Namhangang Maeuntang & Hongdaepo: Indeogwon Ppaga Stew Review

Hello! Today I visited an Indeogwon maeuntang specialist called Namhangang Maeuntang & Hongdaepo. The restaurant specializes in maeuntang, yeonpotang, and haesintang. If you are craving a hot, warming soup during cold winter weather, this is a place I recommend trying at least once.

The location is around the area between Indeogwon and Pyeongchon Station. From my impression, visiting by public transportation looked more convenient than coming by car. Listed hours: 10:00-22:00 Break time: 14:30-16:30 No break time on weekends Closed regularly on the fourth Sunday of every month Parking: The sign says parking is possible in front of the restaurant, but when I saw it in person, it looked like there was space for about one car. If you need parking, I recommend calling before you go.

Order: Ppaga maeuntang Ramen sari Bowl of rice

There were also many clear-broth soup options, but on this visit I was craving a spicy maeuntang, so they chose ppaga maeuntang. They asked the owner which maeuntang was popular, and the owner recommended ppaga maeuntang because it is soft and tasty. After trying it, I felt asking the owner had been the right decision.

When eating maeuntang, adding Korean mitten crab and shrimp can boost the umami and make the stew tastier. The recommended way to eat it was to let it boil well, eat the vegetables and handmade sujebi first, and save the fish for closer to the end. I also notes that broth should be added only minimally so you can enjoy the original, deep flavor of the maeuntang.

After ordering, the side dishes were set out first. After tasting them, I felt the kimchi seemed to be made in-house. It had a deep flavor and tasted good enough that they refilled it.

This was the small size of ppaga maeuntang, meant for two people. The portion was quite generous. It came out cooked from the kitchen, and the staff said to simmer it a little more, then start with the vegetables once they softened.

While it was cooking, the owner came over to explain how to eat it. They said the sujebi was handmade and delicious, and told I to scoop out the vegetables and sujebi first. The owner also said not to leave it too long because it would not taste as good. I described the owner’s warmth as very fatherly. The owner explained that many people often eat catfish, while ppaga may be less familiar, but that ppaga is a soft fish and should taste good. That friendly explanation made the whole meal feel warm.

This was the handmade sujebi. It was thin and chewy. Because it was thin, it cooked quickly, which is probably why the staff suggested eating it right away. As expected, it tasted better while it was still nicely chewy rather than waiting until later.

The ppaga fish went into the stew whole. I thought there were probably about three fish per person, around six in total. The portion felt very generous.

Each fish was in the pot whole, from head to tail, and the size was fairly large. After eating a good amount of sujebi, I took out the fish and found it savory, soft, and delicious.

The flesh was very tender. Rather than being only soft and falling apart, it had a gentle, slightly chewy texture. Since the name ppaga was unfamiliar, I did not expect this kind of texture, but my first ppaga maeuntang experience was a complete success. It was fun to pick the meat from the fish, and the broth was rich and tasty enough that they kept going back for more.

The broth was too good to leave behind, so I ordered rice and ramen sari as well. As the stew reduced, the broth became a little salty, so they added a small amount of water instead of more broth and boiled it again. Once cooked, the seasoning of the soup was just right. The broth had plenty of large bori shrimp, giving it a savory, deep flavor with a strong sea aroma. I felt it was on a different level from a simple maeuntang casually boiled with leftover fish heads at a sashimi restaurant. If you are looking for a carefully made maeuntang, I strongly recommend Namhangang Maeuntang & Hongdaepo.

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