’s Bulgwang area, on a route associated with visits to Bukhansan; one describes the approach as less convenient than expected. Come for the hearty pot, make room for the potatoes and side dishes, and consider the samgyetang if you’re drawn to the restaurant’s chicken-focused menu.