Suwon Station kalguksu restaurant at noon: jang-kalguksu and bossam

It's raining for the first time in a while. When it rains I crave hot soup, so while looking up Suwon kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurants I found Daseon Kalguksu, an old, storied spot near Suwon Station. We got lucky and found one open seat when we arrived — right after that, a line started forming, and by the time we left there were about four parties waiting. Daseon Kalguksu, the waiting-line restaurant of Suwon Station. Let's get into the honest review~

• Address: 48 Hyanggyo-ro, 1st floor, Paldal-gu, Suwon
• Hours: Daily 10:30–22:00
• Break time: 15:30–17:00
• No parking lot in the building

Where is Daseon Kalguksu? End of the Suwon Station food alley on Hyanggyo-ro

In front of Suwon Station there's a long, well-developed row of restaurants and a lively downtown strip, and Suwon kalguksu spot Daseon Kalguksu sits toward the far end of it. Just from the sign, it had that strong, century-old-restaurant kind of energy.

I liked that you could see the set menus even from outside. On top of that, in summer weather like this they also run seasonal cold dishes like kongguksu (chilled soybean noodle soup) and naengmyeon (cold noodles), not just kalguksu.

Parking for Daseon Kalguksu: Samsung Parking Lot, 1 minute on foot

Parking near Suwon Station is generally awkward. Daseon Kalguksu doesn't have its own lot either, but there's a private lot called 'Samsung Parking Lot' just a minute's walk away, so we used that. Since it's not a public lot the price is a bit steep, but being so close to the restaurant made it worth it.

Weekend noon at Daseon Kalguksu: the wait and the dining room

We went at 12pm on a weekend and it was already completely full. We got lucky with the one last seat — and even in this still-hot, humid weather, the AC was blasting so it was really, really cool inside. There was a real mix of guests: families, friends, coworkers, groups of middle-aged men, all sorts.

Daseon Kalguksu menu: kal-nakji (octopus knife noodles) starts at two servings

The restaurant's signature dish, kal-nakji, has that same spicy kick as jang-kalguksu, but it can only be ordered starting from two servings. Besides that, there's regular kalguksu, bibim-kalguksu, mandu-kalguksu, and mandu-guk (dumpling soup), plus a set menu that comes with bossam. Seafood pancake is a popular side, and a plate of suyuk (boiled pork) is also an excellent protein pairing with the noodles.

Kimchi actually matters a lot with kalguksu, and hearing that theirs is made in-house from 100% Korean napa cabbage was reassuring and got me excited. On top of that, the broth is made fresh every morning from seafood and vegetables, so I was already looking forward to it the moment we ordered.

Barley rice served while you wait at Daseon Kalguksu

There were still guests ahead of us who hadn't gotten their food yet, so I was starting to worry about how hungry I was — but they brought out kimchi along with barley rice right away. It was fluffy barley rice with mu-saengchae (spicy radish salad) and a drizzle of savory sesame oil — perfect as an appetizer to whet the appetite before the kalguksu arrives.

- Suyuk-bossam (small) - Jang-kalguksu for two (basic spice)

Suyuk-bossam (small): is it enough for two?

The suyuk-bossam came out first. Even the small size was quite a generous portion for two people eating it alongside kalguksu — very satisfying. And since it sits in a pot with a flame underneath keeping warm steam rising the whole time, we could eat it moist and warm right down to the last piece.

It went well with the spicy salted shrimp that came alongside it, and wrapping it with the Korean kimchi like a fresh geotjeori was great too. The meat itself had no off smell, and being boiled a long time made it so tender it just melted away. If you're going for kalguksu, definitely order a plate of suyuk too.

How spicy is jang-kalguksu for two in the basic spice level?

It came out in a massive bowl that made me question whether this was really just two servings. Kal-nakji lets you adjust the spice level. There are two options, basic and spicy, and we went with basic, which was about as spicy as Shin Ramyun. It was fairly hot and spicy — a perfect match for this kind of rainy, humid day.

On top of that, it was loaded with clams and plump octopus, so what I thought would be a carb-heavy dish felt like a proper nourishing meal. The noodles were nice and chewy too, so slurping them down felt great going down.

The addictive broth had me slurping away without even realizing it. Because it's the jang-kalguksu style, it had a slightly thicker, richer feel, which made it even more appealing. Wrapping it with the Korean kimchi added a crunchy texture too — a combo I'd recommend.

Daseon Kalguksu on a rainy day: the verdict

We finished our meal satisfied and walked out to find quite a line had formed. It felt like we'd been on a proper Suwon Station waiting-line-restaurant expedition, which made me happy haha. Hot, spicy kalguksu paired with tender, savory suyuk-bossam — I think it was the best possible combo for a rainy day. That's the end of my honest review of Daseon Kalguksu!