Half-chicken kalguksu near Tongdosa Temple, Yangsan: Eonyang Dak

Last weekend I was hunting for good restaurants near Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan and ended up at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Tongdosa Branch! They said their chicken kalguksu comes with "a whole half chicken" in it, which got me really excited. Here's my honest review after visiting in person!

Where is Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Tongdosa Branch, and is there parking?

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Tongdosa Branch is at 6 Tongdosa-ro, Habuk-myeon, Yangsan-si, Gyeongnam, just 5 minutes by car from Tongdosa Temple. It's a great stop before or after exploring the temple.

There's a large parking lot right behind the restaurant, so you can eat comfortably without worrying about parking.

The interior is pretty large and spacious, so it'd be comfortable for a group to eat here too. We arrived a bit before the usual lunch rush, and there were already quite a few customers!

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu menu and prices

The signature chicken kalguksu is ₩10,000, and the chewy mandu (dumplings) are ₩5,500. There's also dak gomtang (chicken soup), Eonyang-style kalguksu, and jjimdak (braised chicken). We ordered two chicken kalguksu and one order of chewy mandu :)

Self-serve kimchi: spicy and mild, free to refill

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Tongdosa Branch serves kimchi as a basic side dish, but this kimchi is REALLY spicy!! (Spice-wimps beware) Luckily there's milder kimchi at the self-serve corner.

At the self-serve corner, kimchi is divided into spicy and mild versions. There's also pickled radish available. You know a chicken kalguksu place needs good kimchi, right?! They said the kimchi is made fresh every day, which got me even more excited :)

The spicy kimchi has a bit more umami and is really tasty, but as a spice-wimp myself it was tough to handle...haha. Still, the mild kimchi was really good too. I refilled it twice. Kimchi spot confirmed!!

Chewy mandu and chicken kalguksu with half a chicken: honest review

The chewy mandu came out first. Lined up neatly~

True to their name, the mandu wrapper was super chewy and tender, and the filling was packed full — a great pairing with the kalguksu.

Finally, the star of the show, chicken kalguksu, arrived :) A milky white broth with a huge piece of chicken in it!

The chicken kalguksu I've had before always came with chicken torn into bite-sized pieces, so it was surprising to see a whole half chicken sitting in the bowl. Because of that, the portion felt enormous. So much meat, so much to eat!

And the kalguksu noodles are really, really chewy. Eat them with a piece of kimchi on top and it's absolutely delicious!!

Personally I'm not a fan of when there's way too much perilla seed powder, but here the nuttiness was just right, and the chicken broth wasn't too heavy — a very clean broth. It's already seasoned, but not salty at all, just the right amount of savory deliciousness!

Why Eonyang Dak Kalguksu suits a Tongdosa Temple day trip

If you're planning a trip to Tongdosa this weekend, how about chicken kalguksu as your Tongdosa restaurant pick? Eonyang Dak Kalguksu serves clean, delicious food that all ages can enjoy, so it's a great place to bring your kids and parents along. If you're looking for a good restaurant near Tongdosa, I recommend Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Tongdosa Branch!