Damsot Ikseon

The first time I had pot rice was the Japanese version with loads of fresh seafood options in Singapore. In my many trips to Korea, pot rice was not really something which came up on my list. The only clay pot rice is probably the dolsot bibimbap

The first time I came across pot rice was through a travel influencer’s vlog where popular restaurants and cafes in Ikseondong were introduced and pot rice seems to be the next popular dish in Korea. The food did look appetizer through the videos so I decided to pop by the next time I was in Ikseondong

I have to confess that I still get lost in Ikseondong and I picked this restaurant purely because of the banner at the entrance. I am unsure if this was the same pot rice restaurant introduced by the Influencer. The restaurant was pretty crowded even though we visited slightly before dinner time at 5pm but we managed to get the last table available. Diners after us all waited outside for tables to be available

The restaurant space is very small and rustic with a half-destructed look. One side of the wall is partially removed to give the whole space a very raw look. Most of the old aspects of the Hanok have been retained to give it a nostalgic look but personally, I don’t really appreciate the half-demolished look

The table space is also extremely small and is just nice for the set meal tray with no extra space for other dishes. My friend ordered the beef beansprouts pot rice while I ordered the eggplant pot rice. They are KRW 12,000 and KRW 11,000 respectively. Each meal set came with a side of kimchi, a salad as well as a savoury broth to pour into the pot

My friend was the spicy beef beansprouts rice which was stuffed full of vegetables, mushrooms and meat. The more popular option is the steak pot rice but she was too full to consider so much meat. While the pot rice looked spicy, the flavours were really bland and the meat was tough

The eggplant was very soft and mushy which was great with the rice but the flavours were really extremely light. While there were small bursts of savoury taste from the minced meat, the dish is overall on the lighter flavours. We were supposed to pour in the savoury broth at the end of the meal for a light burnt rice porridge but we forwent it as we were very full and the meal really did not impress us

Overall, I did not get the hype for this restaurant but we could have gone for the wrong options and also ate the rice the wrong way but for people who liked a lighter and healthier meal, this could be something they would like. Personally, I would like it if the rice was just slightly more seasoned or if the natural flavours of the ingredients came through better. The Japanese version I ate had the umami flavours from the fresh seafood seeping into the pot rice so unnecessary flavouring was not needed. For this Korean version, since eggplant and meat are not the most flavourful ingredients on their own, a balanced flavouring would make it a much better dish for me

Address: South Korea, Seoul, Jongno-gu, Supyo-ro 28-gil, 21-3 1층

Operating hours: Not Specified but most restaurants close around 10 pm