Located in Hannam-dong, the area between Hangangjin Station and Itaewon Station, Nanpo Hannam is a popular modern fusion Korean restaurant with eye-catching dishes that’s been featured on Korean television.
Korean Restaurant in Hannam-dong
If you’re someone who loves modern interpretations of classic dishes, Nanpo Hannam could just be your next dinner spot during your trip to Seoul.
The restaurant attracted a huge crowd even when we visited around 6 pm, which was 1 hour after their break time. We got a queue number and explored the surrounding area while waiting for a table.
The first floor of Nanpo Hannam looked like it could comfortably accommodate up to 30 pax. There was a long communal table that was able to sit multiple groups of 2.
Menu at Nanpo Hannam
The menu here isn’t too diverse, with offerings such as Seasonal Fish Guksu (14,000won), Abalone Perilla Seed Guksu (16,000won), Seasonal Fish Mature Kimchi Roll (13,000won), Hanwoo Suyuk (38,000won) and Cod Pancake (19,000won).
As for drinks, they offer quite a variety of Korean liquor ranging from 13,000won all the way to 120,000won.
We picked out some of their signature menu items, starting from the Prawn Potato Pancake (19,000won). The pancake itself was on the crispier and thinner side, topped with a sous-vide egg and cheese. We really enjoyed this as it reminded us slightly of rosti but did hope for more prawns.
Next was the Gangdoenjang Ssambab (12,000won), which is pretty much the signature item of Nanpo Hannam. The dish featured balls of rice wrapped with pumpkin leaves served on top of a layer of thick doenjang soup. While it might not look like much, there’s quite a lot of rice. The dish felt comforting, almost like a home-cooked meal but with a touch of modernity. Make sure to pair this with lots of soybean sauce as the pumpkin leaf sort of prevents the rice from getting drenched in sauce.
We also indulged in the Abalone Perilla Seed Guksu (16,000won), which felt sort of like a fusion between noodles and pasta. We loved the nuttiness of the perilla seed and the freshness of the abalone slices, which made this a unique dish that one can only get in Korea.
For something more filling and warmer, the Gomguk (15,000won) is the perfect choice. Essentially a bowl of Gomtang, this dish was served with a bowl of rice and milky white broth. Some might find this a bit bland, but you can season the bowl according to your preference.
Modern Korean Food in Seoul
If you’re someone who loves heavy flavours, sadly, Nanpo Hannam might not be the place for you. The dishes, in general, featured more of the natural flavours of the ingredients, with the Prawn Potato Pancake being the exception. However, we still thought the place was worth a try given their renditions of certain classics.
Nanpo Hannam (난포 한남)
서울 용산구 이태원로49길 18
18 Itaewon-ro 49-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Mon-Sun, 11am-9:30pm (Break time: 3:50pm-5pm except weekends & PH)
Nearest Subway: Hangangjin Station (Line 6), Exit 1
*This was an independent review by MiddleClass
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