Yongin Korean restaurant for beef brisket-minari shabu: Jangwongap

My family of five visited Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch on a rainy weekday lunch. We enjoyed a meal in sequence, from beef brisket-minari wraps to fresh kalguksu noodles and perilla oil kkakdugi fried rice.

Was there a wait at weekday lunch?

I expected a relaxed weekday meal, but there were quite a few cars in the parking lot despite the rain. The restaurant was full, and there was a wait.

The waiting area had snacks and misutgaru (multigrain powder) slushies. I thought the wait might feel a little less boring for anyone visiting with children.

The restaurant was bright and clean overall. Although there were many diners, it felt less cramped than I expected.

Around the restaurant were explanations about the noodles and patents. The restaurant described its house-made noodles, kneaded a thousand times, as having a chewy texture.

What did our family of five order, and how much was it?

Our family was seated separately, with three people at one table and two at another. Both tables ordered two beef brisket-minari wrap shabu kalguksu each, with different sides.

• Table for three: beef brisket-minari wrap shabu kalguksu ₩15,500 × 2, whole shrimp seafood pajeon ₩13,500, plus a Deungbeomi assorted add-on ₩14,000
• Table for two: beef brisket-minari wrap shabu kalguksu ₩15,500 × 2, Jochiwon peach bibim mandu ₩9,900

There was also a self-service bar. I brought back some chopped chili peppers because I wanted the shabu broth a little spicier.

How were the seafood pajeon and peach bibim mandu?

The shabu kalguksu was set first, and while we waited for the broth to boil, the whole shrimp seafood pajeon and peach bibim mandu arrived.

The whole shrimp seafood pajeon (Korean savory pancake) was crisply cooked. It felt like it had more ingredients than batter, and I could clearly taste the textures of the shrimp and seafood.

We ordered the Jochiwon peach bibim mandu (seasoned dumplings) because it was described as a new menu item. At first, I thought the dumplings would contain peach, but the seasoning sauce used peach vinegar.

It was sweet, sour, and spicy. It made a good change of pace alongside the shabu kalguksu.

How did we eat the beef brisket-minari wrap?

Once the shabu started boiling, I followed the order on the table guide. A staff member also suggested dipping raw minari (water dropwort) with cooked meat into sesame oil sauce.

Eating it as suggested, I first tasted the nutty sesame oil, followed by the aroma of minari. They said the sesame oil was pressed directly at a mill. It was my first time eating raw minari this way at a shabu restaurant, and it left a different impression from cooking the meat and minari together.

Even though it was a meat shabu broth, it tasted refreshing and clean. Adding a little chopped chili from the self-service bar also worked well with the spicy kick.

Did the fresh noodles change texture with cooking time?

After we had mostly taken out the meat and vegetables, we added the kalguksu noodles. The table guide suggested trying them at different cooking times.

The guide said that the same fresh noodles could take on five textures depending on the timing: springy, fluffy, chewy, bouncy, and soft.

When I lifted the noodles cooked in the broth, they seemed to stretch long like cheese. It was fun to try different cooking times and notice the texture change in the same noodles.

I especially liked noodles cooked for about eight minutes and dipped in sesame oil sauce. Their texture came through more clearly than when I ate them with the broth. Uiseong garlic kimchi made them pleasantly spicy.

As the noodles continued to boil, the broth, initially clear and refreshing, gradually became thicker. Even in the same pot, it tasted a little different during the shabu course and the kalguksu course.

Is there an extra charge for the finishing fried rice?

The perilla oil kkakdugi fried rice was provided free, and we cooked it ourselves. Stir-frying kkakdugi, seaweed flakes, minari, and perilla oil brought out a nutty aroma.

I was already quite full after the kalguksu, but I still ate the fried rice. Having the beef brisket-minari wrap, fresh noodles, and fried rice in order made the meal feel like a course.

Where is it, and what are the opening hours?

Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch (장원갑칼국수 용인기흥점) is at 90 Gomae-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, on the first floor. The hours listed in the original post are daily 10:30–21:00, with a break from 16:00–17:00. Last orders are listed as 15:00 and 20:00.