Miss grandma's cooking? We know just the spot

Korea Herald

31-05-2025

Tucked away in the heart of hip Seongsu-dong, Grandmother's Recipe is a throwback to old days
Michelin stars? That sounds nice. But let's be frank. Nothing really hits like grandma's cooking.
Warm bowls of food prepared with grandma's love, or perhaps that one secret ingredient in her kitchen, clearly stand out from the rest. That may be why people often find themselves chasing the familiar flavors of dishes their grandmothers used to make; there's just something about grandma's cooking that hits differently.
Many grandmas' recipes, often written on scraps of paper, have survived generations, and somehow, they still taste better than recipes found online. And as the saying goes, antiques never get old.
For those wanting to find the missing piece to the flavor puzzle, head over to Seongsu-dong, a vibrant cultural hub in eastern Seoul, where Grandmother's Recipe serves up soul-warming dishes.
A good 10-minute walk from Exit No. 4 of Seoul Forest Station on the Suin-Bundang Subway Line will take you to a two-story red brick building. At first glance, it looks like any other cafe in the neighborhood. But, trust me, this place is special.
Step inside, and you are instantly hit with the nostalgic atmosphere of a grandparent's house. It is cozy, warm and filled with that nostalgic scent that lives on in many childhood memories.
The eatery's bestselling menu is ssambap jeongsik, priced at 15,000 won. This set meal consists of white rice, spicy stir-fried pork seasoned with gochujang, pumpkin porridge, soybean paste soup with vegetables, ssamjang dipping sauce, and vegetables that can be used to create tasty little wraps.
The meal also includes three types of jeotgal, or seafood pickled with salt: pollock roe, pollock intestines and baby octopus.
Grandmother's Recipe also offers a handful of side dishes such as kimchi, salad, stir-fried fish cake, stir-fried dried anchovies and peanuts, and seasoned acorn starch jelly. The grilled short rib patties, which can be ordered as a side dish, are tender yet pleasantly chewy in texture.
Grab a fresh lettuce or cabbage leaf and lay it flat in your hand. Place a spoonful of rice, pile on that juicy stir-fried pork and top it off with a dollop of savory soybean paste. Wrap it up into a bite-sized bundle and eat it in one flavor-packed bite. Now, take a sip of the soup to cleanse your palate, and then go in for round two. This time, try the same order but finish it with a bit of jeotgal. It hits differently -- it is more salty and bold.
As a lunch special, the restaurant offers gochujang beef bulgogi and bulgogi with mushrooms, both priced at 8,800 won. These two can only be ordered from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays.
Other dishes on the menu are bibimbap and bulgogi set meals (15,000 won), a hanwoo tteok galbi set (17,000 won), and a gajami gui, or grilled flounder, set (12,000 won).
For those looking to try something different, Grandmother's Recipe offers sumppyeo-guk, a flavorful beef soup with a rich, hearty broth simmered for 12 hours, priced at 12,000 won.
Ganjang-gejang, or raw crab marinated in soy sauce (16,000 won) could also be another option. It is affectionately called a "rice thief" in Korea because it is so delicious that it makes you eat way more rice than usual.
Beoseot bulgogi bibimbap, or bibimbap mixed with mushroom and bulgogi, could also be a relatively healthy meal at 11,000 won. Grilled crispy bulgogi and stir-fried pork are also on the menu, priced at 23,000 won and 20,000 won, respectively.
Grandmother's Recipe is open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 9:10 p.m. Breaktime is from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and last order is taken at 8:40 p.m.