For an early meal near Seoul City Hall, save this name: 무교동북어국집 — Mugyodong Bugeokukjib. The dish to look for is 북어해장국, dried-pollock soup. Seoul’s tourism office dates the restaurant to 1968; the practical appeal for a traveller is a specific bowl to order at an address close to City Hall Station.
Planning a September visit? The restaurant’s Naver listing announces a Chuseok closure from 24 to 28 September 2026. Check the listing again before travelling during the holiday.
The bowl and the menu name
Bugeo means dried pollock. The archive photographs show a pale soup with egg, tofu and sliced green onion, with rice alongside. These photographs describe the archived meal, not a complete current recipe or a promise about every serving.
The menu listing checked on 19 September 2026 shows 북어해장국 — ₩11,000, with a menu update date of 11 September. Visit Seoul still displays a ₩10,000 price range; use the more recent menu listing for planning and confirm the price at the restaurant.
A few words at the table
북어해장국 하나 주세요.
One dried-pollock soup, please.
추가 요금이 있나요?
Is there an extra charge?
If you want more rice or soup, ask 밥이나 국을 더 받을 수 있나요? — “Can I have more rice or soup?” The original post mentions refills, but the current menu checked here does not establish a refill policy. Ask before assuming an extra serving is included.
This is a fish dish. Tofu in the bowl does not make it vegetarian, and the photographs cannot establish the full ingredients of the stock or condiments. For ingredient questions, keep our Korean ordering guide handy.
Find the right place
- Korean name: 무교동북어국집
- Address: 서울 중구 을지로1길 38 — 38 Eulji-ro 1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul.
- Station: City Hall, Lines 1 and 2. The listing places the restaurant 322 metres from Exit 4; follow the map for the actual route.
- Phone: 02-777-3891.
Open the restaurant’s Naver listing and map →
When to go
Visit Seoul lists regular weekday hours of 07:00–20:00 and weekend/public-holiday hours of 07:00–15:00. The Naver schedule checked on 19 September shows last orders at 14:30 on Saturday and Sunday and 19:30 on Monday through Wednesday, followed by the announced 24–28 September closure. Holiday notices take priority over the regular hours.
The early opening gives you a breakfast option to check before a day in central Seoul. No fixed queue or service time is promised here; leave room in your plans rather than treating it as a timed transfer stop.
Sources and dates
Original Korean entry published 18 December 2025, 09:30 Korea time; this is the publication date, not a confirmed visit date. Practical information checked 19 September 2026.
Daniel’s Korean archive and photographs · Visit Seoul: history and visitor details · Naver: current listed menu. Hours and menu details may change; the source links let you check again before you go.