Yongin Korean restaurant for perilla oil fried rice: Jangwongap

I stopped by Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch (장원갑칼국수 용인기흥점) for a meal after visiting Lotte Outlet Yongin Giheung. It is only a few minutes away by car from the outlet, so it is in a decent spot for a meal before or after shopping.

Jangwongap Kalguksu with easy parking

There is a spacious parking lot right in front of the building. It can accommodate around 40 cars, so it is quite convenient to visit by car in Giheung, Yongin. It is close not only to Lotte Outlet but also IKEA and Costco, so it would be nice to fit into a nearby errand schedule.

There was also a waiting-list kiosk at the entrance. It seems like this is the sort of place where there can be a wait during busy hours.

I could see Jangwongap Kalguksu's special house-made noodles, signature dishes, and various offers all at a glance.

• Address: 90 Gomae-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (Gomae-dong 344-8)
• Hours: Daily 10:30–21:00
• Break time: 16:00–17:00
• Last order: 15:00 / 20:00

The restaurant was spacious and had quite a lot of tables. Overall, it had a clean, bright atmosphere. High chairs were available too, so it looked suitable for a family meal with children.

From the self-service bar to snacks

There was a self-service bar on one side, and the variety of ppeongtwigi (puffed rice snacks) and other snacks was especially impressive. They were nice for a quick bite after the meal, and were also sold separately to take away.

Coffee, tea, and misutgaru (multigrain powder) slushies were available too.

They were also selling sesame oil and perilla oil pressed directly at a mill.

Ordering the five-course kalguksu

We ordered the five-course kalguksu for two, at ₩12,000 per person. It is a course that moves through beef and vegetables, kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), and fried rice in that order.

Limited-sale Jochiwon peach bibim mandu

The Jochiwon peach bibim mandu was a limited-sale item for ₩9,900. It is fried mandu (dumplings) and vegetables tossed with a sauce made using peach vinegar and fruits including pear and apple.

This was a menu item I had personally been curious about!

Just pour the sauce over the fried dumplings and vegetables, then toss everything together. Since it had peach in it, I expected a sweet sauce, but it was not like that at all.

It was neither salty nor overly strong, and not excessively sweet either, so it tasted very clean. The crisp dumplings and crunchy vegetables worked well together, and because the sauce was not overpowering, I kept reaching for it.

Whole shrimp seafood pajeon packed with toppings

The whole shrimp seafood pajeon was ₩13,500. It is a Jangwongap Kalguksu signature dish generously topped with whole shrimp, squid, and octopus.

The presentation was quite striking. Unlike a typical thick pajeon (scallion pancake), the batter itself was fairly thin, while the seafood covered it without any gaps. There were really lots of shrimp, plus generous amounts of squid and octopus. Since the batter was not thick, I could taste the seafood's texture and flavor more clearly than flouriness.

Starting the shabu-shabu with beef and mushrooms

Now the five-course kalguksu begins. Add minari (water celery) and mushrooms to the broth and let it boil, then lightly cook the beef before eating it. Cooking the beef only briefly, shabu-shabu-style, made it tender.

In particular, dipping it in sesame oil was an unusual touch. Its nutty aroma gave it a different feel from ordinary shabu-shabu. Eating it with the mushrooms and minari gradually deepened the broth too.

Kalguksu with truly distinctive noodles

After eating some of the beef, it was time for the kalguksu. What I remembered most at Jangwongap Kalguksu was definitely the noodle texture. They are house-made noodles, and it was fun that the texture changed according to how long they cooked. At first they were chewy; after boiling a little longer they became springy and bouncy; and at the end they turned soft. The noodles themselves were thick and resilient, so anyone who likes kalguksu would likely be very satisfied. The kimchi was mild yet appetizing, and perfect alongside the noodles.

Finishing with perilla oil kkakdugi fried rice

To finish, there was free perilla oil kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) fried rice. This was honestly much better than I expected. The nutty perilla oil aroma came through, but it was not greasy or heavy, and I kept eating it. Finely chopped kkakdugi, seaweed flakes, and minari gave it nice little bites of texture too. The bits of minari in particular seemed to cut through any richness in the fried rice. From the size of the ingredients to the seasoning, the overall balance was good, and even though I was full, I ended up eating it to the last bite.

For ₩12,000 per person, Jangwongap Kalguksu offered a very substantial lineup, from shabu-shabu to house-made kalguksu and fried rice. The noodle texture especially stayed with me, and the nutty perilla oil fried rice made for a lovely finish. The seafood pajeon, loaded with seafood over thin batter, and the peach bibim mandu with its clean sauce were satisfying too. With a large parking lot and a pleasant dining room, it is worth considering when looking for a hearty meal or family meal near Lotte Outlet Yongin Giheung.