Pyeongtaek kalguksu with napa cabbage dumplings: Goryeo Mulchong

While looking for a good kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) spot in Pyeongtaek, I ended up at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu (고려물총칼국수). The name alone felt a bit special, and I was curious because it's not just a place for a single bowl of noodles — the menu lets you enjoy dumplings and boiled pork alongside it too.

For people like me who want to try a bit of everything, the 2-person set was just right. This time I ordered the 2-person set made up of kalguksu (one serving) + napa cabbage dumplings + pear-leaf herbal boiled pork, so I got to try a good range of Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu's signature dishes.

Inside Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu: seating and high chairs for kids

Stepping inside Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, the space felt clean and comfortable overall — a decent spot for a family meal too.

It has the relaxed feel typical of a kalguksu specialty restaurant, so it was easy to sit down and eat without any pressure — it felt like a good fit for a family outing or a casual lunch spot.

They also have high chairs, so it's worth knowing if you're visiting with a child.

What comes in the 38,000-won two-person set at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu

What we ordered was the Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu 2-person set for ₩38,000! It's a set that lets you enjoy the restaurant's signature dishes all at once, made up of:

• Kalguksu, one serving, or goldongmyeon (mixed cold noodles), one serving
• Napa cabbage dumplings
• Pear-leaf herbal boiled pork

The biggest advantage was being able to try several dishes together instead of settling for just one. If two people are visiting, rather than ordering separate dishes here and there, going for one set to sample the representative dishes seemed like a good move.

Pear-leaf herbal boiled pork: pork belly boiled with Pyeongtaek pear tree leaves

The dish that personally stood out most on this visit was the pear-leaf herbal boiled pork.

It's made by boiling domestic grade-1 pork belly with Pyeongtaek pear tree leaves. They mention boiling it twice a day.

The boiled pork had a nice soft texture, not too dry at all. In particular, it didn't have the strong gamy pork smell — it was clean-tasting and paired well with the kalguksu.

Eaten on its own, the boiled pork is clean and light in flavor, but paired with the side dishes it felt different again — the kind of dish where you keep reaching for just one more slice. Getting boiled pork alongside your kalguksu also felt like one of the distinctive things about Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu.

The kalguksu itself: clam and mussel broth with house-made noodles

And finally, the main dish — Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu itself! They use domestic short-necked clams from Gochang and mussels from Tongyeong to make a cool, deep-flavored broth, and the noodles are house-made right at the restaurant.

Tasting the broth first, you get that cool, savory depth that comes from shellfish. It wasn't a sharp, spicy, or overly salty style of broth — it was clean and easy to keep eating, which I liked. The noodles also had a nice chewy texture that made them great to slurp up together with the broth.

For kalguksu, the noodles matter, but the broth matters just as much — and thanks to that cool flavor from the clams, I kept going back for more spoonfuls of broth.

Cool clam broth plus chewy house-made noodles — this combination felt like Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu's biggest charm.

Napa cabbage dumplings: crunchy cabbage instead of dumpling wrappers

The first thing that caught my eye was the napa cabbage dumplings. Instead of a regular dumpling wrapper, they use the crunchy texture of napa cabbage, so it looked a bit different even just visually.

Taking a bite, you get the cabbage's subtle sweetness and crunchy texture, while the filling inside is clean and moist. It's not a heavy or greasy kind of dumpling, so it went well alongside the kalguksu too. In particular, alternating between the kalguksu broth and a napa cabbage dumpling changed up the texture enough that I kept reaching for more. The combination of crunchy cabbage and clean-tasting filling worked better than I expected.

Is Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu good for a family lunch?

Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu felt clean and comfortable overall. Given that kalguksu is a light kind of dish, it's a good spot for a quick lunch, and if you order the dumplings and boiled pork alongside it, the atmosphere works well for a relaxed family meal too.

Most of all, being able to try several dishes together made it feel like an easy place to decide on a menu, whether visiting with a child or eating as a family.

Final verdict on Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu in Pyeongtaek

This time I tried the Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu 2-person set. If I'd only had the kalguksu, it might have felt a little lacking, but adding the napa cabbage dumplings and pear-leaf herbal boiled pork made for a much fuller meal.

• Cool, clean clam broth
• Chewy house-made noodle kalguksu
• Crunchy, clean-tasting napa cabbage dumplings
• Soft, clean-tasting pear-leaf herbal boiled pork

Each dish had a different taste and texture, so there was real fun in trying a bit of everything. If you're looking for a good kalguksu spot in Pyeongtaek, or want to try noodles alongside dumplings and boiled pork, I'd recommend going for the 2-person set. Next time I'd like to go back and try the goldongmyeon I didn't get to this time. Next time you're craving a clean, cool bowl of kalguksu in Pyeongtaek, go have a hearty meal at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu :)