She hastens the dawn road that comes earlier than dawn today, just like yesterday. She prays for the health and fortune of everyone and serves a bowl of seolleongtang (ox bone soup) with respect for her customers. 
Her hands are full of gratitude and appreciation for the customers. 
This is how Lee Sooja, the owner of Munhwog, has been accommodating customers every day, and has kept her mother-in-law’s legacy well. 
Article. Yoo Seonmi Photo. Kim Jiwon

The Reason the Same Taste Has to be Maintained

Seolleongtang (ox bone soup) is made with beef bone, brisket, and head meat only. Munhwaog has been maintaining this clean and light taste since 1952. Nothing has been added or subtracted. Customers have returned for generations because of the consistency in taste. Countless people come to taste Lee’s food. This is the justification that Lee has been trying to preserve, and the source from which she was able to maintain the consistent taste.

Seolleongtang (ox bone soup) Opens a Day for Ordinary People

In 1952, Lee Youngok, the former owner and mother-in-law of Lee, opened a restaurant with the Munhwaog sign on Jongno 5-ga in Seoul. Seolleongtang (ox bone soup) and rice cooked over briquettes by Lee Youngok satiated the hunger of the people who had to survive the chaotic period of the Korean War. 
In 1957, when it relocated to Euljiro 4-ga, Seoul, this bowl of seolleongtang (ox bone soup) comforted the hearts of ordinary people. 
“At that time, textiles were made in Daegu and clothes were made in Seoul. Here in Dongdaemun Market, the textile wholesale flourished. Also, there was Savona Shopping Mall (a children’s clothing store) near our store. Many merchants from the provinces are here to buy clothes. They passed by the alley in front of our store, and this alley was always crowded with people. From 4 in the morning when the curfew was lifted, there was a loud knock at our store’s sliding door.”
This is why Lee starts her day at 3 am every day. To serve the customers who come at the first wind of dawn, she has to start moving earlier than dawn. 
“There are many customers who say that they feel better or are recharged after eating our seolleongtang (ox bone soup). This is why we make seolleongtang (ox bone soup) with care.”

The Taste of Seolleongtang (ox bone soup) Perfected With
Sincerity and Diligence

Nothing and no time escapes Lee’s attention, from preparing ingredients to cooking, serving customers, and maintaining the store’s hygiene until seolleongtang (ox bone soup) is placed in front of the customers. She is truly an all-round owner. 
It is also her strict rule to prepare all the food herself. Every week, she continues to make kimchi sauce and mix it into 300 heads of napa cabbages. 
She was able to maintain the taste of Munhwaog due to her insistence on using only the best ingredients. All ingredients, except beef’s knee cartilage and tailbone that are difficult to use, are “domestic”, which is the rule. 
“I have been making seolleongtang (ox bone soup) with customer satisfaction in mind, thinking that this place, which my mother-in-law worked hard to build, and this food, developed by her, should not be managed poorly.”
Without breaking the food frame that her mother-in-law passed down, Lee strived to develop the frame, and thanks to her effort, the clean and light taste of Seoul-style seolleongtang (ox bone soup) became deeper. Lee was the one who changed the plate of kimchi, which is used to serve two people, to a plate for a person. In this way, Lee has been proving herself that the taste of seolleongtang (ox bone soup) is perfected with the owner’s sincerity, diligence, and interest.

It is Rewarding to Succeed the Family Business

Lee, who has done a great job of carrying on her mother-in-law’s legacy, is also grateful that the past was not in vain. This is thanks to the three siblings who are cleverly continuing the legacy together. 
Lee’s daughter Kim Seongwon said, “After I joined the business, I realized that my mother has been fretting over it day and night all her life, so I would never take this place lightly because my mother and grandmother devoted their lives to building it.” Kim assured, “I will keep the seolleongtang (ox bone soup) taste as it is, thanks to their hard work.” Lee’s face brightened. Her smile seemed to be overlapped with her reward. 
“It is best to be grateful and respectful of everything in the world. Nothing is impossible if you treat everyone with respect. People say that if you calm your mind after seeing and hearing something, you will gain wisdom in your heart. It means find wisdom in your heart,” added Lee when the interview was almost over. These words, which contain the whole heart of a person who has endured with gratitude, resonated for a long time.