Songdo Korean restaurant, cold chicken noodles: Eonyang Dak Kalguksu

Chicken Kalguksu and Chogye-guksu for a Songdo Lunch

While deciding what to have for lunch in Songdo, Incheon, I found myself craving a warm soup dish for the first time in a while, so I visited Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch. Songdo has so many great places to eat that choosing lunch can be surprisingly difficult. That day, rather than something overly heavy or strongly seasoned, I wanted a filling meal with broth and noodles. That is how I ended up at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch. Kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) is already one of my usual favorites, but since this place serves it with chicken, I thought it would be much more filling than regular kalguksu! Haha. And that day, I ordered not only warm chicken kalguksu but also chilled chogye-guksu (cold chicken noodles), so I could properly try both dishes.

Hours and Parking

• Daily 11:00–21:00
• Last order at 20:30
• Located in front of Songdo Food Ingredients Mart
• Parking is available beside the restaurant

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch had an overall clean, comfortable atmosphere that made it nice for lunch. When you look up Songdo restaurants these days, there are so many pretty cafés and atmospheric Western restaurants, but sometimes you just want a Korean restaurant where you can walk in comfortably and have warm broth and noodles. At lunchtime especially, I tend to look for something quick but still filling rather than an elaborate meal, and kalguksu feels like such a good choice for that. So if you are looking for Korean food in Songdo District 1, Eonyang Dak Kalguksu might be worth a visit too. 💗

A Spacious Dining Room and Self-Service Bar

The atmosphere inside was nice too! The restaurant was spacious, which was great, and I saw quite a few guests dining with babies as well, haha.

You need to help yourself to the side dishes at the self-service bar! I like spicy food while my husband does not, so I loved that the kimchi was separated like this! Haha.

Warm, Light Chicken Kalguksu

The first dish we ordered was the signature chicken kalguksu. It arrived in a large bowl generously filled with warm broth, kalguksu noodles, and chicken, and it immediately made my mouth water. I tried a spoonful of the broth first, and I loved how warm and clean-tasting it was. When kalguksu broth is too strongly seasoned, I get tired of it after just a few spoonfuls, but this chicken kalguksu was not overwhelming, so I kept going back for more.

And of course, with chicken in it, it was far more substantial than eating noodles alone. Slurping up the noodles with broth and then having a bite of chicken really felt like a proper meal. Some people feel they need rice at lunch to feel full, but with the chicken and noodles together, I was completely satisfied without it. I kept drinking the broth while eating the chicken kalguksu that day. It would be such a good fit on a day when you are craving a warm soup dish.

Cool and Refreshing Chogye-guksu

The dish I personally found fun that day was the chogye-guksu! It felt completely different from the chicken kalguksu; eating the noodles in the cool broth really woke up my appetite. Having the warm, light chicken kalguksu first and then the chogye-guksu made the contrast between the two dishes stand out even more. The refreshing flavor of the chogye-guksu kept me reaching for my chopsticks. It was filling with the chicken and noodles, and I liked that the tangy, cool broth kept it from feeling rich. Personally, both dishes were delicious that day, so it was hard to choose just one.

A Lunch of Sharing Two Different Dishes

Chicken kalguksu would be perfect when the weather is chilly or you are craving warm broth, while chogye-guksu would be a good choice when you want something cooler and fresher. If two people visit, I would recommend ordering one of each and sharing them as we did. They are completely different dishes, so it was fun to alternate between them, haha.

This time, I tried the chicken kalguksu and chogye-guksu at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch, and enjoyed both. The chicken kalguksu was filling, with chicken and knife-cut noodles in a warm, light broth, while the chogye-guksu offered a cool, refreshing change. Best of all, the two dishes had such different styles that ordering them together to share was even better. If you are looking for somewhere to have lunch in Songdo, I think it would be a nice place to visit at least once. I think you will be especially satisfied on a day when you want a warm, filling meal instead of something strongly seasoned, or when you are craving cool noodles.

These days, even when going out for lunch, I often find myself looking for restaurants that feel like pretty cafés or have new menu items, but sometimes a simple neighborhood restaurant like this is the most comfortable and best. Kalguksu is also a dish that does not tend to divide opinions much, so it would be fine for a family visit and would not feel like a burden for lunch with friends or a partner either. If you are looking for Korean food in Songdo District 1, this kind of clean, filling meal seems well worth trying.