Neungdong Minari in Seongsu: Is the Minari Beef Soup Worth the Line?

Yes, Neungdong Minari (능동미나리) in Seongsu is worth the line, and the line is shorter than it looks. I joined it at about 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026, when the roped queue outside was about three rows deep, and I was at a table about 20 minutes later. When I left at 8:25 p.m. there was no line at all. Order the minari gomtang (₩15,000), a clear beef soup buried under chopped water parsley, and the yukhoe bibimbap (₩15,000), raw beef over minari and greens. Neither is spicy. The shop is at 42 Yeonmujang-gil, 282 m from Exit 4 of Seongsu Station, and is open every day until midnight (last order 11:30 p.m.). I paid for everything myself and was not invited.

Is Neungdong Minari worth the wait?

Yes, if you like fresh herbs: it’s a very Korean meal, nothing is spicy, and the food came almost as soon as we ordered. I love minari, and both dishes suited me very well. If strong herbs put you off, see what minari tastes like first.

The MICHELIN Guide lists Neungdong Minari as a Bib Gourmand and tags it “Worth Queueing For”. The listing is for the Yongsan branch at 28 Hangang-daero 40-gil, not this one. Seongsu is one of five branches the company says it runs to the same standard, and on October 30 the shop had “MICHELIN 2025” and “MICHELIN 2026” plaques on the front.

Neungdong Minari’s green sign under its tiled roof, at 7:32 p.m. on a Friday, with the heads of the queue at the bottom. Photo: Steve OH.

How long is the wait at Neungdong Minari?

On a Friday at 7:30 p.m. I waited 15 to 20 minutes, with the line about three rows deep; I photographed my first side dish at the table at 7:47 p.m. It moves faster than it looks because the restaurant fills two floors. By 8:25 p.m. the rope line was empty. My take: at peak times on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there can be a wait, but not a very long one. Many people in the line were foreign visitors.

The same rope line at 8:25 p.m., with nobody in it. Photo: Steve OH.

How does the queue work?

Stand in the roped line outside. The sign on the door on October 30 said guests wait on site in order of arrival. Everyone in your party has to be there, both when you join the line and when your turn comes, so you can’t hold a place for a friend who is still on the way. There are high chairs, and group tables seat 6 to 12.

What should you order?

Order the minari gomtang and the yukhoe bibimbap, one of each. That’s what we had.

Neungdong minari gomtang (능동 미나리곰탕), ₩15,000; large (특) ₩20,000. On the English menu it’s “Minari Gomtang (Minari Beef Soup)”. It comes in a brass bowl: a clear beef broth with slices of beef underneath, the whole surface covered in chopped minari stems. The restaurant says it uses 1++ grade hanwoo, Korean beef, slaughtered daily, and Hanjae minari grown in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province.

Neungdong yukhoe bibimbap (능동 육회비빔밥), ₩15,000. On the English menu it’s “Yukhoe Bibimbap (Minari Beef Tartare Bibimbap)”. Strips of yukhoe, seasoned raw beef, sit on a big bowl of minari, lettuce and other greens over rice.

The yukhoe bibimbap, with the minari gomtang behind it. Photo: Steve OH.

If you don’t want minari: order the plain Neungdong gomtang (능동 곰탕), ₩14,000, the same beef soup without the minari.

For a bigger meal, the menu has two premium mixed gomtang soups, with brisket (₩26,000) or ox knee (₩28,000), plus yukjeon, pan-fried slices of Korean beef (₩28,000 a plate, ₩15,000 a half plate). On October 30 the menu marked the premium soups and yukjeon as limited quantity, so they can sell out. Extra rice is ₩1,000. Drinks include deodeok makgeolli (₩6,000 for 750 ml), soju (₩5,500) and beer (₩6,000).

The table menu has English names under each dish and a line at the bottom saying everything can be taken out. Photo: Steve OH.

What side dishes come with it?

Big chunks of radish kimchi come with every meal, and there is a pot at the table to refill them yourself. You can call it kkakdugi or seokbakji. For me it’s the kick of the meal, the flavour that makes it taste right to a Korean. A small plate of minari salad with a red chili dressing and a little bowl of chopped chili came first.

The radish kimchi refill pot on the table. Photo: Steve OH.

What is minari, and what does it taste like?

Minari is Korean water parsley, a leafy green with long stems. It has a strong, fresh herbal aroma that runs through the whole bowl here. If you dislike that smell, the minari gomtang and yukhoe bibimbap are built around it. In these dishes it isn’t hot or spicy. If strong green herbs put you off, order the plain Neungdong gomtang (₩14,000), the same beef soup without the minari.

What is it like inside, and is English spoken?

The restaurant is an old family house converted into a dining room, with a wooden ceiling, booths, framed embroidery and calligraphy, and menu strips along the wall. It feels like eating in a Korean home. There are lots of staff, so whenever you need something you can ask straight away. Some of the staff are foreign, and I don’t think you’ll have any trouble ordering in English. The table menu gives an English name under every dish, so you can point and order. Wi-Fi details are on the wall. Paper aprons are self-serve; take one if you’re wearing something you care about.

Inside the converted house, with menu strips on the wall. Photo: Steve OH.

What are the opening hours?

The door sign on October 30 gave opening at 9:30 a.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. on weekends and public holidays, closing at midnight every day. Last order is 11:30 p.m. If you want to avoid the line, my visit points to the later evening: by 8:25 p.m. on a Friday it was gone.

How do you pay?

By card or mobile pay. On October 30 the payment stickers on the door showed JCB, Alipay and WeChat Pay, and Naver Place lists Zero Pay and mobile payment. Visa and Mastercard were not among the stickers, so a visitor’s surest card here is WOWPASS, a prepaid card for foreigners that works wherever Korean cards are taken. Visitors who paid here with WOWPASS left payment-verified reviews dated October 26 to 29, 2026.

Can you get takeout without waiting?

Yes. A banner out front said takeout is prepared right away with no waiting, so you can skip the line if you just want the food. The table menu says every dish can be taken out, and the soups and yukhoe bibimbap cost the same as eating in. The banner says to eat the yukhoe and yukhoe bibimbap within 30 minutes of pickup, since the beef is raw.

The takeout banner on Yeonmujang-gil. The line under the heading says takeout is prepared right away with no waiting. Photo: Steve OH.

How do you get to Neungdong Minari from Seongsu Station?

Take Seoul Subway Line 2 to Seongsu Station and leave by Exit 4. The restaurant is 282 m away, on the first and second floors of 42 Yeonmujang-gil (서울 성동구 연무장길 42). Look for the green sign under a small tiled roof. Directly across the street is Hanjungsun (韓貞仙), a wood-panelled shop with gold characters over the door, with a Bagel Land beside it; Neungdong Minari is the building opposite. Type 능동미나리 성수지점 into a map app to walk the exact route; our Naver Map guide shows how.

Hanjungsun and Bagel Land, directly across Yeonmujang-gil from the restaurant. Photo: Steve OH.

The restaurant has no parking. The door sign directs drivers to the nearest paid Seongsu public car park, so come by subway.

If you want another Korean meal in the neighbourhood, I also ate at Silbiok, a beef and seaweed hot pot eaten as a course, in a basement near Exit 3 of the same station.

Steve OH edits Seoulpin. Steve runs Standardpin, a Seoul-based web studio that also builds websites for clinics; that work has no effect on whether or how any clinic appears here. Articles are drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed and reviewed by Steve before publishing. How we work