After-work clam kalguksu with no wait near Kkachiul Station, Bucheon

Introducing a Bucheon kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) spot with a cool, rich broth — Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu!

Getting there from Kkachiul Station, hours, and parking

It's about 900m from Exit 2 of Kkachiul Station. Hours 10:30 - 21:00 Last order 20:30 Parking available / group seating available / takeout available Closed only the day before and day of Seollal and Chuseok The parking lot is nice and spacious, which was great.

We arrived a bit after 8pm after work, and judging by how many parking spots were open, the busy time seemed to have passed. It's about 17 minutes from where we started, and when we checked ahead of time it said there was a wait, so we wondered if we'd get in — but luckily we could eat right away.

After parking, the entrance is around to the left of the building.

What's on the menu and how much?

You have to order one kalguksu per person. It's nice that there's a menu posted outside too, so people waiting can check it in advance. The menu is nice and simple:

• Clam kalguksu ₩11,000
• Meat dumplings ₩8,000
• Kimchi dumplings ₩8,000
• Water dumplings ₩6,000
• Steamed shrimp ₩11,000
• Barley rice ₩3,000
• Steamed rice ₩1,000

The wait and the vibe inside

We got there after 8pm so there was no wait, but it seems like there's a wait during lunch and dinner rush! You just put your name on the CatchTable waitlist near the entrance. The place is spacious and cool inside, which made it really pleasant for eating hot kalguksu. While we ate there were about 5 tables occupied, but by the time we left we were the only ones. There seemed to be seating upstairs too — probably for groups.

Near the entrance and counter, they sell nurungji (scorched rice snacks), kkwabaegi (twisted doughnuts), tofu crackers, noodle crackers and more. On our way out we grabbed a kkwabaegi and thought long and hard about it, haha — full but still thinking about eating more. Oh, and they sell kimchi too — 1.5kg for 20,000 won.

We ordered two servings of clam kalguksu. Apparently you can add extra clams from the side menu too? And you can also mix and match dumpling types half and half!! They said you can also get cash-equivalent points for writing a review.

Barley rice and fresh cabbage salad come first

When you order kalguksu, barley rice and kimchi come out first. I love it when a kalguksu place serves barley rice, sooo good. I love barley rice so much I ate my friend's portion too. The kimchi is pre-cut with scissors onto a small plate — quick and easy. Kimchi really matters at a kalguksu place, you know? The fresh cabbage salad goes perfectly with the noodles! Now I get why they sell kimchi here.

Two turns of the hourglass: how the fresh noodles are cooked

The broth comes out first, and you cover it with the lid and bring it to a rolling boil, then...

...they add the fresh noodles they made by hand. Watching it bubble away in front of us got me all excited too.

Turn the little hourglass on the table twice and it cooks just right (about 6 minutes) — then you can eat! After a 6 minutes that really felt long...

So how did the clam kalguksu taste?

As soon as we opened the lid there were shrimp, clams, and even sea squirts inside. The smell of the broth!! Even though it was piping hot I wanted to slurp it right away!! My friend became a sea squirt addict — they just kept coming endlessly...

We poured it into our bowls and had the first round with the clear broth as is, then for the second bowl added some chili paste — man, haha, so refreshing with a savory kick!! Warm and hearty, it really hit the spot, and the broth is clean and cool-tasting so it's delicious even without the chili paste. Because of the seafood-based broth it's not overly strong-flavored, just clean and refreshing, and it's fun fishing out the sea squirts and clams, not just eating the noodles.

The chili paste is spicy but also a bit salty and tangy, so I'd recommend not adding too much.

They also have kongguksu (chilled soybean noodle soup), dumplings, and steamed shrimp! Looking around at other diners, a lot of people were eating kongguksu? Next time I'll have to try that as a side too. If you're craving clam kalguksu, give Jakdong Kalguksu a try 🤗 The staff were all really kind too!