Hwaseong Korean restaurant for pufferfish kalguksu set: Yubok

Where to eat pufferfish kalguksu in Dongtan

Did you know there is a place in Dongtan where you can have pufferfish kalguksu? Let me introduce Yubok Haemul Kalguksu, a great place to stop by when you are craving a refreshing bowl of broth.

There is space for about five cars to park in front of the restaurant.

If there is no parking space, search “Central Park Public Parking Lot” in your navigation, park there, and get your parking validated—they said you will receive a can of drink! It is one minute by car or three minutes on foot, and the public lot is free for 1 hour 30 minutes. Up to two cars can park per table.

Waiting and the weekday evening atmosphere

If the restaurant is full, write your name on the waiting list at the bench outside and wait. They said that if you are not there when called, your spot is canceled and moves to the next guest. There was also a note saying they would serve you with care equal to the time you waited. Yubok Kalguksu gets plenty of waitlists, too.

I went after work on a weekday evening and got in right away without waiting. After I ordered and waited for my meal, the place filled up again so quickly!

Good dishes to pair with pufferfish seafood kalguksu

• Stir-fried webfoot octopus: A webfoot octopus dish cooked in a secret sauce developed over 20 years, with a deep natural sweetness and clean heat.
• Pufferfish seafood kalguksu: Their signature dish features a refreshing, deeply flavored broth simmered for a long time with wild milbok pufferfish.
• Perilla leaf jeon: High-quality perilla leaves fried crisp for a nutty, savory flavor.
• Webfoot octopus and seafood chive jeon: A chive pancake topped generously with webfoot octopus, dried shrimp, and more.

Enjoy the pufferfish broth in its natural form

They say pufferfish was a representative restorative food enjoyed by nobles and aristocrats in the Joseon era for its clear, light yet deeply savory flavor. Yubok Haemul Kalguksu says it keeps seasoning to a minimum and uses broth simmered for a long time with wild milbok pufferfish, making it especially refreshing and clean. They most recommend having it as is, and say they do not use dadaegi, a spicy seasoning paste, because it would interfere with the pufferfish broth.

The information posted there said pufferfish is high in protein and low in fat, making it good for dieting, and that it helps with fatigue recovery, liver function, antioxidant activity and immunity, circulation and skin health, vascular health and lowering arteriosclerosis risk, and maintaining bone and tooth health. Pufferfish has this many benefits, so,, I absolutely ordered Yubok Kalguksu and made it a set with stir-fried webfoot octopus for two.

One bowl of kalguksu is generously portioned on its own, but if you are visiting with a group, I also recommend adding the crisp, nutty perilla leaf jeon or the generously topped webfoot octopus and seafood chive jeon as a side.

The kimchi to have with the delicious kalguksu was available for self-service refills!

It is a kalguksu restaurant with even chewier noodles because they make them in-house. Leave a Naver review and you can choose one canned drink or pufferfish broth!

While waiting for the sand timer, I kept watching a comedian’s mukbang 🤤 He was eating so deliciously that I got even hungrier..

Smoky stir-fried webfoot octopus and refreshing broth

The stir-fried webfoot octopus was full of smoky wok flavor and wonderfully chewy—so good. It was even better wrapped with shredded scallions,,, and even better with the barley rice for bibimbap!

With the savory pufferfish seafood kalguksu broth, chewy noodles, and freshly dressed side dishes, I felt like my body was getting healthier,, I really love this refreshing broth.

The broth was sooo refreshing, and the in-house noodles were sooo chewy,,, There was lots of seafood and clams in it too, which made it even more refreshing. The weather has gotten quite cool lately, so I think I will remember this whenever I am craving broth.