Muguok: A Hidden Gem Near Gyeongbokgung Palace Offering Unique North Korean Cuisine

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Perhaps I was the only one late to the party, but when a former colleague and I decided to grab a spontaneous dinner, we stumbled upon Muguok, a restaurant serving a rather unique dish: Samgyae Baekban (North Korean-style Samgyetang served with rice). We decided to give it a try.

Two guys, pondering where to go, wanting something nourishing... a quick search on Naver Maps revealed a menu that piqued our curiosity.

Muguok (無垢) translates to 'untainted purity.' This restaurant lives up to its name by highlighting the natural flavors of its ingredients while preserving the beauty of its traditional Hanok setting. Here’s my honest review.

Before you go, here’s what you need to know:

Why You Should Go (Seriously, It’s Amazing!)

• One-of-a-Kind Menu: The only place in Seoul serving North Korean-style Samgyae Baekban (Super rare!)
• 70-Year-Old Hanok Charm: A unique dining experience in an authentic Hanok built in 1954.
• Insane Quality: Cultured Wild Ginseng Root, Suhyang Rice, and an Anseong Cauldron – Only Premium Ingredients!
• Instagram Hotspot: A popular spot for tourists, guaranteed SNS-worthy photos.
• Excellent Accessibility: A 5-minute walk from Anguk Station, perfect for a Gyeongbokgung-Bukchon tour.

Who Should Go, and When?

• Couples: Hanok ambiance + unique menu = perfect date spot.
• Tourists: Ideal for taking foreign friends (100% K-culture appeal).
• Family Gatherings: You'll get major points for bringing your parents here.
• Business Meetings: Quiet and elegant atmosphere (they have private rooms!).
• Solo Diners: The layout doesn’t feel awkward for solo dining.

Expected Costs

• North Korean Samgyae Baekban: ₩18,000 (per person)
• Spicy Braised Chicken: ₩40,000 (Medium), ₩60,000 (Large)
• Spicy Squid and Chicken Salad: ₩9,500
• Total Estimated Cost: ₩45,000-₩50,000 for two (Reasonable!)

Important Things to Know

• Expect a Wait: Be prepared to wait 1-1.5 hours on weekends (open early!).
• No Reservations: Walk-ins only (Catch Table app recently introduced!).
• Break Time: 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM (Don’t go then!).
• No Parking: No dedicated parking, public transportation is a must.
• Eat the Chicken Quickly: The chicken tastes best when eaten immediately.

I visited Muguok on a weekday evening and still had to wait.

Since Muguok doesn't offer reservations, you have to go to the restaurant and add your name to the waiting list.

It seems that the competition for a table is even fiercer because many foreign tourists visit the restaurant. I thought there wouldn't be much of a wait on a weekday, but I was wrong. Haha.

You can enjoy a meal in a 70-year-old Hanok at Muguok.

Muguok is a restaurant that opened in 2024 after remodeling a 70-year-old Hanok built in 1954. The structure of the Hanok is quite interesting. When you go inside the restaurant, you can see stairs leading to the basement.

While waiting, I could look around the restaurant and see that people were enjoying their meals very happily.

After waiting about 15 minutes, I entered Muguok, got seated, and explored the menu.

After being seated by a friendly staff member, I sat down at a table for two. There was a menu and basic settings on the table. Muguok's menu was simple.

I asked the staff member which menu they recommended for my first visit, and they said, "If it's your first time, you should try Samgyae Baekban." So, without much hesitation, I ordered Samgyae Baekban and Spicy Squid and Chicken Salad.

Muguok Menu Information

Main Menu

• North Korean Samgyae Baekban - ₩18,000
  • Includes Cultured Wild Ginseng Root, Suhyang Rice, and Premium Korean Beef
• Spicy Braised Chicken - ₩40,000 (Medium) / ₩60,000 (Large)
  • Excellent with Spicy Special Sauce that goes well with Chicken
• Cheongguk Chicken Stew - ₩40,000 (Medium) / ₩60,000 (Large)
  • Using Cheonggukjang made by a 50-year-old Master in Gongdeok-dong

Side Menu

• Spicy Squid and Chicken Salad - ₩9,500
  • Boasts a fantastic combination with Samgyae Baekban

Drinks

• Additional Cultured Wild Ginseng Root - ₩3,000
• Soju - ₩6,000
• Beer - ₩6,000
• Soft Drinks - ₩3,000

On one side of the table, there were sauces that you can enjoy with Samgyae Baekban. And the side dishes that came with it were radish kimchi and young radish kimchi with barley.

