Gumasan
구마산
About
Historic Yeouido restaurant operating since the 1970s, renowned for clear Gyeongsangdo-style chueotang and sizzling grilled beef ribs.
Tucked away on the second floor of the Miwon Building in Yeongdeungpo, Gumasan carries the legacy of a restaurant that first opened near the Yeouido Department Store in the mid-1970s. Founded by a matriarch who brought regional recipes from her husband’s hometown of Masan, this classic *nopo* remains an enduring fixture for corporate executives, multi-generational families, and regulars seeking time-tested comfort food. The restaurant’s signature is its Gyeongsangdo-style *chueotang* (loach soup), which departs markedly from the thick, muddy, paste-heavy bowls of the Jeolla region. Instead, Gumasan delivers a light, clear broth built on a gentle soybean paste foundation brimming with tender *ugeoji* (dried radish greens). The soup eats closer to a nourishing vegetable broth with subtle, finely integrated textures of loach, offering warmth without intense pungency. For diners who shy away from loach entirely, the dining room also serves bowls of *bibimbap* accompanied by small sides of peppery *yukgaejang* broth. Equally central to the menu is *bulgalbi*, an expensive, domestic beef rib preparation that arrives fully cooked on a sizzling metal platter. Servers swiftly debone and snip the meat tableside, releasing sweet, savory aromas marked by a distinctive char. Wrapped in lettuce or balanced with house banchan like mung bean sprouts, mild *namul*, fish cakes, and kimchi, it caters generously to classic Korean barbecue cravings. While the meat can lean chewy depending on the cut and portions run modest for the price, the sweet soy marinade remains a distinct draw. Offering both private rooms and broad floor seating, Gumasan fills rapidly with financial district workers at lunch and neighborhood families by evening. Whether seeking a restorative bowl of clear, green-flecked fish broth or charred ribs for the table, Gumasan preserves a gentler, vintage slice of Seoul's culinary heritage.
Menu
- Chueotang (Mudfish Soup)₩14,500
- Bulgalbi (Grilled Beef Ribs)₩38,500
- Bibimbap₩14,500
- Braised Warty Sea Squirt₩29,000
- Yukgaejang₩14,500
Local tips
- Phone reservations are highly recommended, especially during weekday dinner and lunch rush.
- The chueotang here is Gyeongsangdo-style with a clear, mild dried radish greens broth rather than thick mudfish soup.
- Bulgalbi arrives fully grilled on a hot iron plate with the bones trimmed table-side.
- Located on the 2nd floor of Miwon Building near KBS Annex.
Details
- Saetgang Station
Opening hours
- Sunday
- —
- Monday
- 11:30–21:00
- Tuesday
- 11:30–21:00
- Wednesday
- 11:30–21:00
- Thursday
- 11:30–21:00
- Friday
- 11:30–21:00
- Saturday
- 11:30–21:00