Daegu Korean restaurant for chicken kalguksu: Donggok Jemyeon

A handmade-noodle kalguksu restaurant near Gyodong and Dongseong-ro

Donggok Jemyeon sits between February 28 Park and Gukchaebosang Park, and it is close to Jungangno Station too, so getting there is easy~ It is also near the streets of Gyodong and Dongseong-ro in Daegu, with lots of pretty cafés around, making it a nice stop on a Daegu trip!

A warm dining room decorated with wood and hanji

The dining room is a comfortable size, with wooden chairs and tables inside. Wooden slats here and there, plus hanji (traditional Korean paper), added an Eastern feel~ It was clean, cozy, and warm!!

Each table had a kiosk, and you could pay right at your seat too~ I liked being able to choose whether to pay as soon as I ordered or later!!

Ordering with noodle thickness and menu options

I also liked that each menu item had lots of options, including noodle thickness, spice level, and toppings. Since Donggok Jemyeon makes its own kalguksu noodles, you can choose the noodle thickness~ I ordered the seafood chive pancake set (switching it to extra-concentrated samgyetang kalguksu and yukgaejang kalguksu), plus Hanwoo beef-bone kalguksu! I personally like thick noodles, so I chose the standard thickness for everything.

The front of the kitchen is actually open, and there is a window beside the restroom area, so it was nice to be able to watch the cooking~

Over on one side, there is a refrigerator where the freshly made noodles are aged!! Definitely a proper handmade-noodle place!!

Fresh geotjeori that went perfectly with kalguksu

When you order, you get geotjeori (fresh kimchi) to serve yourself and peppers dressed with doenjang soybean paste! They are exactly the side dishes that suit kalguksu, haha. The geotjeori was refreshing and clean-tasting, without a strong aroma of salted seafood or other seasonings, and it was not very spicy, so it paired well with the noodles. Each table also had small plates, salt, pepper, and more—and there was separate salt for dipping the chicken~

Seafood-packed chive pancake

All the dishes came out at around the same time. Just look at this seafood chive pancake.. I loved that there was not too much flour in it, so the chive flavor really came through~ It was not thick, so it did not feel heavy alongside the kalguksu, and it was not overly greasy either.

And it was absolutely loaded with seafoodㅠㅠㅠ There were plenty of shrimp and squid—nothing skimpy about it. The pancake itself was large, and the seafood covered the top, so I was really glad we ordered it~ So much plump squid and shrimp~

There was onion soy sauce, and chojang (sweet-tangy red chili sauce) came with it too. In Gyeongsang-do, people dip pancakes in chojang, and it is secretly such a treat, haha. This did not seem like store-bought chojang either; it felt like the owner had made it separately. It had less of that distinctive sour smell and tasted cleaner, which I liked~

Rich beef-bone and yukgaejang kalguksu broths

This is the Hanwoo beef-bone kalguksu!! It had a milky, rich broth topped with chopped scallions and brisket. Maybe because it used Hanwoo beef bones, the broth tasted a little like beef-bone tteokguk rice-cake soup~ It went so well with the kalguksu noodles!! The broth was savory and rich, and this bowl alone was incredibly filling~

This one is yukgaejang kalguksu. Bean sprouts and meat were piled over its thick, red broth~ The meat on top was brisket and... perhaps arong sate? Anyway, the meat was incredibly tender!!

There was a generous portion, with lots of bean sprouts too, so it was very filling. The broth had a spicy warmth with a deep meaty flavor simmered into it, and it was delicious~ Still, it was not too greasy—rich yet clean-tasting.

Extra-concentrated chicken kalguksu topped with half a chicken

Lastly, the extra-concentrated chicken kalguksu!! It was even more substantial with half a chicken in it~

Just look at that meaty chicken leg~ There were lots of kalguksu noodles, but the chicken was so substantial that it felt like there was one and a half times as much food. Rather than shredding the chicken and scattering it on top like a garnish, they put on a whole half chicken, so it had even more chicken umami and felt nourishing, like eating samgyetang chicken soup~

The chicken kalguksu also came with minced garlic. Add it, and the broth's umami doubles~ Like samgyetang, the broth was rich and filling, so I recommend it for anyone with a big appetite!

Chewy yet tender handmade noodles and a deep, rich broth that makes for a satisfyingly nourishing meal! And even the chive pancake, completely covered in seafood!