Whole octopus seafood kalguksu and pajeon at Jedam Kalguksu, Hwaseong

On a day when I was really craving a spicy broth, my husband and I went back and forth on dinner and ended up happily heading to Jedam Kalguksu Hyangnam Branch, a seafood spot in Hyangnam, Hwaseong haha.

Is parking easy?

The first thing that caught my eye the moment we arrived was the really spacious, well-paved parking lot! Worrying about parking before you even leave the house can be so stressful, but here it was wide enough that even a new driver could park comfortably~

Location and hours

• 📍 Address: 2nd floor, 10 Pyeong6-gil, Hyangnam-eup, Mansei-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Open year-round, no break time!! May close early if ingredients run out
• 🚗 Parking: Outdoor lot
• ✔️ Reservations available, groups welcome, takeout and delivery available

A clean, comfortable dining space

Walking inside, the interior was much bigger and brighter than I expected, plenty of room for a family meal or a group gathering haha. The tables were spaced generously too, so it felt cozy without having to worry about the people next to you!

The charm of a seafood-loaded spicy kalguksu

Once we sat down and looked over the menu, there were all kinds of kalguksu (hand-cut noodle soup) and sujebi (hand-torn dough soup), and we didn't hesitate to order the spicy seafood hand-cut noodle soup and the giant seafood pancake haha.

While we waited, I stopped by the self-serve bar, and it was nicely stocked with fresh cabbage kimchi, ripened kimchi, and pickled radish — really nice touch!

There was also wasabi and pepper you could help yourself to depending on your taste~

When the main dish finally arrived, my husband and I both let out an "whoa" the second we saw the pot!

There was so much seafood piled on top that it was hard to tell whether it was kalguksu or a seafood stew — genuinely amazing value haha.

There was a whole plump octopus in there, along with a big chunk of squid, so it actually took a while just to cut everything into bite-sized pieces with scissors!

I peeled the shrimp and took a bite, and the springy texture made it obvious how fresh the ingredients were haha.

There were so many scallops, mussels and other shellfish too, which gave the broth a really clean yet deep flavor!

The spicy seasoning soaked all the way into the seafood, so the more it simmered, the richer the flavor seemed to get haha.

Topping it off with a piece of the crunchy cabbage kimchi, which tasted freshly made daily, was an absolutely perfect match!! The kimchi seasoning was just spicy-sweet enough that I kept reaching for more~

The pancake with next-level crispiness

Right as the noodle soup was bubbling away, the giant seafood pancake we'd been waiting for arrived, and true to its name, the size was overwhelming! It filled the entire serving tray, so I actually wondered whether we could finish it all haha.

The outside of the pancake was fried until super crispy, while the inside stayed moist — a textbook example of crispy-outside, tender-inside!

It had way more green onion and seafood packed in than batter, so every bite felt like a mouthful of happiness haha.

How are the hand-cut noodles?

After eating our way through most of the seafood, we finally got into the noodles, and being hand-cut, the chewiness was on a completely different level from machine-cut noodles!

The rich, slightly thick broth paired so well with the springy noodles that even though I was full, I couldn't stop eating~

Who should go with you

Jedam Kalguksu Hyangnam Branch, a well-loved seafood spot in Hyangnam, felt like a real neighborhood gem — generous portions and fresh ingredients that would impress anyone you bring along!

If you love seafood, I really recommend stopping by haha. I'm planning to bring my parents here again soon for a hearty meal!!