Mongtan — Restaurant in Seoul

They don't take reservations, so when visiting this restaurant, you'll need to place your name on the waiting list. If you have a local number, it's recommended to include it on the list. However, if you're an overseas tourist, they usually allow you to provide just your name. Unfortunately, during our first couple of visits, luck wasn't on our side as the waiting list had already reached its capacity. However, on our third visit, we decided to arrive at 11 AM, an hour before their official opening time of 12 PM, on a rainy Sunday. To our surprise, a long queue had already formed. Eventually, we managed to secure a spot for the next available session at 3 PM. So, in total, we waited for approximately 4 hours, including the time it took to put our name on the waiting list. Thankfully, our hotel wasn't too far, allowing us to rest during the wait.

The menu at this restaurant is simple and primarily focused on barbecue. You have two choices of meat: Beef Ribs or Pork. The ribs are sliced in a diamond pattern, which aids in the cooking process. Prior to cooking the meat on our table, they pre-grill and smoke it in their kitchen using rice paddy straw. The result is tender meat with a delightful hint of sweetness and savoury flavours. The smokiness of the meat adds another layer of umami, taking it to another level.

We also ordered the sonduboo soup and bean paste soup, both of which were too spicy for our kids, but we thoroughly enjoyed them. The onion fried rice was also spicy but definitely a must-order to complete the meal.

For our party of 2 adults and 2 small children (8 and 4 years old), the total bill came to 150,000 Korean won.

Please note that there appears to be a minimum order requirement for the beef ribs. Each time you order, you'll need to get 2 servings, with each serving weighing approximately 100 grams. It's important to mention that the number of rib bones doesn't determine the serving size; instead, it's based on weight.

We were initially a bit confused because the first two servings seemed to have less meat compared to the last two. We weren't sure if we were getting what we paid for. There were some previous comments suggesting that foreigners might receive less meat. While we might have had the same impression initially, the last two servings had plenty of meat, so we'll let it slide for now.

If you plan to dine here, we highly recommend visiting on weekdays. Be prepared to wait, as you'll need to put your name on their waiting list, explore other places, and return later. Admittedly, their reservation or booking system isn't the best, but given the high demand, improving it doesn't seem to be their priority at the moment.

Overall, the effort was worth it for us, and we would definitely return to this unique barbecue place. Even the local taxi driver mentioned that Mongtan is among the top 3 best barbecue...

(Updated in Dec 2021)

Meal budget per person (without drinks) Category 1 (under 60000 KRW, 50 USD)

The restaurant specializes in Grilled Pork Belly and Galbi (Grilled Ribs) as well as the Rib Finger that comes from it. The meat are seared from the kitchen on straw fire and comes to the table for resting process and grilled again before carving. So the perfect harmony of “searing-resting-carving” make the condition of beef the best: crispy outside – tender & juicy inside. ** Grilled Ribs: It is marinated with sweet and salty sauce, and the scent of straw fire is permeated. The beef is very tender and goes well with wasabi. ** Rib Finger: One of my favorite. It is chewy and super savory! Pork belly: Texture is chew and inside is juicy. But, if one menu should be chosen, I can say, the signature menu of this restaurant is Grilled Ribs and Rib Finger. ** Onion fried rice: It has well balanced spicy taste and is helpful against greasy taste. ** Bean Paste Stew: Similar to the taste with Chowon, it has very good Umami with deep, rich and savory taste. It matches very well with Onion fried rice. Noodles: It is Pyengyang style and some people may not like it because it is bland. But it may be good as a refresh after eating.

There are many barbecue restaurants, but, the Mongtan is one of a kind and one of the best! The antique exterior and interior are also impressive and helpful for better flavor ambience. Prices are moderate and staffs are kind. The explanation on each dishes are also very helpful.

The restaurant has been listed onto Blue Ribbon Survey since year 2020. Valet parking is not available but there is a validated parking lot nearby.

(Initial posting in April 2021)

Meal budget per person (without drinks) Category 1 (under 60000 KRW, 50 USD)

I love every kinds of Korean barbecue. But, the one with Mongtan is one of a kind and one of the best!

Signature menu is Galbi and the Rib Finger that comes from it. They are really delicacies. The antique exterior and interior are impressive and match well with the dishes. Prices are moderate and staffs are very kind. The explanation on each dishes are also very helpful.

Valet parking is not available and even a self-parking is not so easy, which should be the only weakness. Otherwise, this fine restaurant for gourmet should have been listed onto Michelin Guide as a one star or Bib...

Oh where to begin with Mongtan... We came with super high expectation due to glowing reviews from our favourite YouTubers Tzuyang, Mikey Chen of Strictly Dumpling and Korean Englishman. It seems Mongtan is the place to visit whenever you're in Seoul and hungry for amazing ribs. And they certainly deliver!

We arrived around 1040 on a Friday morning and hoped the waiting line wouldn't be too long yet. Was told to write our name down (no local phone number is fine, the staff behind the cashier was friendly enough) and to return around 1pm so we waited around the corner at a local Paris Baguette for coffee and cookies. Came back before 1pm and waited just a little bit before ushered to our table.

Immediately senses overloaded with the straw-smoke aroma and mountains of ribs being primed & grilled in the middle of the room. Of course we had to order their signature dish (be mindful again it's 2 serves minimum so 2x 32K Won, the price on the menu is only for 1 portion), fried rice and soju to enjoy it with.

Food came pretty promptly and it was half cooked already. A staff then finish the cooking process on the table grill right in front of you. They started from cutting (for real with scissors!) the meat from the bone until it's cooked to perfection and presented beautifully on the same bone for our consumption. That was better than any teppanyaki experience I've had. Also you could tell the restaurants trained their staff well as we had more than a few who came over and helped to ensure the meat was done right. Meat was so juicy and it was gone all too soon. Thankfully we also ordered kimchi fried rice which they cooked with the remaining meat on the bone, which was not wasted at all. Also extra shoutout to the side dishes and accompanying sauces, unlike any we had in other bbq places especially the frozen kimchi.... was really good and complimented the meat well.

We are already planning our next visit to Mongtan, can't wait to order and eat more next time! Add...