Yonggeumok in Jongno: Seoul's Century-Old Loach Soup Restaurant

추탕 (loach soup) is one of Seoul's most distinctive regional dishes, and 용금옥 has been making it in Tongin-dong for more than a century. The restaurant earned Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in the 2026 guide cycle and has appeared on Korean food programs including 맛있는녀석들 and 식객 허영만의 백반기행. It is the kind of place where local diners return across generations — a different quality signal from a restaurant that earns attention by opening.

The Restaurant

용금옥 is located at 자하문로 41-2 in Tongin-dong, Jongno-gu, a short walk from Gyeongbokgung Palace. The location is part of the appeal: Tongin-dong sits at the edge of Seochon (서촌), a neighborhood that has changed more slowly than most of Seoul. The streets around 용금옥 are low-rise and residential — the right context for a restaurant that hasn't changed much either.

Contact: 02-777-4749.

What Loach Is

추어 (mudfish or loach) is a small freshwater fish that has been eaten in Korea for centuries. It isn't common outside East Asia, which makes this a dish that is genuinely new for most foreign visitors. The flavor is earthy, rich, and deep — a category of its own, distinct from both seafood broth and meat broth.

Seoul-style loach soup (서울식 추탕) uses whole or ground fish in a broth that is milder and less spicy than the Jeolla-province version. The result is a complex soup where the natural brininess of the fish comes through alongside the fermented paste and vegetable components. It is warming, deeply savory, and unlike anything most travelers will have tried before.

What to Order

서울추탕 (Seoul-style loach soup) is the dish 용금옥 is known for. The broth is built from mudfish, simmered with vegetables and fermented paste to a deep, layered flavor. Eat it with rice on the side. Adjust the seasoning with a small amount of salt if needed — the soup is lightly seasoned by default so you can calibrate it yourself.

추어튀김 (fried loach) is the contrast dish — the same fish, battered and fried until crisp. The texture is completely different from the soup: no broth, crunchy exterior, clean fish flavor. Order both if you're eating with another person; the contrast makes each dish clearer. If eating alone, the soup is the primary thing.

How to Eat It

Let the soup settle for a minute or two after it arrives — it comes very hot. Taste the broth alone first, before mixing rice in extensively, so you can understand the base flavor. The fish in the soup is soft and meant to be eaten, not pushed aside. For the fried version, dip lightly rather than soaking in sauce — the batter stays crispier and the fish flavor holds better through the meal.

Why the Heritage Designation Matters

용금옥 carries the 백년가게 (hundred-year business) designation, a Korean government certification for businesses that have operated continuously for over a century. This doesn't guarantee quality on its own — it means the restaurant has survived generational ownership changes, economic upheavals, and the near-complete redevelopment that transformed most of the surrounding city. For travelers who want their food to connect to a longer slice of Seoul's history, this is more useful context than a recently opened trending spot.

The Michelin Bib Gourmand designation (2026 cycle) independently confirms that current food quality meets a documented standard. A restaurant with both heritage certification and current critical recognition is doing something consistently right.

Visiting Context

Tongin-dong sits between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Inwangsan, making 용금옥 a natural stop within a Jongno half-day: palace in the morning, 용금옥 for lunch, Seochon streets in the afternoon. The Tongin Market (통인시장) — a traditional market operating since 1941 — is a three-minute walk from the restaurant and worth walking through after lunch. The market is known for its 도시락 카페 format, where you buy tokens and exchange them for small dishes from different stalls.

Practical Notes

Confirm opening hours before visiting — traditional restaurants sometimes close for national holidays or seasonal breaks. For groups of four or more, calling ahead is worthwhile even if formal reservations aren't required.

용금옥 is approximately a 10-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3, Exit 3), or the same distance from the western entrance of Gyeongbokgung toward Seochon.