Ansan kalguksu restaurant with self-serve rice and plum tea: Todamok

* This post includes a review paid for out of my own pocket *

Todamok, a well-known restaurant in Seonbu-dong, Ansan 📍17 Daejaengi-gil, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea ⏰ Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:30) Break time 15:00–16:00, closed every Monday

Getting to Todamok, a kalguksu restaurant in Seonbu-dong, Ansan

Today's review is about Todamok, a spot famous for kalguksu in Seonbu-dong, Ansan. I've been a noodle lover since I was little, and kalguksu is one of the dishes I've always loved — I still reach for it often.

Sure enough, I'd been craving kalguksu since the day before, so my boyfriend and I decided on it for a late lunch. After searching hard for lunch recommendations in Seonbu-dong, I found this place — this is it! — and headed straight over. Todamok is very easy to find with navigation.

There's a really spacious parking lot right in front of the restaurant.

Guinea pigs and rabbits: the little animal farm at the entrance

After parking, an animal corner caught my eye on the way to the restaurant! Inside, there was a cute guinea pig.

My boyfriend kept saying how cute it was and that he wanted to keep one haha. Across from the guinea pig, there's also a cute rabbit.

Kids would love this. Coming for kalguksu and getting to see a cute rabbit and guinea pig too — such a fun, unusual experience.

There's also a terrace and an outdoor platform seating area on the side and in front of the restaurant!

There was so much to see on the way from the parking lot that I only just now made it to the restaurant haha. Isn't Todamok's exterior really unique and pretty? You can already sense it's a great restaurant from the outside.

Inside Todamok: a large dining room with private rooms for groups

Walking into Todamok, even the wall right beside the entrance was decorated in a unique, pretty way. The interior is honestly the best... 🫶🏻

The restaurant was really spacious! Plenty of tables and private rooms too, so it could easily handle all kinds of gatherings and group get-togethers.

After sitting down, you order via tablet. Each table has various seasonings, soy sauce, and cups ready. Utensils, napkins, and wet wipes are placed beside the table!

Ordering the kalguksu and potato pancake set for two (algoni and chicken)

The menu is really varied. Besides kalguksu, there's bossam (boiled pork wraps), steamed algoni (roe and milt), potato pancake, and set menus too.

After much deliberation, we ordered the kalguksu + potato pancake set for two (algoni kalguksu / chicken kalguksu).

Grab an apron before your food arrives! Aprons and baby chairs are kept in one corner of the restaurant.

Free rice and Todamok's self-serve side dish corner

There's also a self-serve corner at Todamok — they bring your first round of side dishes, but for refills you use the self-serve corner! And the rice is self-serve too, apparently! I ordered kalguksu and got free rice on top — love it!

On the wall, there were menu boards for the summer specials, chogye guksu (cold chicken noodles in vinegar sauce) and chogye bibim guksu — I seriously considered ordering those too since I wanted them so badly. Chogye guksu is so good, I'll have to come back for it soon.

And all around the restaurant, there were these cute, pretty tropical fish! Once again, I really felt that Todamok is such a unique space.

While waiting for the food, a review event caught my eye! If you want to join, tell a staff member, get your receipt, scan the QR code, attach a photo and write a review, and they'll give you a free drink. Staff verification is required!

How the chicken kalguksu and algoni kalguksu tasted

The basic side dishes came out first! Of course kimchi is essential with kalguksu haha. My boyfriend's favorite, spicy radish salad, also came out. Honestly, a bowl of kalguksu with just kimchi is enough to finish it off!

Such tasty basic side dishes. I couldn't resist trying each one first, and they were so good!! haha The radish salad looks spicy but isn't spicy at all. Also get the dipping sauce for the potato pancake ready ahead of time!

The food we ordered arrived. Isn't it really generous? Above all, the presentation is amazing. Writing this review after eating so well, I already know how good it tastes and I'm drooling all over again...

My chicken kalguksu — I couldn't resist trying the broth first, and it's really rich and so delicious. The seasoning is spot on. It felt like something that would restore your strength.

My boyfriend's algoni kalguksu. I tried the broth too! This was also so good... honestly, it's seriously addictive. I took one spoonful and then kept going back for more.. my hand just wouldn't stop ㅠㅠ

The set's potato pancake: crisp outside, soft inside

The potato pancake came out too. Doesn't it look crispy just from looking at it! My boyfriend cutting the potato pancake nice and neat haha.

I dipped it deeply into the wasabi soy sauce. Truly crispy outside, soft inside.

Topping it with pickled peppers makes it even tastier! Before really digging into the chicken kalguksu, mix it up well first!

I piled egg garnish, noodles, and chicken together for a big bite. No gamey smell to the chicken at all, the noodles were so chewy, and above all the broth was really rich.

Isn't the broth color of the algoni kalguksu really deep!

True to its name, it was packed with roe and milt. I love milt normally, so I admit I kept stealing it.. It wasn't spicy at all for my taste, though my boyfriend said it had a slight kick! So delicious.

Free coffee and plum tea after you pay

After eating until full and paying, there's coffee, plum tea, and even an ice machine set up outside — isn't it great when a place takes care of dessert too? Having dessert on the terrace out front made it feel completely perfect...

With so much to see and such good food, Todamok left me very satisfied. I can see why it's a well-known restaurant in Seonbu-dong, Ansan. Today's satisfaction rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️