Kalguksu with free baby rice and limited bibim mandu: Yongin

Here's my review of Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch, a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant near Giheung Lotte Outlet '◡'

Location and hours at Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch

90 Gomae-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, 1st floor

• ⏰ 10:30 ~ 21:00 (break time 16:00 ~ 17:00) / Last order - 15:00, 20:00
• 🅿️ Parking available in front of the restaurant
• ✅ Takeout available / Baby chairs O

Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch has great accessibility, sitting right on the way to Giheung Lotte Outlet! Every weekend when I passed by, there were always so many cars parked out front and I was curious about the place — finally made it there!

There's a wide parking lot right in front of the restaurant, so visiting was easy

Interior and self-serve bar

The restaurant is on the first floor, and just like it looked from outside, the interior was huge~ It looked like it could seat plenty of customers even during weekend peak hours

Each table has an induction burner installed, with cold water, bonito soy sauce, and paper cups all set up as basics

The separate self-serve bar had baby tableware, chili paste, wasabi, and even Uiseong garlic kimchi ready to go. There was also a self-packing station off to the side for taking home any leftover pajeon (savory pancake)!

Each table had instructions on how to enjoy the kalguksu, how to make the soy sauce, and how to boil the noodles, so even first-time visitors could eat well without any trouble

Menu and what we ordered

At Jangwongap Kalguksu you can choose between red, white, or mala broth, so you can pick based on taste. Looking at the menu, besides the signature chadol minari ssam shabu kalguksu, there's also live abalone chadol shabu kalguksu, regular shabu kalguksu, and basic kalguksu, plus side dishes like whole shrimp seafood pajeon and Jochiwon peach bibim mandu (mixed dumplings)

There are also add-ons like chadol (beef brisket), sirloin, mushrooms + minari, and extra noodles. After much deliberation we ordered the signature chadol minari ssam shabu kalguksu and the Jochiwon peach bibim mandu

• Chadol Minari Ssam Shabu Kalguksu (2 people) - ₩31,000
• Jochiwon Peach Bibim Mandu - ₩9,900

After a short wait, they first brought out a tray neatly laid with kimchi, kalguksu noodles, and wasabi

How to eat chadol minari ssam

And the chadol minari ssam that came with it! Also known as 'chami ssam,' it's a combo of chadol (beef brisket) and fragrant minari (water dropwort) served together, and it looked delicious just to see

For chami ssam, you mix salt well into the sesame oil dish that comes with it, then dip the chadol and minari generously into the sesame oil before eating. The hairtail jeotgal (salted fermented sauce) that came alongside was also a nice extra, delicious added to taste

The chadol was savory and the minari was fragrant, and the combination worked better than expected! Especially dipped in the sesame oil sauce, the slight saltiness got added and I kept reaching for more

Jochiwon peach bibim mandu, limited to 20 a day

And the Jochiwon peach bibim mandu we ordered as a side! The plating was so pretty that I felt good the moment it arrived haha

Bibim mandu is a menu item limited to 20 servings a day! Apparently 10 are sold from 10:30am and another 10 from 5pm, so if you've been curious about it, check those times before visiting

It's freshly fried dumplings mixed with fresh vegetables in a spicy-sour sauce made with Jochiwon peaches, and at ₩9,900 it wasn't too pricey

The vegetables were fresh and the dumplings were crispy outside, soft inside~ We tried the bibim mandu before the kalguksu, and this was a hidden gem... genuinely delicious! Since we tried the bibim mandu this time, next visit I'm going for the whole shrimp seafood pajeon too ✨

Great for visiting with kids — free baby rice

And here's a reason I'd recommend Jangwongap Kalguksu for anyone visiting with children! Free baby rice is provided. When staff noticed we were with our child, they asked first whether we needed baby rice. Once we said yes, they generously brought plenty of rice and dried seaweed, so we could eat comfortably with our little one 👍🏻

White-broth shabu kalguksu and noodle boiling time

We ordered the white broth kalguksu so we could share with our child~ The clear broth was full of mushrooms and fragrant minari, looking clean just to see. Adding chadol into it made the broth even richer and more delicious

After eating a good amount of the mushrooms and minari, we finally added the kalguksu noodles

Jangwongap Kalguksu's noodles are also nicknamed 'cheese noodles,' apparently made using a 60-year traditional noodle-making method, kneaded a thousand times for overwhelming chewiness!

Following the boiling method shown on the table makes the kalguksu even more enjoyable

• 5 minutes - chewy
• 6 minutes - springy
• 7 minutes - toothsome
• 8 minutes - fluffy
• 10 minutes - soft

You get different textures depending on the boiling time, so it's great for eating at the doneness you prefer

We boiled ours for about 7 minutes and the noodles were genuinely soft and pillowy! Definitely different from kalguksu noodles I've had elsewhere! Since it was white broth, it was good for eating with our child too, and the adults who wanted some spice added chili paste! A little chili paste naturally turned it spicy and delicious

Kkakdugi fried rice and the dessert zone

After finishing the kalguksu, they even provide free kkakdugi (radish kimchi) fried rice

Even though we were already full from the kalguksu, the kkakdugi fried rice somehow still went down haha

After finishing the rice, you can also enjoy the dessert zone~ There was a refreshing, nutty misugaru (roasted grain powder) slush and several types of ppeongtwigi (puffed rice snacks) ready to go

You can eat the ppeongtwigi in the waiting area or scoop some into a paper cup to take with you on your way out! Just note that eating at the tables inside is not allowed

There's also ppeongtwigi sold in bags at ₩3,000 each, so if you're planning an outing after your meal, grabbing a bag might be worth it

Lastly, there's even a coffee vending machine, so you can finish off your meal with a cup of coffee. Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch delivered on value, portion size, and service all around!

If you're looking for a kalguksu restaurant near Giheung Lotte Outlet, give this Yongin Giheung kalguksu spot a try — a spacious restaurant, plenty of parking, and even free baby rice service for kids :-D