Baby-friendly Yangjae restaurant for clam makguksu and mandu: Seonbawi

Why we came to Seonbawi Memil Jangteo after the Yangjae Citizens' Forest garden expo

After enjoying the garden expo at Yangjae Citizens' Forest, I picked Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch (선바위메밀장터 양재점) nearby for dinner. The expo is on right now, with lots of pretty flowers and small events, so there was plenty to see. From 6 pm there was also an outdoor movie screening, so the baby and I had a lovely time. After playing to our hearts' content, I looked for a place to eat nearby and found this one to share with you: Seonbawi Memil Jangteo.

I'm a bit wary of wheat-flour kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), but they say Seonbawi Memil Jangteo serves 100% buckwheat makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles), which sounded healthier somehow, so I walked in without hesitation. It also felt really clean, which made it a good fit with a baby. There's parking space in front of the restaurant too, which made things even more convenient.

A 30-year tradition, no less! I was really looking forward to it. There was a Catch Table device at the front door, so it seems they usually get plenty of customers.

Seating and atmosphere inside Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae

The Yangjae branch has seating up to the 2nd floor and is big enough for groups. There was warm buckwheat tea at the entrance too, nice to drink before or after the meal.

Inside the restaurant

Stepping inside, it felt very clean and neat.

If you join the review event, you can get a free drink, so be sure to take advantage!

Is it okay to go with a 9-month-old?

Seonbawi Memil Jangteo even has baby chairs, so I could eat comfortably with my 9-month-old. Thank goodness for that.

Oh, even the dadaegi (seasoned chili paste) looked super clean. The golden rule: eat the white broth until about halfway, then stir in the dadaegi for a spicy finish!

How were the mandu at Seonbawi Memil Jangteo?

The mandu were even better than I expected! The wrapper isn't thick and stays moist, so it keeps a nice chew, and the filling is packed with meat and vegetables, so the juices burst out with one bite.

One bite of the mild clam makguksu, then a bite of hot, nutty mandu: honestly, that combination is perfection.

Clam makguksu: how many clams, and how's the broth?

The moment the clam makguksu arrived, it was packed with big clams, so it passed on looks alone. I took one sip of the broth and, wow...

The clams were also cleaned of grit so well that I could eat in peace the whole time. And the amount of clams really surprised me. The broth was cool and deep!

The deep, refreshing flavor from the clams felt like it cleared out my chest. The nutty buckwheat noodles that snap apart as you bite and the clean broth go together so well. It isn't harsh and it just slides down, and I almost drank every last drop of the broth.

Can you see how fresh the clams are? Absolutely amazing.

I think they also use dried pollack (hwangtae) in the broth, which gave it an even deeper flavor.

This was a meal where I ate clams to my heart's content. I diligently shelled some for my mom too.

What do the kimchi and dadaegi taste like?

The kimchi at Seonbawi Memil Jangteo was a little white and clear-looking. At first I worried it would be too plain, but surprisingly it was mild and perfectly edible.

About halfway through, I stirred the dadaegi into the makguksu noodles and tried it. It was spicy and well seasoned, a new flavor that I enjoyed.

Could the baby eat the buckwheat noodles too?

Maybe because the buckwheat makguksu was so good, when I rinsed a few strands in water and gave them to the baby, they ate them happily. The new feel and texture seemed to fascinate them. The noodles were springy, and bumpy as if kneaded by hand rather than pulled out by a machine, so they had even more chew.

Pairing it with a walk around Yangjae Citizens' Forest

We left full and happy, and a short stroll along the Yangjaecheon path made it a perfect weekend healing course. If you want a clean, proper buckwheat meal that sits lightly in your stomach, definitely visit Yangjae Memil Jangteo and try the clam makguksu with mandu. Especially if you're hungry before or after a walk at the garden expo at Maehyeon Citizens' Forest, the warm broth will melt away the chill on a cold, windy day.