Imun Seolnongtang 이문설농탕

Imun Seolnongtang is a Korean soup restaurant at 38-13 Ujeongguk-ro in Jongno, Seoul, with more than a century of operation. Seolnongtang in the name is an older spelling of the word now usually written as seolleongtang, while Imun comes from Imun-gol, an earlier name for the surrounding area. The stock simmers beef leg bones, feet, knee cartilage, and head together with brisket, shank, tongue, spleen, and other cuts. Its color is milky, but the broth follows a clear and mild direction rather than leaving a thick layer of fat in the mouth. Savory flavor from beef and bones remains the center. Standard seolnongtang costs 15,000 won, the special costs 18,000 won, and the Korean beef version costs 20,000 won. Doganitang adds the elastic texture of knee cartilage, while head-meat soup changes the principal solid ingredient to cuts from the beef head. Chopped scallions and salt sit on each table. Tasting the bowl before adding them lets diners determine the amount of onion and seasoning themselves. Kimchi and kkakdugi bring fermentation and acidity between spoonfuls. Eating them one piece at a time rather than placing everything in the broth preserves the soup's original salt level. Groups can add Korean beef suyuk, a plate of dogani, beef head meat, or a half-and-half suyuk plate with two sections. Meat beneath the tongue and mana, the name used for spleen, extend the order into less common parts of the animal. Seasoned suyuk provides another treatment beyond plain boiled meat. Korean beef suyuk costs 60,000 won, the half-and-half plate 54,000 won, and the dogani and head-meat plates 48,000 won each, separating an individual soup budget from a shared meat order. The present dining room is broad and holds numerous tables, but the restaurant has no dedicated parking. Walking from Jonggak or Anguk Station, or using a public lot in Jongno, fits the location. A solo order begins by choosing standard beef, Korean beef, knee cartilage, or head meat in the soup. A group can then add boiled or less common cuts to compare broth with meat served separately.