Mandu (고기만두)

Korean dumplings — steamed, fried or floated in soup.

Korean name: 고기만두
Spice level: Not spicy
Flavor: savory
Typically contains: pork, wheat flour
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩6,000–₩9,000 per portion checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●●●● Solo dining ●●●●○ Kid-friendly ●●●●●
Also written as: mandoo, korean dumplings, gun mandu, jjin mandu

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

What is Mandu?

Mandu is Korea's dumpling in every possible state: steamed plump in bamboo (jjin-mandu), pan-crisped (gun-mandu), floated in soup (manduguk), or king-sized (wang-mandu) from street steamers. North-Korean-rooted mandu houses — big, pale, packed with tofu and mung-bean sprouts — are considered the deepest school.

How to eat it

Dip in soy-vinegar (add chili to taste) — one dip, not a soak.
Bite a corner of big mandu first to vent steam; the filling is lava.
Order half-steamed half-fried (ban-ban) where offered.

Cooking it at home

Mix pork with pressed tofu, chopped kimchi or chives, glass noodles and garlic.
Fill wrappers, seal with water, pleat.
Steam 10 minutes, or pan-fry then steam in the same pan for crispy-bottomed gun-mandu.

Good to know

Frozen mandu straight to hot oil splatters — thaw or steam first at home.

Lunar New Year manduguk (often merged with tteokguk) is the northern-family tradition.

Where to eat it

Selected classic places — verified, sourced, never sponsored. See all →

명동교자 · Myeongdong Kyoja Myeong-dong · ₩

Best for first-time visitorsSince 1966MICHELIN Guide listed

The kalguksu institution that defined 'Myeongdong kalguksu' since 1966 — thick garlic-kimchi, plump mandu, and one of the fastest-moving queues in Seoul.

Known for: Kalguksu, Mandu

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Open as of our last check (2026-07-20) · Sources: MICHELIN Guide — hours, prices and status can change; check the map link before visiting.

개성만두 궁 · Gaeseong Mandu Koong Insa-dong (Jongno) · ₩₩

Best known for this dishMICHELIN Bib Gourmand

Kaesong-style handmade mandu in Insa-dong, run by the same family for generations — big, clean-flavored dumplings on the Bib Gourmand list.

Known for: Mandu

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Open as of our last check (2026-07-20) · Sources: 공식 사이트 — hours, prices and status can change; check the map link before visiting.

Nutrition

Calories	105 kcal
Carbohydrate	13.15 g
Protein	6.6 g
Fat	2.51 g
Sodium	322 mg

Per serving (~315ml): ≈331 kcal · sodium ≈1,014 mg (51% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100ml · total serving 315ml · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 고기만두, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.