Name: Majung (마중)
Location: Insadong
Reviewed by: Mama’s and Papa’s on: September 21st, 2013
Thoughts: A lot of houses in Insadong pour their bottled makgeolli into a kettle and call it their ‘house makgeolli’, and you never get to know what it is or where it came from. Majung offers a very impressive range and selection of makgeolli from all over the Peninsula, and their menu has more pages for makgeolli than it does for food. It carries almost all of the usual makgeolli you can find in bars, but also has some unusual offerings to be sampled.
LOCATION
Overall: ***1/2(3.5 stars)
FOOD
Seafood Pajeon (해물파전): (Not too fishy, spicy, fresh) *** (3 Stars)
Pork belly Bokumbap (삼겹살 볶음밥): (spicy, crunchy, a little oily) *** (3 Stars)
Bossam (보쌈): (tender, spicy kimchi, fatty) *** (3 Stars)
MAKGEOLLI
Neurin Maeul (느린마을): (fragrent, fruity, smooth, thick) **** (4 Stars)
Dae Dae Po (대대포): (Tasty, sweet, dry finish, enjoyable) ****1/2 (4.5 Stars)
Apple (사과 막걸리): (watery, sweet, syrupy, cider like, rich) **** (4 Stars)
Sami Inju (사미인주): (thick, honey, sweet, yogurt like) *** (3 Stars)
Majung is deep into the back alleys off the main road of Insadong, and housed in a hanok. It has a busy atmoshpere, and it has a high turnover of thirsty customers. The highlight of Majung is the sheer range of makgeolli they have on offer. There is a bar which showcases bottle after bottle of all the different kinds of makgeolli you might like to sample. The food selection is not extensive, but it does the job for accompanying the many brews.
What Mamas & Papas liked: The Dae Dae Po Makgeolli. Of all the different makgeolli we tried, the Dae Dae Po came out on top, 
with one Mama commenting ‘It became my favorite one as of the moment I took a sip’. Mamas & Papas also loved having such a wide selection of makgeolli to choose from, and we could have stayed trying more well into the night.
What Mamas & Papas didn’t like: The service. 
It is a busy establishment, but the waiter consistently got our order wrong or forgot to bring new bottles. One Papa commented ‘They just took way too long on the Mak.’ Mamas & Papas were also not overwhelmed by the quality of the food, and most described it to be of average anjou standard.
Mama Julia’s Note: Dae Dae Po contains no aspartame, uses real bee’s honey, and comes in a rather unusually styled bottle. The ‘Blue Label’ is in the style of a whiskey bottle, purportedly because the brewer is also a big whiskey fan. He also has a ‘Red Label’ makgeolli, though I have yet to see it on the market.
Recommendation: Majung is a great location for those looking for a varied makgeolli experience in Insadong. Although the food is not the star here, it is a great place to get your taste buds trying a variety of different kind of makgeolli. The atmosphere is quite loud and bustling, and they can also accommodate large groups.
How to get there: Come out of Anguk Station exit 6 and walk towards the main street of Insadong. Walk down the main art street for about five minutes until you see a street on your left ‘Insadong 10gil’. Turn left down this street, and you should see a little alley on your right, and Majung (마중) should be at the end of it.
Address: 서울특별시 종로구 관훈동 29
Phone Number: 02-730-2985
Map: Here
Have you been to Majung before? Tried more dishes or have more opinions? More questions? Leave us a comment below and tell us what you think!