You can take as much of the saltwort salt, green onion ginger sauce, herbal medicine sauce, and pepper as you want and eat it.

Enjoying Samgyae Baekban and Spicy Squid and Chicken Salad at Muguok

About 10 minutes after ordering, the Samgyae Baekban came out first. It was introduced as a modern reinterpretation of North Korean cuisine. It followed the bland and savory taste of North Korean food and the Tangban culture (a method of serving soup and rice separately), and allowed you to eat it with various side dishes and sauces.

A bowl of rice, boiled chives on top of boiled chicken, and a thick and rich chicken bone broth came out, and my eyes were drawn to the bone broth. This menu allows you to add the provided ginseng root and coarsely chopped garlic to the broth according to your preference.

The soup is really hot, so be careful not to burn your mouth. But it was a soup that soothed my stomach, and you can eat it with rice. The soup wasn't a clear bone broth, but rather a form full of small chunks. Like bean stew? The soup was that thick.

The chicken had a strong tender and moist feel. And there was no chicken smell and it was really soft and delicious. I ate with salt or soy sauce that I had prepared in advance, and I thought that the ability to enjoy various tastes was a characteristic and advantage of Muguok.

The Spicy Squid and Chicken Salad was a dish made by tearing squid and chicken into a gochugaru-based sauce and mixing it with vegetables and water parsley. It's like squid salad with chicken. It's quite spicy, so keep that in mind when ordering.

I tried eating the soft chicken and savory squid with vegetables, and the sweet and sour sauce went very well. The texture was also varied and enjoyable because it was served with crispy vegetables. It went well with the chicken bone broth, so it wasn't difficult to understand why people order this menu together.

Muguok Operating Information

Restaurant Location and Address

Address: 1st floor, 7 Yulgok-ro 1-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Directions: Approximately 479m on foot from Anguk Station Exit 1 (Hanok located 10m to the right of Rahn Studio at the end of Songhyeon Park)

Operating Hours

Every day: 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM

Break Time: 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Last Order: 2:00 PM (Lunch), 8:00 PM (Dinner)

Parking Information

Parking: No dedicated parking lot (No parking)

Nearby Public Parking Lots:

• Nohsang Public Parking Lot behind Citizen Open Square (211m)
• National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Parking Lot (346m)
• Jeongdok Library Parking Lot (521m)

Reservations and Waiting

Reservation: Impossible

Waiting: Remote and on-site registration available through 'Catch Table' (open all year round)

Lunch Wait Registration:

• On-site Registration: From 10:30 AM
• Catch Table Remote Registration: From 12:00 PM

Dinner Wait Registration:

• On-site Registration: From 5:00 PM
• Catch Table Remote Registration: From 5:30 PM

Seating and Space

Group Use: Possible

Waiting Area: Separate waiting area

Seat Type:

• Room: Can accommodate a minimum of 4 people to a maximum of 10 people
• Group Seating: Can accommodate a minimum of 4 people to a maximum of 10 people

Payment and Other Information

Payment Method: Simple Payment, Zero Pay

Muguok Restaurant Honest Overall Review

A special restaurant where you can taste Seoul's only 'North Korean-style Samgyae Baekban' in a 70-year-old Hanok's cozy atmosphere. The harmony of the subtle yet deep soup, soft chicken, and sweet and sour squid and chicken salad is excellent. There is a long wait and parking inconvenience, but I thought it was a place that offers a gourmet experience that is worth more than that.

Related Places Near Gyeongbokgung

If you’re exploring great food spots around Gyeongbokgung, these two places are also worth checking out. They offer very different experiences but share the same high-quality dining atmosphere.

UAHRA Gwanghwamun: Premium Hanwoo Beef Omakase Experience Near Gyeongbokgung Station

Ongshimi Gyeongbokgung: A Delicious Culinary Experience Near Gyeongbokgung Palace

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