Garak-dong kalguksu restaurant, thin-skin kimchi mandu: Hanyang Dak

Now that the weather's turned cooler, I've definitely been craving hot soup lately. Wanting a warm bowl of kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), I looked up good spots near Gyeongchal Hospital Station and ended up at Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch.

Getting both chicken and noodles in one bowl sounded like the perfect lunch, haha.

Inside Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch: atmosphere and seating near Gyeongchal Hospital Station

Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch is a kalguksu restaurant in Garak-dong close to Gyeongchal Hospital Station. Walking in, it had that classic feel of a well-loved local spot near the station!! Since it was lunchtime, there were quite a few people in for a meal.

There were autographs from celebrities I like, too. Looks like plenty of influencers have stopped by as well!

There are group tables, 2-seat tables, and 4-seat tables, so you can eat comfortably whatever your party size.

Where to park at Hanyang Dak Kalguksu in Garak-dong

We don't have our own parking lot. You can get 30 minutes free parking inside the Police Hospital. Please use the nearby public parking lots.

Hanyang Dak Kalguksu menu and the self-serve kimchi bar

Hanyang Dak Kalguksu says its flavor comes from kimchi made fresh every day and chicken broth simmered for over 12 hours. Basic side dishes are self-serve from the bar.

This Garak-dong favorite serves kimchi made in-house every day!! The red kimchi genuinely looked so appetizing.

You can even choose your spice level — spicy or mild!

It's self-serve, so just help yourself!

What does the 14,900-won samgyetang kalguksu with half a chicken taste like?

That day I ordered the half-chicken samgyetang kalguksu for 14,900 won and kimchi mandu (kimchi dumplings) for 6,900 won. When the samgyetang kalguksu arrived, the portion was seriously generous right off the bat. The bowl had kalguksu noodles inside, topped with half a whole chicken sitting right on top.

Green onion, fresh ginseng, and jujube were mixed in too, so it looked steaming hot just from the sight of it, haha.

I tried the broth first with a spoon. It had that distinct savory chicken broth flavor — rich and perfect for warming you up. There were plenty of noodles in the broth too, so picking up a big bundle with chopsticks and sipping the broth alongside was delicious.

And what I liked best was, of course, the chicken! Since a whole half chicken was in there, there was a lot to eat. I picked at the meat bit by bit with my chopsticks, and it came off the bone easily, so it was more manageable to eat than I expected.

The chicken meat was tasty picked apart and eaten with the kalguksu noodles, and just as good dipped lightly in the broth.

And the rice, soft and soaked through with broth, was honestly... the best.~~~

With fresh ginseng and jujube in there too, it really felt like a proper restorative meal!!!!

With mornings and evenings this chilly lately, a hot bowl of soup like this really does warm you up from the inside.

Being made fresh in-house, the kimchi was genuinely delicious!! I got the spicy version, and that sharp spiciness really grabbed my appetite.

I ate the rice and noodles nice and hot~~

Kimchi mandu, 6,900 won: thin wrappers, plenty of filling

The kimchi mandu at Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch is 6,900 won, served hot in a steamer basket. I ate one of these alongside the kalguksu.

Coming out in a steamer, they were piping hot from the moment they arrived. The wrapper wasn't thick — it was thin and chewy, which I really liked. I'm a fan of thin dumpling skins, so this was totally my thing~!

The filling was packed full of kimchi. The kimchi's crunchy texture and slight spiciness paired well with the mild kalguksu.

A filling Garak-dong lunch at Hanyang Dak Kalguksu

I went that day craving hot soup, and with half a chicken in the samgyetang kalguksu, I left completely full. Noodles, tender chicken picked off the bone, and kimchi mandu in between~~ if you're in Garak-dong craving hot kalguksu, give Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch a try.