[New in Town] Yeongdong Garden’s squash stew a filling choice for office workers

Yeongdong Garden (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)

For many office workers, one worry will never go away until their final working day: What should I have for lunch?

In a bustling Samseong-dong area in southeastern Seoul, there are various food alleys behind Samseong Station on Subway Line No. 2 and Bongeunsa Station on Subway Line No. 9.

From Korean barbeque to Japanese restaurants with sushi counters and grab-and-go sandwich shops, the area boasts varied offerings. But when it comes to filling and healthy Korean meals, they are hard to find. Adding to the difficulty is that not many places have options for solo diners.

At Yeongdong Garden, a newly opened Korean restaurant located near Coex, one will find unique gukbap dishes. Gukbap, rice in steaming hot soup, ranks high in office workers' lunch choices for its deep, rich taste. The broth, typically made by simmering beef or pork bones for hours, goes well with various toppings such as meat and veggies that make for a flavorful, hearty one-dish meal.

Spicy summer squash stew at Yeongdong Garden (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)

Yeongdong Garden’s Namdo-style spicy summer squash stew is a must-try.

A regional specialty of Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, the dish offers spiciness and thickness typical of the region, achieved using the right portion of red pepper powder and red pepper paste.

This mix of powder and paste forms of red pepper adds a spicy, robust flavor to the simple stew that uses just three main ingredients -- pork, summer squash and onion.

The taste of summer squash, especially rich and refreshing during the warm months when it is in season, adds another layer to this slightly sweet and salty stew.

Cold steamed pork slices, which come in a small portion as a side dish during lunch time, go well with the robust, spicy stew.

Cold steamed pork slice (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)

Many are familiar with pyeonyuk, thinly sliced meat that has been boiled and pressed, Yeongdong Garden uses specially raised pork from a local farm and boils pork shoulder in its unique broth for a more savory but clean taste. The meat is placed in a fridge to cool and served thinly sliced, each slice a mix of lean meat and fat.

The best way to enjoy this thinly sliced pork is to put a pinch of the restaurant’s ssamjang paste by using salted pollack roe, and then wrapping it with scallion kimchi.

Spicy summer squash stew is priced at 11,000 won, but you can have an extra large serving for an additional 1,000 won. Think twice before ordering an extra large -- the regular size is about 1.2 times larger than that served at most gukbap places. A small plate of cold pork meat slices costs 9,000 won, while a large plate, enough to be enjoyed between 3-4 people, is priced at 15,000 won.

The lunch menu is only available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

From the hippest Korean eateries to world-renowned restaurants’ Seoul branches, The Korea Herald tries out new dining spots in its New In Town series. The Korea Herald pays for all -- Ed.

By Kim Da-sol(ddd@heraldcorp.com)