There were several restaurants I wanted to visit in Mokpo,
and one of them was, of course, the famous Yudal Kongmul.
I had visited Mokpo several times before,
but somehow had never managed to go there even once.
So this time, I was determined to finally try it.
Unfortunately, during the winter season,
the main store is completely closed.
They only reopen around March next year.
So I thought,
“Is this another missed chance?”
But then I found out
there was a Yudal Kongmul Bukhang direct store
right in front of Bukhang.
Since I was already walking around Bukhang,
it was the perfect place to stop for lunch.
Inside the restaurant,
there was a clear notice saying
that the main store and the Bukhang store
are run by the same family.
So this wasn’t just a place
using a similar name.
After sitting down,
I spent quite a while thinking.
It’s winter —
is it really okay to eat kongguksu?
The tofu is made from the same soybeans anyway,
so wouldn’t sundubu-jjigae be better?
No, no.
Yudal Kongmul is famous because of kongguksu.
Who knows when I’ll be back here again —
shouldn’t I eat kongguksu this time for sure?
But kongguksu would be ice-cold.
What if I end up shivering the whole time?
Just then,
the dish ordered by the man sitting alone next to me arrived.
It was sundubu-jjigae.
Even though it’s called sundubu,
it looked closer to biji.
It wasn’t the smooth, glossy sundubu
you commonly see elsewhere.
That’s it.
It’s winter right now.
This place clearly knows how to handle good soybeans,
so the sundubu must be good too.
I’ll come back in summer
and eat kongguksu then.
So I ordered the sundubu-jjigae.
Along with it came
a small selection of well-seasoned Jeolla-style side dishes,
the sundubu-jjigae itself,
and freshly cooked hot rice from a pressure cooker.
The rice was good,
and of course the side dishes were as well.
That famous Jeolla-style kimchi
left a strong impression.
And above all —
the sundubu.
As expected from a shop specializing in soybeans,
it was really well made.
Soft and fluffy,
yet with that slightly grainy, biji-like texture still alive.
The seasoning of the stew
does mask some of the original nutty flavor of the tofu,
but since it isn’t overly spicy,
it felt gentle and comforting to eat.
I definitely enjoyed the meal,
and it sat well with me.
Still,
I can’t deny a bit of regret.
Not eating kongguksu —
the signature dish —
left me slightly disappointed.
Especially since I’m someone
who really loves noodle dishes.
When the weather gets warmer,
I should come back to Mokpo again.
I need to try Yudal Kongmul’s kongguksu,
eat byeongeo-jorim, which is best in summer,
and also visit that sushi place in the old downtown area.
Mokpo truly is
a delicious city.
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