Yongin shabu-kalguksu with chili-spiked dipping sauce: Yun Ujae

When the cold wind starts blowing, kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) is the first thing that comes to mind, right? I heard there's a place in Gogidong where you can get sirloin shabu-shabu, flat noodles, and kalguksu all in one meal, so I went and checked it out. It's Yun Ujae Kalguksu, a well-known waiting-list restaurant in Gogi-ri. I was able to put my name down ahead of time through CatchTable, which cut down the wait, and the way you wrap mushrooms and sirloin in the soft flat noodles felt pretty unique. Here's my honest review of Yun Ujae Kalguksu.

• Yun Ujae Kalguksu
• Hours 11:00–20:50
• Break time 15:00–16:30
• Parking available
• Signature menu: shabu kalguksu (shabu-shabu + kalguksu + fried rice)
• Seafood pajeon recommended

Parking and waiting at Yun Ujae Gogi-dong

Yun Ujae Shabu Kalguksu, part of the Gogi-ri restaurant strip, has a parking lot right in front. On weekdays from 11:30am to 2pm, if the lot is full, you can park along the roadside once the school-zone restriction lifts. On weekends and holidays, you can park across the street at Prunieo Kindergarten as long as there's no event going on there.

Being a restaurant with a real wait, they have a proper waiting system. You can join remotely through CatchTable. I put my name in at 12:16pm and was around 12th in line. Since I could wait remotely on the way over, my actual wait after arriving at the restaurant was under 5 minutes. Once you arrive, you fill out an order form and hand it to the counter.

Inside the customer waiting lounge

There's also a customer waiting lounge inside the restaurant where you can sit while you wait.

House-made noodles you can watch from your table

The first thing that caught my eye when I stepped inside was flour piled up like a mountain — a clear sign they make their own noodles. There's actually a separate noodle-making room. Given they mention a foot-kneading method, it seems the dough is kneaded elsewhere first, and then a machine is used to cut the noodles.

One order per person and the table setting

Since you already submitted your order while waiting, there's no need to use a kiosk. If you want extra sirloin or vegetables, you can just order more.

Every table comes with an hourglass to time the noodles and a thoughtful little hair tie.

How to wrap sirloin and mushrooms in flat noodles

A pot piled high with vegetables and mushrooms is set on the induction burner, and out come the shabu-shabu meat, kalguksu noodles, and rice for the fried rice. You can choose kalguksu noodles only, or kalguksu plus flat noodles. Once the broth starts boiling, you cook the sirloin and mushrooms shabu-shabu style first. Then, if you call a staff member, they'll cut the flat noodles and lay them over the broth. Piling mushrooms and meat on top of the flat noodles and rolling them up gives you a soft texture wrapped around meat, vegetables, and mushrooms — almost like a mul-mandu (water dumpling) — and it felt totally different from the kalguksu I usually eat. Personally, if you visit Yun Ujae Kalguksu, I'd recommend trying the flat noodles at least once.

How the spoons and chopsticks are set out

The spoons are served soaking in hot water. It felt like a thoughtful touch for customer hygiene, and it built a sense of trust.

Can you add hot chili to the sauce, and how spicy is it?

At Yun Ujae Kalguksu you can ask them to mix a hot pepper into the sauce. I asked for just one pepper, and split my portion between the hot-pepper sauce and the regular sauce. As someone who likes spicy food, it wasn't too spicy for me — there was a slight chili aroma that I found delicious — but the spice-averse half of our table said their mouth was burning. Even so, apparently it was appealing enough that they kept coming back to share the sauce a few more times.

Why the seafood pajeon is worth ordering

The seafood pajeon (savory pancake) was really unique — it doesn't use much flour or starch, so the ingredients barely hold together. Still, the top stays crispy. It's a crispy-outside, moist-and-loaded-inside pajeon, with big, generous chunks of squid and shrimp.

From shabu-shabu to kalguksu to fried rice

The broth, simmered with sirloin, gains a rich savory depth from the meat. I liked that you can adjust the spice level when ordering — I went with regular, and it came out about as spicy as Shin Ramyun.

There's no room to get bored with so many different combinations to try. The textures vary and the freshness of the ingredients really comes through, making the whole meal feel healthy and satisfying.

You add the kalguksu noodles and boil them for 6 minutes before eating. Usually my partner has to taste-test the noodles and report back on doneness, but at Yun Ujae Kalguksu you won't have to worry about undercooked noodles.

Once the noodles are cooked, they scoop the kalguksu into a big bowl and immediately start cooking the fried rice. I like eating fried rice and kalguksu together, and if there's too much of a gap between courses, you end up too full to finish. As a self-respecting glutton, I can't allow any downtime between dishes.

The fried rice is on the sweeter side, probably because they use stir-fried kimchi.

In the end I couldn't finish the pajeon, so I got it packed up. They have to-go containers ready for that.

Receipt review coupon for one serving of sirloin

There's an ongoing event where leaving a receipt review after paying gets you a coupon for one serving of sirloin. Next visit, I'll be able to eat even more meat.

Verdict: who Yun Ujae suits best

Yun Ujae Kalguksu, a well-known spot in Suji, lets you eat shabu-shabu, kalguksu, and fried rice all in one filling meal — a great option when you're looking for somewhere to eat in Gogi-ri. The way you wrap meat and mushrooms in the soft flat noodles was especially unique and memorable.

• Anyone looking for a gathering spot in Gogi-ri
• Anyone who wants to visit a popular waiting-list restaurant without the wait
• Anyone who wants a filling meal of shabu-shabu, kalguksu, and fried rice all together
• Anyone curious to try flat noodles that are different from typical kalguksu
• Anyone looking for a good kalguksu restaurant in Gogi-ri