Wondang makguksu with a self-serve barley rice bar: Bongpyeong Gohyang

Bongpyeong Gohyang Makguksu is a makguksu and kalguksu spot at 1128 Hoguk-ro, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 20:30, last order at 20:00, closed every Monday. There's also a parking lot on site.

Hi everyone~~ Today I went to Bongpyeong Gohyang Makguksu, famous for kalguksu in Wondang! My mom had eaten here before and said it was good, so we finally made it over this time.

There's a dedicated parking area so I didn't have to worry about parking at all! There were even more spots in the back.

Bongpyeong Gohyang Makguksu menu and the 1,000-won large portion

The menu ranges from cold water-style and bibim makguksu to warm makguksu, perilla kalguksu, and boiled pork (suyuk). An extra portion is just ₩1,000 more, which is cheap.

As soon as we sat down, we ordered right away. We got one perilla buckwheat kalguksu, one bibim makguksu, and a buckwheat pancake — done!!

Arriving right at opening: seating and mood at Bongpyeong Gohyang Makguksu

The interior of Bongpyeong Gohyang Makguksu is spacious, with plenty of tables from 2-tops to 4-tops! I went almost right at opening so it was quiet, but by lunchtime the tables filled up fast.

Barley rice, yeolmu kimchi and buckwheat tea at the self-serve bar

After ordering, the basic side dishes came out first — crisp yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) and barley rice. Piling the yeolmu kimchi onto the barley rice, drizzling in some gochujang and mixing it all up woke up my appetite instantly — best appetizer ever haha. There was perilla oil on the table too, so I drizzled that on as well, which made it even more nutty and delicious.

On one side there was warm, nutty buckwheat tea (myeonsu, noodle water) too!! As soon as I drank the warm, savory buckwheat tea, my stomach felt so cozy. Any side dishes running low could be refilled at the self-serve bar ^^

What the buckwheat pancake tasted like

The buckwheat pancake came out first! Two big buckwheat pancakes filled a large plate, and a subtle buckwheat aroma drifted up.

I dipped it in the seasoned soy sauce that came with it — not greasy at all, light yet chewy and dense, totally a hidden gem. The crunch of the scallions here and there was great too, and it was so tasty we polished it off before the main dishes even arrived haha.

Bibim makguksu: perilla oil with cold broth on the side

And then bibim makguksu! Red seasoning sauce loaded with sesame seeds, veggies, a boiled egg, plus a cold broth to go with it.

I drizzled in some of the table's perilla oil to taste and mixed it all up thoroughly. Pouring in a little of the icy cold broth that came alongside made the mix even more moist and smooth haha.

Ugh, this bibim buckwheat makguksu was so good.. maybe because of the high buckwheat content, it had a hearty bite, and since the noodles are house-made, they were genuinely chewy.

The seasoning wasn't overly spicy or harsh — sweet, spicy and tangy, with the nutty perilla oil aroma soaked all through it, the kind of flavor you keep eating without stopping. The crunch of cucumber and vegetables added great texture, and I went heavy on the perilla oil for extra nuttiness — so good.

Perilla buckwheat kalguksu with potato ongsimi dumplings

And then the nutty perilla buckwheat kalguksu, sprinkled with perilla powder!

I took a spoonful of the broth first, and it was clear they'd ground in perilla generously — thick, with a nuttiness that filled my whole mouth, seriously impressive. The noodles weren't regular wheat noodles but buckwheat ones, so they were smooth with no heaviness!

And there were chewy potato dumplings (ongsimi) in there too!! I stole a few bites from my mom's bowl, and topping them with a piece of yeolmu kimchi while eating made the nutty broth warm me up from the inside — truly proof this is a great Wondang kalguksu spot.

Is Bongpyeong Gohyang Makguksu a good Wondang lunch with parents?

I had such a satisfying, delicious meal of makguksu and kalguksu at this Wondang favorite. My mom enjoyed it too, so it really does seem like a good Wondang spot to take your parents to. Next time I'm craving bibim makguksu, I'll be back here 200% for sure! Now that it's getting chilly, warm makguksu or perilla buckwheat kalguksu would hit the spot too — I fully recommend Bongpyeong Gohyang Makguksu as a Wondang favorite!