Yongyong Seonsaeng, Nonhyeon — twenty friends, one volcano mala hot pot, ₩530,000 for the table | koreaplate.com
Full note with photos, map link and the Korean name card → https://koreaplate.com/notes/2026-09-24-yongyong-nonhyeon/
Restaurant page: hours, address, prices → https://koreaplate.com/restaurants/yongyong-nonhyeon/
Yongyong Seonsaeng in Nonhyeon, Gangnam, is a Hong Kong-style pub a short walk from Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul. On the night before the Chuseok holiday in September 2026, twenty friends took its private space and the bill came to ₩530,000 — about ₩26,500 a head. The drinking food is better than it needs to be, the prices are low for Gangnam, and the room feels like a night in Hong Kong. Disclosure: this is one of the four restaurants the editor runs, so read it as the operator's own note.
Disclosure: I run this restaurant. This is an owner's note, not an independent review.
Full note with photos, map link and the Korean name card: https://koreaplate.com/notes/2026-09-24-yongyong-nonhyeon/
Where
54 Hakdong-ro 2-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a few minutes' walk from Sinnonhyeon Station. Visited on the night before the Chuseok holiday in September 2026 — a get-together before everyone scattered to their hometowns.
What we ordered
Twenty of us took the private space. On the table: the volcano mala hot pot (thin-sliced meat piled into a peak with mala paste on top), honey cream shrimp, stone-pot jjajang, fried dumplings, a corn-crusted fried dish, and coconut ice cream to finish.
What it cost
₩530,000 for all twenty — roughly ₩26,500 each. For a proper sit-down night of eating and drinking in Gangnam, it is a light bill.
What a restaurant owner notices
The dishes built to go with drinks are better than they need to be, and the prices hold low. But what makes the place is the room: step inside and it is like turning into a Hong Kong side street, and the private space turns a big group into a crew with its own hideout. I run this place, so weigh my words accordingly — but a twenty-person night is exactly what a pub like this does best, and it is how I would send a group of visitors here.
Tip for first-timers
Eat in this order: the hot pot first, then the fried dishes, then the ice cream. The volcano mala hot pot is for sharing — ask about the spice level before you order. Coming as a group, ask for the private space when you book.
The moment I remember
A dark, handsome hideout: twenty people, a mountain of meat on the mala hot pot, and a coconut ice cream to close the night.
On the day (only on this blog)
Chuseok is Korea's autumn harvest holiday, and the evening before it is when friends get together before everyone scatters to their home towns. That is what this table was: twenty people who wanted one loud, easy night in Gangnam first. Watch the 21-second Short above for the volcano mala hot pot arriving.
Planning your visit
Budget: ₩530,000 for 20 came to about ₩26,500 a head. For reference, the site lists the volcano mala hot pot at ₩24,900 per pot. Hours are Sun–Fri 17:00–02:00 and Sat 17:00–05:00, so a late group night works. Around Chuseok and other public holidays, check opening days before you go.
Before you go: questions visitors ask
How big a group can it seat?
On the editor's visit in September 2026, a group of 20 sat together in a private space. For a group, ask the restaurant for the private space before you go.
What budget per person?
The bill for 20 came to ₩530,000, about ₩26,500 a head (September 2026). Menu prices: volcano mala hot pot ₩24,900, crispy chili chicken ₩21,400, baijiu cocktails ₩5,900–7,900.
How do I book, and is there a wait?
Book through Naver Booking or by phone. Weekends have a waiting line, so booking is a must. For a group, ask for the private space when you book.
Is there parking?
The restaurant has no parking of its own. Use the paid car park in front of the restaurant.
How late is it open?
Sun–Fri 17:00–02:00, Sat 17:00–05:00, open every day of the year — it works for a late second round.
Restaurant page: hours, address, prices: https://koreaplate.com/restaurants/yongyong-nonhyeon/
koreaplate.com — restaurants in Korea, visited and written up by a Seoul restaurant owner. https://koreaplate.com/restaurants/yongyong-nonhyeon/ · https://koreaplate.com
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