We’re not even kidding when we say this was one of the best potato pancakes we’ve had in Seoul. Yetnal Gamjajeon (옛날감자전), is a restaurant located near Sookmyung Women’s University Station and is a well-known spot among locals.
Gamjajeon in Seoul
The restaurant doesn’t even have an official English name, and the location on Google is merely an English translation of its name in Korean.
This spot was featured by Korean singer, Sung Si Kyung, who’s also known as someone who knows his food.
There’s no electronic queue system here, so you need to put down your name and phone number should there be a crowd. For us, we simply decided to wait outside of the shop.
The shop had a traditional old-school feel, with the walls decorated with scribbles from past customers. Based on some of the messages, it seems like the place has been around for a long time.
Yetnal Gamjajeon (옛날감자전) Menu
The restaurant has a rule that each table has to order at least 2 menu items. You can pick from a variety of Korean pancakes like Squid Kimchi Jeon (15,000won) and Seafood Jeon (18,000won) alongside items like Tofu Kimchi (16,000won), Stir Fried Acorn Jelly & Kimchi (17,000won), Grilled Spam (18,000won) & more.
They also have some soup items that go perfectly with alcohol, like a Spicy Odeng Soup (17,000won) and Tuna Kimchi Jjigae (17,000won).
The menu is only available in Korean, so you might need to use a translation app.
Another thing to note: if the restaurant is crowded, each table can only stay for a maximum of 2.5 hours.
For a restaurant that’s literally named Gamjajeon, you bet we had to order it.
They have two versions, the original Gamjajeon (15,000won) and one with Cheese (17,000won). We went for the latter.
Unlike your usual potato pancakes that are served on plates, the one here is served on a huge, piping hot, stone plate. We could even see the edges of the pancake still sizzling when it was served.
Because it was served on this piping hot stone plate, the entire gamjajeon, not only the edges, had a crispy exterior. The potato pancake itself was slightly chewy, probably thanks to the very well-ground and blended potatoes.
We also ordered the Spicy Sujebi (17,000won) which was a bowl of hand-pulled dough in a spicy broth. Not to worry, the spice level was probably a 3 or 4 out of 10. Overall, it had a nice balance of spicy and sour flavours from kimchi and went perfectly with soju.
We also found lots of dried shrimp in the Sujebi, which probably explained the seafood-forward flavours.
We also kept going back for the Spicy Odolppyeo (19,000won), a dish featuring stir-fried pork cartilage. The smokiness and spiciness of this pair so well with soju, but it also pairs amazing with rice. Yes, we couldn’t resist ordering a bowl of rice for this.
Hidden Local Gem in Namyeong, Seoul
The portion of the food served here at Yetnal Gamjajeon is perfect for a night out with friends. While it does feel more like a drinking joint, we highly recommend trying the food for dinner.
The best way to get a spot here is to go immediately when they open.
Yetnal Gamjajeon (옛날감자전)
11-9 Hangang-daero 84-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
서울 용산구 한강대로84길 11-9
Mon-Sat, 4:30pm-1am, Closed on Sundays, Last Order 12:30am
Nearest Subway: Sookmyung Women’s Univ Station (Line 4), Exit 6
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*This was an independent review by MiddleClass
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