Gimcheon noodle house: steamer-warmed bossam and dried radish at Daeun

It's getting colder this week, and this is the perfect dish for the season! Let me introduce a clam kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) spot that people come to from Gumi and Gimcheon: Daeun Makguksu (대운막국수)!!

What's the inside of Daeun Makguksu like? Bigger than it looks outside

Daeun Makguksu in Apo-eup, Gimcheon is bigger inside than it looks from the street, and the whole place feels clean and tidy!!

With neat tables and a tidy interior, it works fine for a family meal or a get-together with friends, a place for adults and kids alike!!

There's a good range of warm dishes for this season plus summer seasonal dishes too~ Still, the table next to us was ordering the hot dishes, as you'd expect this time of year~

Water and extra side dishes are at the self-service corner, so you just go and get more yourself!! They stock it generously~

Daeun Makguksu signature dishes and what's in the clam bossam set

The signature dishes include mul-makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles in broth), perilla oil makguksu and samgye kalguksu (chicken noodle soup), and for sides there are coal-grilled pork bulgogi and meat dumplings, so you can order whatever suits your taste!!

✔️ Ordered: dongjuk (surf clam) bossam set (clams + bossam + kalguksu + nurungji)

Daeun Makguksu side dishes: the owner's homemade kimchi and dried radish

There aren't a huge number of side dishes, but they're exactly the right combination. The owner makes the kimchi by hand too, and you can tell the difference~~

And the dried radish (mumallaengi) that I totally fell for!! With just this I could finish a bowl of rice~ It really tastes like handmade home cooking!!

In what order do you eat the clam bossam set?

With the clam bossam set, you eat the bossam while the clams simmer beside it, then finish with kalguksu. I'd never seen a spread like this!! I've seen half-and-half shabu-shabu, but never this setup~

Wow~ kalguksu and nurungji (scorched rice)!! Such an unfamiliar combination, and I think it's a really clever idea.

Bossam kept warm to the last bite by steamer heat

The bossam sits over rising heat from below so it stays warm while you eat. Great idea!! Ahh~ the meat looks thick and glossy, and even by sight you could feel how moist it was,,,

Tender, soft bossam with no gamey smell, and the pork is top-notch!! Put a piece on yellow napa cabbage with dried radish or kimchi and the mild, spicy and crunchy combo is fantastic!!

The steam from below lightly blanches the garlic chives, and just a little dried radish on top is out-of-this-world delicious!!

While eating some bossam, I keep eagerly checking the other side to see if it's boiling well..

Is there plenty of clam meat in the bossam set?

There are more clams than I expected, so clam lovers will be really satisfied~ Wow~ the fun of picking out the clam meat!!

After you finish the bossam and take away the steamer, they put nurungji in right there~ Another clever idea that surprised me,,, the hidden charm of this set is that final nurungji!! You fully enjoy the bossam and kalguksu, then finish with nutty nurungji!! We boiled it bubbling away together with the kalguksu~

House-made kalguksu in refreshing clam broth

The kalguksu noodles are made in-house by hand, and they were really chewy with a springy texture!! The broth goes without saying, totally refreshing and the best~

Nurungji lovers will adore the very nutty, toasty flavor, and topped with dried radish like this it makes a hearty finish~

Daeun Makguksu clam bossam set: better for lunch or dinner?

Daeun Makguksu, a Gumi and Gimcheon favorite, is more than a makguksu place: you can enjoy lots of different dishes at once!! It's hearty for lunch, but the combination of bossam and clam kalguksu is even better as a dinner menu, and I'd definitely recommend it!!