It was a gathering with acquaintances from a long-time business partner after a while. After parking, we walked from the direction of Gongneung Market, taking a path we hadn’t walked in a long time.
It was a nostalgic route, and before long, we arrived at the Taereung Station, where we had promised to visit, describing it as a must-try place near Taereung Entrance Station.
Honestly, initially, the idea of a restaurant specializing in jeon (Korean pancakes) didn’t quite appeal to me, but since two out of three people were interested, we decided to go with the trend and give it a try.
However, there was an unexpected twist.
The path from Gongneung Market to Taereung Entrance Station was filled with retro buildings, and along the side roads, various bakery cafes were emerging. Some places seemed to have become landmarks.
Taereung Entrance Station was just 50m away from Gongneung Market, located at 449-7 Hwarang-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, in the Lowpolis building, 102nd floor. It’s a 3-5 minute walk from exits 5 and 6 of Taereung Entrance Station on subway lines 7 and 6.
The operating hours and address for Taereung Station Jeon are as follows:
- Address: 449-7 Hwarang-ro, Nowon-gu
- Operating Hours: Daily, 4:00 PM to 2:00 AM (Surprisingly late, and no days off.)
- They have outdoor seating, and I wonder how they handle rainy days.
After a long time, we met the owner of the business and had a drink. First, I had a drink alone, as I was thirsty until the others arrived.
We tried Bada-ri Makgeolli, which was new to me but supposedly well-known. It was a drink favored by a former president, or so they say.
The taste wasn’t too sticky, and the aftertaste was clean. However, personally, I’m not a big fan of makgeolli. Even a half bottle can make you feel quite intoxicated – sleepy and dizzy. I wonder why that happens (which is why I usually prefer soju).
Then, the seafood jeon appeared.
Surprisingly, the flour was hardly visible. They used minimal or almost no pancake mix, and the jeon was placed on the plate like pizza toppings. The seafood wasn’t finely chopped; instead, it was laid out generously.
The main ingredients for the seafood jeon were squid and shrimp. The texture of the squid and shrimp was quite good. Additionally, there was a slight spicy kick to it.
Despite my initial reservations about the lack of flour, it turned out to be a unique strategy and identity for this place. The dish was one of the signature items, along with kimchi jeon and meat jeon.
A soy sauce-based dipping sauce with onions and peppers complemented the dish well.
Next was the meat jeon.
It was unexpectedly wide and large, deviating from the usual presentation of finely chopped and neatly arranged jeon. The visual appeal was enough to capture attention.
The meat was thinly spread on top and lightly seasoned with egg. Onions, which I love to eat with meat, were pickled and added a pleasant sweetness rather than spiciness.
The meat jeon had a slightly spicy flavor, consistent with the earlier seafood jeon. It seemed that spiciness was a distinctive concept for Taereung Jeon Jib.
This blend of spicy and smooth flavors might help neutralize the greasiness of the meat.
To summarize, although the prices are slightly on the higher side, the overall dining experience is not bad when considering the taste. Importantly, the place was crowded, with no available seats, especially in the outdoor area.
Indeed, good taste attracts a crowd.
They offer more than just jeon, including stews and various seafood dishes. It seems like a place worth revisiting.
Key takeaways:
- Prices are relatively high, but the willingness to revisit is sufficient.
- Parking is likely available on the side road but using the subway (Taereung Entrance Station) is recommended due to proximity.
- Apart from jeon, they also offer soups and various seafood dishes.
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