Suwon Korean restaurant with barley rice: Daseon Kalguksu

A kalguksu restaurant we keep coming back to near Suwon Station

Today, we came to Daseon Kalguksu Main Branch near Suwon Station~! This is honestly one of the standout restaurants around Suwon Station—we have visited it so many times~! The prices are always reasonable and the portions are generous, so we come here often enough to call ourselves regulars. Even while living abroad, it was hard to find a kalguksu place this good. It immediately came to mind, so we rushed over.

Exterior

It is an 8-minute walk from Exit 7 of Suwon Station~! It is conveniently located for public transport too, so there is no trouble even without a car. Daseon Kalguksu has several branches, but this Suwon location is apparently the main branch~! It feels like they cook with real pride, and perhaps because it is the main branch, the kalguksu seems to have a deeper flavor every time. Look for the sign saying “original hangover kalguksu” at the entrance, and you will find a place already giving off that great-restaurant smell~!

What is the tranquil interior like?

The interior has a tranquil feel that recalls an old-school kalguksu restaurant, haha. Although the restaurant has been around for a long time, it seems very well maintained!

What we ordered at Daseon Kalguksu

The menu includes kalguksu, mandutguk (dumpling soup), bossam (boiled pork wraps), and more, while Daseon Kalnakji is especially famous! It is popular enough to have appeared on TV! Every time we come here, we have the happy dilemma of wondering what to eat today?! This time, we decided to keep it classic. We ordered one Daseon Kalguksu, one bibim kalguksu (spicy mixed knife-cut noodles), and one serving of pork dumplings.

From barley rice to noodles and dumplings

One thing we love about Daseon Kalguksu is that, as soon as you order, they serve barley rice with musaengchae (seasoned shredded radish)~! Mix it all up with the gochujang sauce on the table, and it is truly perfect before the main meal. Barley rice and seasoned radish are already a can’t-fail combination, but the barley rice at Daseon Kalguksu felt especially delicious~!

After mixing up the barley rice and waiting a little, our main dishes—the Daseon Kalguksu, bibim kalguksu, and pork dumplings—arrived~! The pork dumplings came before the noodles, so we tried them first. The kalguksu here is excellent, of course, but the pork dumplings were so good that they honestly felt better than dumplings from a specialist dumpling restaurant~!

They are delicious with just a light dip in soy sauce, and they practically melt in your mouth wrapped with the kimchi and seasoned radish served as side dishes~! They also go so well with the noodles! They are tasty dropped right into the Daseon Kalguksu, or wrapped like ssam (Korean lettuce wraps) with the bibim kalguksu. They work with everything. So if you visit, we definitely recommend ordering the pork dumplings~!

The Daseon Kalguksu broth and bibim kalguksu

The long-awaited kalguksu! Ah, we tasted the broth first, and it was truly rich and refreshing~ The noodles were chewy, and the clams inside were large and fresh!

And then there is my favorite, bibim kalguksu! If you like bibim guksu or spicy mixed noodles, give it a try~ The sauce is delicious, but the springy texture of the knife-cut noodles makes it feel even more special!

Generous portions and a tip on when to visit

Above all, Daseon Kalguksu’s biggest advantage is its incredibly generous portions~! Pork dumplings are ₩8,000, Daseon Kalguksu is ₩10,000, and bibim kalguksu is ₩11,000. These days, even a simple meal easily costs well over ₩10,000, so this is a truly great restaurant for a filling lunch or a date meal, with both generous portions and reasonable prices~! Even on weekdays, there is a good chance of waiting during lunch and dinner peaks, so we recommend going a little early or at an off-hour!

[Hours] Monday–Sunday, 10:30–22:00 / Break time, 15:30–17:00