0.85% salinity perilla broth chicken kalguksu in Songpa: Hanyang Dak

One-line summary — rich, savory broth with perilla seeds and hand-cut noodles

Songpa is a neighborhood I really don't visit much, so while I was there I wanted to find a real local favorite. This place, Hanyang Dak Kalguksu, seemed to be popular with people nearby, so I went for a weekend lunch.

• Directions to Hanyang Dak Kalguksu & parking convenience
• Interior
• Taste review by menu
• Extra tips

Let me walk you through it in detail~!

Where is Hanyang Dak Kalguksu and when is it open?

Hanyang Dak Kalguksu is a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant near Gyeongchal Hospital Station, located on the 1st floor on Songi-ro 23-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul. It's open 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:20), no days off, and parking is available in front of the building.

Getting there from Gyeongchal Hospital Station and where to park

This Garak Market favorite, Hanyang Dak Kalguksu, is just a 1-minute walk from Gyeongchal Hospital Station Exit 4 — super accessible.

There's parking for about 4 cars in front of the restaurant, but it'll probably be hard to find a spot at lunchtime. The Gyeongchal Hospital parking lot offers 30 minutes free, so I'd recommend using that. (We parked there too.)

Hanyang Dak Kalguksu menu and prices

The menu includes Hanyang Dak Kalguksu ₩11,900 (with gim, green onion, and egg), Dak Kalguksu (gim topping) ₩10,900, Dak Kalguksu (green onion topping) ₩10,900, Spicy Hanyang Dak Kalguksu ₩12,900, Dak Gomtang ₩11,500, and Dak Maeuntang ₩29,000. The signature Hanyang Dak Kalguksu comes fully loaded with gim, green onion, and egg, so keep that in mind.

Honest review of the 10,900-won chicken kalguksu with green onion topping

There was a notice about the noodle soup's salinity, so I gave it a read. Only 0.85%! That's much lower than ramyeon broth. And if it still tastes too salty, they offer unseasoned broth too.

I figured a gim topping would make the seaweed flavor too strong in the broth, so I ordered the version with green onion on top! I liked that you could choose your topping.

You can add a large portion for ₩1,000 more, and a suyuk (boiled meat) set for an extra ₩10,900! They say the broth simmers for 12 hours — you can really tell how rich it is just from the color.

The suyuk that came alongside had a distinct grain to it and the outer skin was nicely chewy — perfect to pair with the noodles. It felt kind of like jokbal (pig's trotters) made bossam-style.

The noodles are hand-cut too, and you can tell just by looking at their shape. The nicely swollen kalguksu noodles slurped up beautifully with the rich broth.

The portion is really generous for the price. As an adult woman, you might struggle to finish all the noodles! (Of course, I cleaned my bowl haha.)

The broth is chicken stock with perilla seeds mixed in, so it's nutty and full of that distinct chicken flavor. It's been getting chilly lately and I had a bit of a cold coming on, so a hot bowl really hit the spot.

What was the 11,500-won dak gomtang like?

This is the Dak Gomtang my husband ordered! Just like the kalguksu, the deeply simmered broth was the highlight. There was a subtle herbal aroma that gave it a bit of a health-tonic feel haha!

It was packed with chicken thigh meat and glass noodles, so it delivered a satisfying protein boost too~~

The kimchi was slightly fermented, which paired perfectly with the kalguksu! The rich broth kept clinging to the noodles with every bite — really delicious haha.

Handy tip: spicy kimchi vs mild kimchi

They thoughtfully separate spicy kimchi and mild kimchi, which was perfect for me since eating only spicy food upsets my stomach! The spicy one is genuinely very spicy, so be careful~

Who should eat at Hanyang Dak Kalguksu?

• Anyone wanting a hot bowl on a chilly day
• Anyone craving kalguksu with a rich, deep broth

That's who I'd recommend Hanyang Dak Kalguksu to!