Buam-dong in Jongno-gu was originally a quiet neighborhood where artists from various fields, including painters, writers, and professors lived in. Then the tv show 'Coffee Prince' became a big hit, and the house of one of the characters became famous and became a coffee shop. Then many shops and cafes were opened on the way up there.

However, Jaha Sonmandoo(handmade dumpling) was not one of them who following and taking advantage of the popularity of this street. It was originally a small place that selling home made dumplings then it became a restaurant as it went viral.

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Nice entrance sign.

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It's located on the middle of Bukak Skyway, where you can't go without a car. Besides, the big slope... So. there is valet parking available.

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Jaha Sonmandoo is a private house restaurant. Flowers and crocks are wonderful throughout the stairs. Hydrangea delights my eyes.

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There's Michelin Guide selected restaurant sign welcoming me.

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This is how it looks like inside the restaurant. Because there are many stairs and space efficiency is not good, so it's a little difficult for the servers to respond quickly.

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They sell broth, dumplings, and sauces. Seeing that a lot of people are buying them, it sure is a good restaurant.

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I can feel that they even cared about the menu. It says they do not use any chemical seasoning but use only natural ingredients and traditional methods.

There is full course menu which I can enjoy all their various dishes, but this time, I'm going to try dumplings.

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As you can see from the name of the restaurant , 'Sonmandoo(handmade dumpling)' is the main menu here, but tangpyeongchae(mung bean jelly salad), naengchae(chilled vegetables), and traditional tea are also available. There are also side dishes for drinking and desserts, so it would be good to have a long conversation with some drinks.

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Outside, the scenery of Inwangsan Mountain stands like a painting of a folding screen. What a good relaxing.

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Ddeokmandooguk(dumpling and rice cake soup), kkakdugi and kimchi are out. The dumplings are colored using spinach, carrot and beat.

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Beautiful full bowl of colored dumplings and garnish.

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The tender taste of the soup stimulates my appetite. Just a spoonful of it gives me a sense that has been carefully cooked for a long time. Even the soy sauce served with it tastes excellent as well.

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The colorful dumpling is so beautiful and shiny and it's too cute to put in my mouth. The dumpling is only one bite size, and it has a soft and light taste. There's no impact but it's a taste that I keep eating.

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Chewy jorangi(Bead-shaped rice cake) is perfectly goes well with kimchi and kkakdugi. The combination of mild soup and kimchi always goes well together too.

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Even the business card is so pretty. I heard that radish dumpling which is limited in season is also great. I'll try it next time.

• Food ★★★★☆

Looks good and tastes good

• Cleanliness ★★★★★

Tableware, tables and every corner are clean and neat.

• Service ★★★☆☆

It's hard to order anything extra after the first order because of the structural problem.

• Atmosphere ★★★★☆

It's located at the food of a quiet mountain, both scenery and atmosphere are of high quality

• Accessibility ★☆☆☆☆

Take 7022 or 1020 bus from exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung station on line 3 and off at Buam-dong community service center. Then walk 15 minutes.

• Open Hours: 11:00~21:30, Closed on Holidays
• Recommended Number of People: 2~4
• Recommended Dishes: Mandooguk(dumpling soup), Ddeokmandookuk(dumpling and rice cake soup), Mandoo Jeongol(dumpling hot pot)
• Value: About 15000 per 1 person
• Amenities: Separated rest rooms for gender, Valet Parking, Reservation

Address: 12 Baekseok-dong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul