Jaha Son Mandu — Restaurant in Seoul

I loved this restaurant and would go back in a heartbeat if it just weren’t so difficult to get to. We had to take bus 7222 to get to the final leg of the resto. Or you can walk for some exercise. There is beautiful hiking nearby and some historic events took place near this area. The food is expensive but I felt that the quality was high and so didn’t mind so much. I would rather pay more money for quality food with quality ingredients. We ordered duk dumpling soup, a plate with all the variety of dumplings, another plate of veggie dumplings after I wanted more, and jat jook. The broth of the mandoo soup was lovely and I loved the soft chew of the tiny rice cake balls. But the dumplings lost flavour by being in that soup and were unremarkable to me. Also there was a hair in our soup. Someone I assumed was the owner/ manager came and apologised. I still gave it 5 stars because the variety of steamed dumplings shone through. I was so delighted to find veggie mandoo and what looked to be made from scratch. Loved the crunch of the cucumber inside. It felt so healthy to be eating it. The other steamed dumplings tasted lovely of course. Loved the square shaped one. I also loved my jat jook. It may be a bit plain for some people’s taste, so I wouldnt recommend it unless one knew what kind of taste to expect. But for me it was such a delicate and lovely tasting soup. The flavour was perfect and felt healthy. Last thing is that it is a house, so you must be prepared to remove your shoes. But you will be able to experience the ondal floor heating system in winter. It’s quite comforting. Also it was packed and we went during an off peak time (around 3 pm). Be prepared to wait if coming at peak lunch hour. They sell the mandoo frozen and it’s great to have on hand for last minute meals. 소만두 is my favourite flavour. Some mentioned the owner has a cold attitude- I have noticed that too. Sometimes she smiles and...

This is now one of the worst restaurants we have been to. We had 만두국 and 빈대떡, and they were absolutely horrible, cheap tasting. Many people say the foods here are intentionally bland but that is such nonsense. It’s not bland, it is just not made properly. The broth tasted like watered down, diluted liquid, severely lacking the necessary flavor of the beef. Mandu was not tasty at all (so mushy). They even smelled like they weee frozen and then thawed: we hated the texture and smell. The cabbage kimchi and their other kimchi had unpleasant smell too. We tried hard to enjoy our dining there but rude staff, most of all poor tastes of their food made us very disappointed. We didn’t feel good at all after we finished the soup. This restaurant was a huge disappointment. We regret having gone there, wasting our time and money. There are many other restaurants that serve really good Mandu dishes that are made fresh with high quality...

We came at an off-peak hour after our hike at Bukhansan and ordered the set meal for two, which was perfect for trying a bit of everything. The staff were kind enough to explain each dish as it was served, pointing to the menu so we could follow along — a thoughtful touch that I really appreciated. The three-color dumplings were both beautiful and delicious — you can really taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients. Everything felt clean and natural, with no trace of MSG. The restaurant itself is set in a cozy, home-like house surrounded by nature, which makes the whole experience feel calm and comforting. It’s the perfect spot to unwind after a long hike — great food, warm service, and a lovely atmosphere.

The staff here don’t speak English so please don’t come expecting to be served in English, however their menu has English and Japanese...