Wonju noodle shop, 48-hour house-made udon: Haengbokhan Udong Gage

A truly real find — retro vibes, generous portions, fair prices, and moving flavor, nothing missing at all: Haengbokhan Udong Gage Dangwan Branch, a Dangu-dong, Wonju favorite. I demolished the fish cake udon and cheese tonkatsu here without mercy♡

Haengbokhan Udong Gage hours: open until 4:30am

Haengbokhan Udong Gage Dangwan Branch is open from 11am all the way until 4:30am the next day. I was genuinely shocked when I saw the hours...✨

There's almost no break time either, so it's perfect for lunch, but also perfect for a drink after work or a late-night snack when you're hungry. Great for a meal, and just as great for a second or third round of drinks.

Retro old-school chairs and easy solo dining

The moment you step inside, you feel a warm, retro atmosphere! The wood-toned, cozy interior with chairs that look just like old school desks brought back all sorts of nostalgic memories and put me at ease.

The 2-person and 4-person tables are neatly arranged, making it a cozy spot for friends, couples, and families, but also totally comfortable for solo dining — you won't feel out of place at all! The staff greeted us so brightly and kindly the moment we walked in, which put me in a great mood right from the start.

Fish cake udon with 48-hour house-made noodles

Finally, today's main dish arrived — fish cake udon! Wow... the moment I got the bowl, my jaw dropped at how generous it looked. Crown daisy, fried tofu, green onion, and roasted seaweed flakes were piled on top without holding back, and colorful, quality assorted fish cakes filled the bowl.

Turns out this Dangu-dong, Wonju favorite makes its udon noodles from 'self-made noodles' carefully aged for a whopping 48 hours! And the broth is a healthy one made by simmering katsuobushi and dried anchovies directly.

Noodles like old-style garakguksu (thin wheat noodles)

Instead of the thick, rough udon noodles you get at a regular Japanese restaurant, these are machine-cut noodles that are a bit thinner and softer, like old-fashioned garakguksu. Because the noodles are slightly thin, the deep, rich broth soaks in between every strand perfectly, and the texture is so bouncy and soft that slurping them down was pure art! There's no doughy flour taste at all, and my stomach felt comfortable even after eating.

How the broth tastes and how to pick your spice level

The broth, with katsuobushi and dried anchovy coming together, has an exceptionally deep and refreshing taste, and the generous helping of julienned green onion makes it clean and satisfying. A touch of red pepper flakes adds a spicy kick and savoriness that makes you say "ahh, refreshing!" with every spoonful. This is truly the perfect broth to call for soju, and it's also the answer for late-night snacks and hangover cures...!

By the way, you can also choose the spice level (mild, regular, spicy), so if you're coming with kids, go mild, and if you love spicy food, go spicy — pick to taste!

Cheese tonkatsu, 11,900 won: a mozzarella waterfall

You should never, ever skip the tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) just because you came to an udon place... because this is a hidden 'real tonkatsu spot'! They say the handmade tonkatsu is also made and sold same-day only, and we ordered the cheese tonkatsu (₩11,900) — I gasped at how it looked. Between the thick, hefty cutlet slices, mozzarella cheese wasn't just overflowing, it was pouring out like a waterfall! 💕

Maybe because it's made with 100% natural cheese, when I picked one piece up with my chopsticks, the cheese stretched endlessly, on and on and on haha

Inside the crispy breading is soft pork, and packed with savory, hearty cheese, so one bite is a crispy-outside, tender-inside explosion of savoriness. Dipping it in the tonkatsu sauce makes it sweet and delicious, but the cheese itself is so savory and high quality that it's just as satisfying eaten plain, without sauce!

The cabbage salad, corn kernels, and jalapeños served alongside fit the old-school Western-style tonkatsu feel perfectly, and a generous separate bowl of rice comes too, making it a portion big enough to stuff even a grown man. These days, a proper cheese tonkatsu runs at least ₩15,000, so getting this quality for ₩11,900... does the owner even make a profit?! Certified Dangu-dong, Wonju favorite.