Adding to the growing list of organic restaurants in Seoul, Mananim stands out for its singular devotion to the homemade. Now, lots of places out there feature homemade food – but how many of them make their own cheese, soy sauce, and vinegar? That’s right, everything is handmade by the owner, down to the vinegar and soy sauce used to season the dishes. At this point, Fatman wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the owner hand-raked the salt.

The restaurant is small and you’d hardly guess it was a restaurant at all from the profusion of jars, bottles, jugs, and onggi/옹기 (earthenware pots) sitting around obscuring the scant four tables. But find a seat anyway, and snack on fresh veggies and gochujang, steamed sweet potatoes, and salty 장아찌 (jangajji – pickled vegetables) while you decide from an unusually diverse menu.

Did we mention that every bit of seasoning, every slice of pickle, every scrap of just about everything is made by the owner? Just checkin’ . . .
Mananim’s menu straddles east and west, offering both organic and somewhat unique Korean dishes, from a refreshingly chilly northern-style chilled ddeokguk (rice cake soup) to rice steamed in sweet peppers, then crosses over to offer both a spicy Korean-influenced pasta and a creamy pasta made even more decadent with fresh herb cheese. It looks as homemade as it is, but the taste of the slowly melting cheese, al dente pasta, and fresh veggies add up to something that would be difficult to produce on one’s own at home. It’s humble food, but taken a step further.

The spicy spaghetti is a minor triumph, managing to balance the flavors so it still packs heat without being overwhelmingly hot, and even more uniquely manages to taste like a true fusion of western spaghetti sauce (which it isn’t – not a tomato is sight!) and the warming flavors of Korean sauces.

And just when it seems like she might be veering off course, the owner has brought the menu back into utterly traditional foods, including a tasty doenjang bibimbap. Heavy on the organic veggies and seasoned with the house 된장 sauce, the whole thing comes together for a dish that just screams wholesome.

Despite this diversity, the menu is only a page long, and includes only a few pasta, noodle, and rice dishes. All of them, even the seemingly traditional beef noodle soup are imprinted both with the owner’s unique viewpoint and with the goodness of all organic and all house-made ingredients.

In fact, the owner is half the attraction of Mananim. Funky, and almost hippie-esque in her relaxed state, she’s more than happy to chat with customers about the food, her ingredients, and the cosmic state. She’s a truly unique individual who despite her charming air of relaxation is seriously dedicated to good food in a way that goes far beyond what most enterprises or individuals can manage. Once you’ve wound down your meal with a complimentary bit of fruit and a sliver of bread and cheese, spend a few minutes investigating their vinegars, sauces, cheese and pickles, many of which are for sale for you to take home something far, far better than what you’ll get at your local supermarket.
Vegetarians rejoice! Many of the foods here are already vegetarian, or can be made without meat. And those with scant money in their pockets can also celebrate, with all dishes except bossam coming in at less than 10,000 won.

To get to Mananim, take exit 1 from Anguk Station (line 3) and turn to your right, taking the first right again to head north towards Samcheongdong/Jeongdok Library (정독도서관). Go down the first street to your left after you pass Andong Church (안동교회, and Mananim will be on the left. Alternatively, head south from Jeongdok Library and take the first through street on your right (at the 민들레영토/Minto) and Mananim will be towards the end of the street on your right.

한국에서 맛있는 음식 찾는 것은 쉽지만, 맛있는 유기농 음식을 찾기에는 헤라클레스의 힘만큼의 노력이 필요합니다.

Eco밥상 sets the standard high, though, with a twist on the standards that not only makes them tasty, but environmentally friendly and healthy.  While the menu tends towards the traditional, the way in which they come out is often a little bit different than the average hanshik joint.

Eco밥상은 높은 수준의 음식을 제공하지만 약간의 형식에서 벗어나 맛있을 뿐 아니라 친환경적이고 건강한 음식을 제공합니다. 전통적인 한식이지만, 음식이 나오는 방식이 일반 한식집에서 볼 수 있는 것과는 약간 다릅니다. 최근 주목 받고 있는 경복궁 서쪽 지역에 자리잡고 있으며 Eco밥상은 먹는 사람들이 음식에 집중할 수 있도록 조용하고 안락한 공간을 만들었습니다. 이 음식점에서의 특별 메뉴는 바로 여기 보시는 닭고기, 인삼, 깍지콩으로 만든 죽이지만, 다른 음식도 이 음식 못지않게 맛있습니다.

Located in the up-and-coming area to the west of Gyeongbuk Palace, Eco밥상 has carved out a quiet, low key space where diners are encouraged to concentrate on the food.  The specialty here is a porridge made from chicken, ginseng, and green beans, but other foods shine equally bright.

Meals begin with seasonal jeon.  In our last visit, this meant savory green onion and scallion pancakes, with a 경상 region presentation and a bit of the area’s legendary kick, thanks to tiny shreds of green pepper. The sides start coming thick and fast after that, so prepare yourself.

식사는 계절에 맞는 전으로 시작됩니다. 최근에 방문 했을 때는, 경상도 지역의 특색에 맞게 요리된 피망이 들어간 짭짤한 부추 전이 나왔습니다. 이 이후에 많은 종류의 반찬이 쉴 세 없이 나오니 준비하세요!

