Korean restaurant in Yongin for abalone shabu kalguksu: Jangwongap

Is it convenient to park and dine with a group in Yongin Giheung?

I had lunch at Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch (장원갑칼국수 용인기흥점) in Gomae-dong, Yongin. The large dedicated parking lot directly in front made it convenient to drive there. The interior was open and tidy, with plenty of four-person tables, so it suited a family meal or dining with a group.

The hours listed in the original post were daily from 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM, with a break from 4:00 to 5:00 PM. There was a Catchtable kiosk in front of the restaurant, where visitors could register on-site if there was a wait.

How do you choose the shabu kalguksu menu and broth?

The menu included live abalone beef brisket shabu kalguksu and beef brisket-and-water parsley wrap shabu kalguksu. You could choose red broth, white broth, or mala broth. The side dishes listed included whole-shrimp seafood pajeon (Korean scallion pancake) and Jochiwon peach bibim mandu (mixed dumplings), which was sold in limited daily quantities.

The meal began with the shabu ingredients, followed by kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and fried rice. The restaurant also provided detailed instructions on how to eat it.

What did the spicy abalone shabu taste like?

That day, I ordered two servings of live abalone shabu kalguksu with spicy broth and a whole-shrimp seafood pajeon. The shabu broth came with mushrooms and water parsley, along with six live abalones.

I briefly poached thin slices of wagyu beef brisket and water parsley in the spicy, deeply flavored broth, then wrapped them together. The tender meat went well with the fragrant water parsley, while the abalone had a pleasantly chewy, springy texture.

There were two sauces: a soy sauce with fresh wasabi and a sesame oil sauce. Both worked well, but the nutty flavor of the sesame oil sauce stood out when I lightly dipped the ingredients in it.

How were the kimchi and whole-shrimp seafood pajeon?

The Uiseong garlic kimchi was refreshing and pleasantly spicy. The restaurant said it uses domestic Uiseong hanji-type native garlic and makes the kimchi on-site three times a day. It was good on top of the kalguksu and also paired well with the final fried rice.

The whole-shrimp seafood pajeon had plenty of whole shrimp and squid. It was crisp outside and moist inside, with a savory flavor that made it a good accompaniment to the spicy kalguksu.

At the self-service corner in the middle of the restaurant, I could get more kimchi. Chopped chilies were also available to add to the broth for extra heat.

How long should you cook the handmade kalguksu noodles?

After eating the shabu ingredients, I added the noodles to the broth. The restaurant introduced its noodles as handmade using a 60-year-old noodle-making method, kneaded one thousand times.

The restaurant's guide explained that the texture changes with the cooking time: 6 minutes for chewy noodles, 7 minutes for a denser chew, 8 minutes for springy noodles, 9 minutes for soft noodles that have absorbed the broth, and 10 minutes for tender noodles.

I cooked mine for 8 minutes. The noodles were chewy and pleasantly elastic, with a stretchiness that reminded me of cheese. My favorite way to eat them was lightly dipped in the nutty sesame oil sauce.

How do the fried rice and dessert finish the meal?

After the beef brisket, vegetables, and kalguksu, I asked a staff member for kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) perilla-oil fried rice. The well-fermented kkakdugi and nutty perilla oil came together so well that I scraped the bottom of the pot.

Near the entrance, the dessert corner had several kinds of gangnaengi (puffed corn) and misutgaru (mixed grain powder drink). The gangnaengi was not meant to be eaten inside; visitors filled a paper cup with a small amount to take when leaving.

A receipt review event was also advertised at the time of my visit. After the meal, I refreshed my palate with a cool, sweet misutgaru.