Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
INTERVIEW Makgeolli meets design at local brewery restaurant
Song Dae-young, a former spatial designer, runs Gonggan Duidongsan, a makgeolli brewery restaurant in northeastern Seoul's Seongbuk District. Courtesy of Gonggan Duidongsan
By Lee Gyu-lee
Former designer combines alcohol, food, space
By Lee Gyu-lee
Located at the end of the path that leads to Naksan Park, known for its trail and observation decks with views of Seoul, a small brewery restaurant, Gonggan Duidongsan, adds unique interior design to the makgeolli (rice wine) experience.
In a relatively small space that fits four or five tables, the restaurant's owner, Song Dae-young, a former spatial designer, has created a cozy dining area made up of a wavy wooden ceiling and tables. As the name of the restaurant implies ― Duidongsan means a hill behind a house in Korean ― the place takes advantage of the park as its backdrop, allowing customers to enjoy homemade makgeolli casually. With an LP player booth sitting in the corner, the restaurant offers a touch of nostalgia to go with the country's traditional alcohol and local dishes.
“I pursue being natural a lot. That's why we make our own sauces and brew our own alcohol. All this wood, which is natural materials, is also part of that. I continue to explore and try things that are natural yet enjoyable,” Song told The Korea Times during an interview at the restaurant on June 16.
Gonggan Duidongsan, a makgeolli brewery restaurant opened in late 2020 in northeastern Seoul's Seongbuk District / Courtesy of Gonggan Duidongsan
“So, although I'm not imposing people to come and experience a specific message, I just want people to have a little taste of it. It's just that. I want them to enjoy a drink in a comfortable environment and have a relaxed time.”
Opened in late 2020, the restaurant sells a full list of Korean house-brewed makgeolli, along with seasonal dishes from Gangwon Province to pair with the drinks. It also offers a different makgeolli every couple of weeks, brewed with seasonal ingredients like strawberry or magnolia buds.
Song used to work as a spatial designer for 10 years, running his own business with two friends. Handling the graphic part of the job, mainly working from home, he said he had been wanting to find a project requiring physical work. Then, he came across Korean traditional alcohol.
“It was the time when you could order traditional alcohol online for the first time. And as I discovered these types of Korean liquors, I became interested. I used to drink alcohol like wine a lot, but I got tired of it. So, as I began exploring traditional liquors one by one, I ended up trying around 200 different types of drinks,” he said.
An exterior view of Gonggan Duidongsan / Courtesy of Gonggan Duidongsan
“And naturally, I became interested in the process of making it. So, I researched on my own at home and even tried brewing it myself. And that's how I ended up where I am now.”
The owner said he fell for the versatility of makgeolli stemming from its brewing process.
“As much as I enjoy drinking it, I found the brewing process itself to be really interesting. For instance, with wine, grapes themselves are delicious. So you ferment the delicious ingredient to make a tasty alcohol,” he said.
A dish made with pheasant meat / Courtesy of Gonggan Duidongsan
“However, rice doesn't have much flavor on its own. It's rather bland and dry. So, it's interesting how we can use methods like boiling or steaming and using 'nuruk' (fermentation starter) to create this whole new flavor.”
Song shared that he originally planned to open a simple brewery instead of a restaurant. But as he learned more about brewing, he felt it was inevitable to offer food with his makgeolli for the full experience.
“The traditional methods for making alcohol have not been passed down to modern times. There were disruptions from the Japanese colonial period to the late 1980s. So, to learn the brewing methods, you have to refer to old recipe books. And if you read them, they always put food and alcohol together,” he said.
“In Korea, drinking is not just about consuming alcohol. It's almost always accompanied by food ... So I wanted to create something that will help (customers) enjoy our drinks. I wanted to provide an experience that combines space, music and food.”
House-brewed makgeolli at Gonggan Duidongsan / Courtesy of Gonggan Duidongsan
He paid close attention to every design detail throughout the restaurant, in its interior softened with curves and waves and also in the dishes themselves. He explained that the idea of a curved ceiling came to him by chance with the help of a former designer colleague.
Gonggan Duidongsan offers a unique interior along with the makgeolli experience. Courtesy of Gonggan Duidongsan
“I try to handle everything by myself as much as possible … There's a ventilator up in the ceiling and its pipe was too big so it didn't look nice to cover it in a square shape. So we decided to make it round. And as we did it, we thought it fits well with (the restaurant's name) Duidongsan, like the shape of a hill,” he said.
“It's just interesting. It was fun to try this and that, and come up with making the tables differently with no sharp edges … It was an attempt to make things interesting after coming across the idea by chance.”
Song shared that he hopes to expand his brewery to Gangwon Province, where his mother's hometown is located, and the area that he has been familiar with growing up.
“I want to increase the quantity of the drinks. Right now, I can only have enough for the restaurant's customers. I'm trying to increase it now too but I want to expand and up the quantity,” he said.
“I'm thinking of establishing a foundation there and making better drinks. While I'm there, I'm also thinking about bringing the food or other things together and doing something interesting.”
The dishes of Gonggan Duidongsan are made of ingredients from Gangwon Province. Courtesy of Gonggan Duidongsan
Despite having run the restaurant for over two years, Song expressed that it has been an endless learning process.
“For me personally, I consider making alcohol as a continuous learning process. Although I have established a certain level of knowledge and skills, I continue to push forward and strive to improve. That's where my motivation comes from,” he said.
“We get out early in the morning to brew the alcohol and prep food. Nothing pre-made is bought. We do it ourselves. So frankly, if I'm not satisfied with the job, I wouldn't have been able to continue.”