Kalguksu restaurant in Giheung-gu, Yongin: seafood kaljebi for two

As evenings get a bit chillier, I start craving hot soup. So I headed to Baekcheongu Kalguksu Yongin Dongbaek Branch for some kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup).

Where is Baekcheongu Kalguksu Yongin Dongbaek Branch, and what are the hours?

Baekcheongu Kalguksu, right next to Dongbaek E-mart!

Baekcheongu Kalguksu Yongin Dongbaek Branch is near Dongbaek E-mart and Dongbaek Lake Park, so it's a solid pick if you're looking for a meal after shopping or a walk in the area.

They also apparently sell kongguksu (cold soybean noodle soup) made from beans boiled and ground in-house. Try it before it gets even colder!

• Address: 19 Pyeongchon2-ro1beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor (about 200m / 5-min walk from Dongbaek E-mart; 2-min walk from Dongbaek Elementary School)
• Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:20), Sat–Sun 11:00–20:40 (last order 20:00)
• Parking: Free parking available · free valet parking available
• Seating: Table seating
• Facilities & services: Group dining available, takeout, delivery, baby chairs, parking, valet parking, corkage available for free
• Naver reservations available

Baekcheongu Kalguksu menu and prices

The go-to kalguksu spot in Giheung-gu, Yongin!

• Seafood kalguksu ₩12,000
• Seafood & mandu jeongol ₩16,000
• Yeongwol seoritae bean noodle soup ₩12,000
• Half-and-half mandu ₩11,000
• Antibiotic-free pork mandu ₩11,000
• Kimchi mandu ₩11,000

What we ordered: seafood kaljebi for two and half-and-half mandu

Kaljebi for two plus half-and-half mandu — the classic combo!

Seafood kalguksu, half-and-half mandu.

Make sure to swap into the indoor slippers at the entrance!

The interior is quite spacious.

We arrived a bit past 5pm and seemed to be the first dinner guests. Right after we sat down, customers kept streaming in nonstop. Delivery and takeout orders were lining up too. Looks like we found a good spot today.

First, the side dishes get set out. The house-made kimchi is genuinely delicious.

While waiting for the kalguksu, you can start on barley rice, which is served free. It's fine plain, but it's even better mixed with side dishes like yeolmu kimchi or geotjeori (fresh cabbage kimchi).

Since there were two of us, we ordered the seafood kalguksu kaljebi for two, and since we wanted mandu too, we added the half-and-half mandu. Being seafood kalguksu, the seafood is generously loaded on top. This much quality for this price!

The owner comes by to close the lid personally, and adds the broth once it's boiling hard. It looks hearty just watching it.

Once it starts bubbling, the smell of seafood rises up. This isn't just plain kalguksu — it's kaljebi, so both knife-cut noodles and hand-torn dough pieces go in together.

Then a 3-minute wait begins. No problem — you can just keep eating barley rice during those 3 minutes.

How were the seafood kalguksu broth and noodles?

I tried the broth first — with the seafood in it, it has a clean, refreshing taste. It's not overly spicy or salty, just a warm, comforting kalguksu. Also, they make their own noodles here, and the texture is very chewy.

Half-and-half mandu: pork and kimchi dumplings in one order

Then the half-and-half mandu arrived. It's a dish where you get both meat mandu and kimchi mandu at once. If you order just one kind, it's hard to decide — but with half-and-half, you get to try both.

The mandu are king-mandu sized, packed full inside, with a mild, clean flavor. They're good dipped in the kalguksu broth or eaten on their own.

A bite of noodles, then a mandu, then a spoonful of broth again. With two of us eating, the portion was never lacking. We'd already had some barley rice at the start, and by the time we finished the kalguksu and mandu, we were quite full. Another satisfying, hearty meal of kalguksu and mandu for two.

Verdict: a 20-year kalguksu institution in Dongbaek, Yongin

This place is fun because the kalguksu comes with both noodles and hand-torn dumpling dough, so you get to alternate between the two. It was also nice to have free barley rice while waiting for the kalguksu. Kalguksu is the main draw, but the mandu is just as good, so I'd definitely recommend ordering both.

※ Please note the restaurant may get busier after this post goes up — thanks for understanding.