Octopus stir-fry restaurant near Suwon Station: 10,000-won kalguksu

Where Daseon Kalguksu is near Suwon Station, and its hours

Daseon Kalguksu Main Branch is a kalguksu and spicy octopus stir-fry restaurant at 48 Hyanggyo-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon, near Suwon Station. It's open from 10:30 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:30 to 17:00.

• Address: 48 Hyanggyo-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi, South Korea
• Hours: 10:30 to 22:00
• Break time: 15:30 to 17:00
• No parking on site (Golden Plaza parking recommended!)

My husband and I go to Suwon Station area really often — and this is the review of the bulnakji-bokkeum (smoky stir-fried octopus) that we really enjoyed there. My husband doesn't usually like octopus, but after one bite he raved that he'd never had octopus stir-fry this good before!

Where to park: the Golden Plaza lot next door

Daseon Kalguksu is right next to Golden Plaza, near Maesan-dong Community Center. Suwon Station area is a parking nightmare to begin with, and this restaurant doesn't have its own lot. If you're driving, I'd recommend parking at Golden Plaza right next door — it's also relatively cheap.

Beyond noodles: Daseon's famous kal-nakji

From the name, Daseon Kalguksu sounds like a noodle-only place, but the bulnakji-bokkeum and bossam (boiled pork) are just as famous as the noodles here. Their signature kal-nakji — spicy noodle soup loaded with octopus — is perfect for a hangover cure or a nutritious pick-me-up, since you only find it here. It's really spicy in a good way, and had way more octopus packed in than I expected.

The banchan at Daseon: a kimchi spread and barley rice

The banchan (side dishes) get set the moment you order — a neat kimchi spread plus barley rice. Honestly, just looking at these side dishes you can tell this place is good, haha. The geotjeori (fresh cabbage kimchi) was so tasty, and the mu-saengchae (radish salad) was nice and crunchy, great with the noodles.

The barley rice kept us from getting bored while waiting for our order! We came for noodles and didn't expect rice, but having this barley rice served before the meal gave us a nice, satisfied feeling.

Boiled pork with the kalguksu set meal

And then the real standout — the plate of boiled pork! Even though this was part of the kalguksu set meal, the portion of pork was really generous. If you're eating solo at Daseon Kalguksu near Suwon Station, ordering the set meal is exactly the move.

It was genuinely delicious — almost like it was sous-vide, it was that tender.

It had that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness where you feel like you could eat it without teeth. Savory, chewy, and zero funky smell~

Save some barley rice and eat it with the pork — so good. I feel like I could easily eat two bowls of rice. This place is great not just for kalguksu but for the pork and the octopus too.

Bulnakji-bokkeum: smoky char rather than chili heat

Today's challenge dish — the bulnakji-bokkeum. Judging by the name alone, you'd think it'd be super spicy, but it's actually named for the smoky char flavor, haha.

It's a little spicy, but as an extreme spice wimp, I barely noticed the heat and ate it just fine. Mostly smoky flavor! It wasn't that spicy so I could really enjoy it.

Would be great as a drinking snack too!

It's packed with plump, meaty octopus — I've had octopus stir-fry many times in my life, but this was the best one of them all, seriously ㅠ

My husband also said this was the first time he ever enjoyed octopus this much. I lost count of how many whole octopuses were in there — I was full just from eating the octopus pieces alone. Seriously generous portion!

Clam-packed regular kalguksu for 10,000 won

Since the kal-nakji noodles are the spicy version, we ordered the regular kalguksu to pair with the smoky octopus stir-fry. This one was loaded with clams too.

Just ₩10,000 ㅠㅠ A kalguksu restaurant near Suwon Station absolutely loaded with clams, plus a generous portion, and you can get boiled pork as part of a set meal without ordering it separately — such a nice touch.

Is Daseon Kalguksu worth it for lunch or dinner in Suwon?

A lunch spot near Suwon Station with fantastic geotjeori — and in the evening they also sell set menus that go great with drinks, so it's good whenever you drop by, lunch or dinner. This was my recommendation review of Daseon Kalguksu Main Branch, a Suwon Station favorite I'll definitely be back at to try every menu item.