Kalguksu near Hyundai Outlet Daejeon with easy parking: Yongja 1

⏰️ Mon–Sat 11:00–20:00 Break time 15:00–17:00 Closed regularly on Sundays

Yongja 1 in Gwanpyeong-dong: 4 minutes by car from Hyundai Outlet Daejeon

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch is a kalguksu restaurant in Gwanpyeong-dong, Yuseong, about 4 minutes by car from the Hyundai Outlet Daejeon. I went shopping at the outlet for some autumn clothes haha, and while looking for a good place to eat before shopping, I found this kalguksu restaurant in Gwanpyeong-dong. The meal was way more satisfying than I expected, so let me quickly write up this review ❤

Parking and waiting at Yongja 1

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch has alley parking available, plus a parking space right in front of the store. We came by car and didn't have any trouble finding a spot. Waiting is only in person — you write your name on the waiting paper set up in front of the restaurant. We visited before peak hours and got in with no wait at all.

Inside Yongja 1 and its house-made noodles

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch felt very different from the typical kalguksu place I had in mind. It was clean and had a nice atmosphere, so it seemed like it could even work as a date spot haha. Also, this place makes fresh-cut noodles — they were actually rolling out the dough right in the center of the store!!

Self-serve corner — kimchi, pickled onion. You could also pack up leftover dumplings to take home. The takeout containers were even sized differently depending on the number and size of the dumplings haha. Great attention to detail.

Yongja 1 menu and prices

The menu basically has kalguksu, kalmandu-guk (dumpling noodle soup), bibim kalguksu (spicy mixed noodles), tteok-mandu-guk (rice cake and dumpling soup), kong-kalguksu (soybean noodle soup), and steamed dumplings, so you can pick according to your taste. I wanted something chewy on the side to go with the kong-kalguksu, so I also ordered the steamed dumplings (❁´◡`❁)

The basic side dishes were fresh kimchi and pickled onions, and the fresh kimchi was seriously delicious! You all know the saying that a noodle place has to have good kimchi, right? haha. This was truly the real deal.

• Kalmandu-guk ₩10,000
• Kong-kalguksu ₩10,000
• Steamed dumplings ₩9,000

What does the kalmandu-guk broth taste like?

The broth of the kalmandu-guk at Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch really left an impression on me. I believe it's made with a dried pollack base, and the flavor was deep and rich. There seemed to be a lot of meat filling inside too, so it felt like the refreshing dried-pollack flavor was layered with a heavier taste from the meat... There was also a subtle sense of something like bone broth mixed in!!

The broth was delicious on its own, but with the chewy, springy fresh-cut noodles added on top, the satisfaction level went up even more o((>ω< ))o

The fresh kimchi was so good ㅠㅠㅠ that eating it alongside the noodles was seriously addictive ❤🙈

By the way!! Looking at the dumplings in the kalmandu-guk, they were the same dumplings as the steamed dumplings I ordered as a side haha. If you're not too particular about the difference between boiled and steamed dumplings, when visiting as two people, I'd recommend just getting the kalmandu-guk instead of ordering steamed dumplings separately~ (Ordering both sides made for a lot of food.)

Kong-kalguksu, a summer-only menu at Yongja 1

The kong-kalguksu at Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch is apparently only sold from April to mid-September as a summer seasonal item. I wanted to end the last stretch of summer with kong-guksu (cold soybean noodle soup), so I ordered it haha. Such a milky-white look ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

Since it's made with 100% Korean soybeans, it had a nutty flavor that didn't feel artificial, along with a naturally thick texture — the more I ate, the more I kept reaching for it haha. They gave a huge portion of noodles, so I got full before finishing it all, but the nutty, savory soybean broth was too good to waste, so I kept spooning it up until the end ㅠ.ㅠ There was salt and sugar at the self-serve bar, but I liked the natural nutty flavor so much that I only added a small amount haha.

Eight steamed dumplings filled with kimchi and tofu

The steamed dumplings at Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch come 8 pieces for ₩9,000. I felt like eating only kalguksu would be a bit lacking, so I ordered the steamed dumplings too, and the dumplings were seriously huge... You could tell the dumplings were also handmade — the wrapper was thin enough that you could see the filling through it, and it was packed full inside!!

The filling had glass noodles and meat, plus kimchi added in, so it was a slightly spicy kimchi dumpling haha. But it wasn't just simply spicy — there was mashed tofu mixed in too, so you could also taste something mild and clean at the same time. Point noted! ✅ It's the kind of flavor that personally sticks in my mind...

The dumplings were big in size and packed full inside, so people visiting as pairs often ended up with a lot left over when ordering them as a side~ Everyone seemed to be packing the rest to take home haha. Still, they're so delicious that it's worth a try, try!