Yangjae kalguksu restaurant where the clam aroma hits hard: Seonbawi

Working near Yangjae Citizens' Forest makes picking lunch a whole project. The weather's cooling down so soup sounds good, but I don't want to walk far, haha.

This time a coworker and I went to Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch, one of our lunch candidates near Yangjae Citizens' Forest. One glance at the "mountain of clams" poster on the wall and we'd decided on the buckwheat clam kalguksu.

Confession up front: I don't usually mind fishy food. So hearing "mountain of clams" actually got me excited.

Where Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch is, and where to park

The address is 15-11 Gangnam-daero 18-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul. It's less than 300m from Sinbundang Line Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station Exit 2, so it's a quick walk.

There's a small lot in front of the restaurant, but when we arrived it was already packed, as you can see in the photo. If you're driving, it's easier on the nerves to plan for Yangjae Neighborhood Park public parking (paid, 2 min walk) instead.

How the Catch Table waitlist works here

There's a Catch Table kiosk at the entrance — you enter your phone number and wait. The screen showed 4 parties waiting and a 25-minute estimate. But we got seated in just 10 minutes. Just lucky, I guess.

The dining hall is spacious with long ceiling lighting running through it, giving the whole place a bright feel. Before noon, most tables were already full.

Behind the counter, the kitchen is fully visible.

You can watch the cooking happen while you wait, which is kind of fun.

What we ordered and what it cost

The buckwheat clam kalguksu comes with 500g of clams and 350g of noodles, and it's only available for 2 or more people. At ₩13,000 per serving, two servings came to ₩26,000, and we added the neungi mushroom-pork king mandu for ₩8,000.

Look out for the card under the order slip too — leave a receipt review and show it to staff for one free canned drink per table. Our order total was ₩34,000.

A mountain of clams, and an honest word on the aroma

Tongs and a big stainless bowl were set on the table first, for the clam shells.

I personally love eating fresh kimchi (geotjeori-style) with kalguksu, and this one had a faint dongchimi (watery radish kimchi) vibe — a red broth that's not too thick.

12:05, the kalguksu arrived. Just like the poster said, the clams really were a mountain. You have to dig through them to even find the noodles.

The noodles are the grayish-brown of buckwheat, wide and flat. The texture reminded me a bit of sujebi (hand-torn dough soup) — firm rather than chewy.

I scooped some into my side plate and took a spoonful of broth first. (I'll be honest here.) That day, the clam smell in the broth came through way stronger than I expected.

Even for me, someone who's usually confident about handling fishy food, it felt strong that day. But the people at other tables were eating happily. Clams are an ingredient that varies day to day, so this is just my experience at lunch on September 22. Honestly, for me and my coworker, it tasted quite fishy.

The surprise star: neungi mushroom and pork king mandu

The king mandu (dumplings) are ₩8,000 for 4 pieces. The wrapper is a grayish buckwheat-dough color, pleated inward at the center. One plate alongside two servings of kalguksu works out perfectly for two people to share, two each.

In the end we left more than half the noodles, but the mandu were delicious. The portion itself is generous for two (500g clams, 350g noodles), so part of the leftovers was just us getting full.

Hours, service and other visitor info

Hours are daily 09:00–21:00. There was a notice at the entrance saying it would be closed September 24–25 for Chuseok.

The wait is handled through Catch Table. On a weekday at 11:48am there were already 4 parties waiting. Since the clam kalguksu requires 2 or more people, solo diners will need to pick a different noodle dish.

If you're sensitive to clam smell, this one might split opinions. Anyone who doesn't handle fishy food well will probably be more comfortable with the makguksu than the kalguksu.

If I go back, I'm thinking I'll switch to the perilla oil makguksu (₩12,000).

On the way out, I noticed the signboard. Turns out the brand started at its main branch near Seonbawi Station in Gwacheon. That original branch is known for its makguksu and was even featured on the TV show Live Today. So makguksu was actually the brand's original specialty, haha.

A walk around Yangjae Citizens' Forest afterwards

If you've got time after lunch, it's a nice walk to loop around Yangjae Citizens' Forest. The aT Center and Yangjae Flower Market are both close by, so it's a convenient spot to pair with an expo or some flower browsing.

Frequently asked questions

Can one person order the clam kalguksu?

Per the poster, it requires 2 or more people.

Is there parking at Seonbawi Memil Jangteo?

The small lot in front fills up fast. Yangjae Neighborhood Park public parking is a 2-minute walk.

How long is the wait at lunchtime?

On a weekday at 11:48am, the app showed 4 parties waiting. We got in within 10 minutes, but arriving before noon is the safer bet.

Final verdict on Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch

Lunch at Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch near Yangjae Citizens' Forest. The clam portion, spacious hall, and quick seating were all great. That said, the kalguksu had a pretty strong clam smell that day, so if you're sensitive to fishy flavors, lean toward the makguksu or the mandu instead.

The clam portion really was a mountain. The smell, for me that day, was too strong. Next time I'll check out the makguksu instead. :)