Fatman was particularly impressed by the marinated black beans. Lots of places serve these, but few make it right – too hard, too soft, too salty, too flavorless . . . but none of those problems plague eco밥상, who served what we think may be the definitive version.
특히 Fatman은 검은콩자반 조림이 정말 훌륭하다고 느꼈습니다. 이 반찬은 여러 한식집에서 제공하지만, 제대로 만들 수 있는 곳이 몇 없기 때문입니다. 대부분의 검은콩자반 조림은 너무 딱딱하거나, 부드럽거나, 짜거나, 싱겁습니다. 하지만, Eco밥상에서는 이러한 문제들이 전혀 없습니다. 우리가 생각하기에는 Eco밥상의 검은콩자반 조림이 최고였습니다.
We were also especially fond of the thinly sliced pickled lotus roots. Crunchy and poised right on the line between sour and sweet, we made the poor waitress refill the bowl again . . . and again . . . and again . . .you get the picture.

우리는 또한 얇게 썰어 식초에 절인 연근이 맛있었습니다. 우리는 아삭아삭하며 새콤달콤한 연근이 정말 맛있어서 불쌍한 종업원에게 계속하여 빈 그릇을 채우도록 했습니다. 무슨 말인지 아시겠죠?

If you can, aim for a meal that comes with their fine soybean paste soup. Not too salty, and with just enough kick, we were happy as a clam with it’s substantive vegetable content. The 두부 was much better quality than what you get most places, and was a good textual and taste counterpoint to the rest of the soup.

기회가 된다면, 된장찌개가 함께 나오는 정식을 먹어보세요. 너무 짜지 않으면서 풍부한 야채가 들어있어 정말 맛있었습니다. 찌개에 들어있는 두부는 다른 곳에서 먹었던 것보다 훨씬 품질이 좋았습니다. 전통적인 방식으로 만든 두부의 맛이 찌게 안에 들어있는 다른 재료와도 잘 어울렸습니다.

They also serve a mighty tasty and spectacularly colorful bibimbap, enhanced by their use of black rice for a lovely purple mix with a hint of nuttiness.  The vegetables, as you might expect, are fresh and provide just the right amount of crunch and layers of flavor.  The care they’ve put into it is demonstrated in the details, like separating and shredding the egg white and yolk.

그리고 예쁜 보랏빛 색깔의 흑미밥과 조화를 이루는 풍부한 색체 비빔밥이 제공됩니다. 여러분의 예상대로 야채는 신선하며 적당한 량의 맛을 음미할 수 있도록 합니다. 흰자와 노른자를 나누어서 음식을 제공하는 것을 통해 음식을 만드는데 있어 신경을 많이 쓴다는 것을 볼 수 있습니다.

There’s also a few other large plates, such as their astoundingly good sweet and sour mushrooms. Substituting impeccably fresh, meaty shitake mushrooms for the traditional beef or pork, they’ve managed to produce a light but filling 탕수육 variation. The batter for the mushrooms is done exactly right to give a shatteringly crisp crunch before you reach the tender mushrooms inside. The sauce itself is nicely forward on the sour notes as well as the sweet, a tangy and flavorful note enhanced by a generous sprinkle of lightly cooked sweet peppers.

그 외에 놀라울 정도로 맛있는 새콤달콤한 버섯요리 등 음식점만의 메뉴가 있습니다. 일반적으로 탕수육에 들어가는 쇠고기나 돼지고기 대신, 고기와 맛이 비슷한 신선한 버섯을 넣어 가볍지만 배부른 탕수육을 제공합니다. 튀김의 겉 표면은 안에 있는 버섯을 맛보기 전 약간의 바삭 함을 느낄 수 있게 튀겨졌으며 소스 자체는 가볍게 뿌려진 후추에 의해 톡 쏘는 맛이 향상되어 새콤달콤합니다.

Finally, ease your way out of the meal with a mild bowl of 누릉지 (burnt rice soup) and a cup of tea.

마지막으로 누룽지 한 그릇과 한 잔의 차와 함께 식사를 마치시면 됩니다.

While the restaurant itself isn’t entirely vegetarian, this place offers plenty in terms of meatless entrees, making it very vegetarian friendly.   Carnivores will be so enchanted by the high quality of the fresh, organic ingredients that they probably won’t notice the relative lack of red meat.

음식점 자체는 채식주의자를 위한 곳은 아니지만, 채식주의자들을 위한 메뉴는 많이 있습니다. 육류를 즐겨 드시는 분들에게는 높은 품질을 자랑하는 신선한 유기 농 재료로 인해 육류의 부족함을 느끼지 못할 것입니다.

Eco밥상 costs just a bit more than the average Korean restaurant, running about 10,000 won for a set meal, and up to 25,000 won for their specialty chicken porridge. Individual specialty items like the sweet and sour mushrooms range in price from 17 ~ 38,000 won. To find it, go to 경복궁역 (Gyeongbokgung Station) on line 3, and take exit 4, and the restaurant will be on the 2nd floor of the large building on your right as you emerge.

Eco밥상은 일반 한식당보다는 조금 비쌉니다. 1만원 정식부터 있으며 아까 소개 드렸던 이 음식점의 특별메뉴인 닭죽이 25000원입니다. 새콤달콤한 버섯과 같은 개별적으로 주문하는 특별메뉴는 1만 7000원 에서 3만 8000원 사이입니다. 찾아가는 방법은, 3호선 경복궁 역 4번 출구로 나가서 오른쪽으로 보이는 큰 건물 2층에 식당이 있습니다.

Translation by Jiseon