Seocho kalguksu restaurant with two broths and dumplings: Daseon

With the weather suddenly turning chilly, I wanted something warm and filling, so I went to Daseon Kalguksu, a well-known spot near Gyodae Station.

Where is Daseon Kalguksu and how to get there

Daseon Kalguksu is just a 5-minute walk from Exit 14 of Gyodae Station!

The exterior of Daseon Kalguksu

The exterior stands out enough that it wasn't hard to find at all, and the overall vibe felt comfortable and friendly, so it was easy to walk right in!

Inside Daseon Kalguksu and the self-serve barley rice bar

Once inside, the interior was tidy and well organized! The tables weren't cramped and there were plenty of them, so I could eat comfortably. It felt like a good, low-pressure spot for a family visit too. And the moment I walked in, the delicious smell already had me wanting to dig into the kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) haha.

Another thing I really liked was the self-serve bar!! It had barley rice, sesame oil, radish salad (musaengchae), and kimchi. Barley rice comes as a default serving, but you can grab more yourself if you want extra, which was great! Mixing the barley rice with a little sesame oil and eating it with the radish salad and kimchi was a treat, and it was so good I went back for a refill haha.

Menu and prices at Daseon Kalguksu

What comes with the meal: the basic table setting

Half-and-half dumplings: meat and kimchi

First I tried the half-and-half dumplings. Since it's half meat dumplings and half kimchi dumplings, I got to enjoy two flavors at once. The meat dumplings were savory and clean-tasting with a nutty richness from the filling, while the kimchi dumplings had that distinct spicy, crisp kimchi kick — a whole different charm from the meat ones. Alternating between the two kept things from getting boring, and eating the warm dumplings alongside the kalguksu worked really well together. I especially liked being able to choose between the mild meat dumplings and the spicy kimchi ones depending on my mood! They're great on their own, but pairing them with jang kalguksu or clam kalguksu made for an even more filling meal haha.

What does jang kalguksu taste like?

Next up was the one I was most excited about — jang kalguksu! Unlike a typical clear-broth kalguksu, this one stood out for its spicy, savory broth made with fermented bean paste (jang). One spoonful and you get that deep, rich flavor unique to jang, warming you up from the inside haha. The noodles had really absorbed the broth too, so I found myself slurping the noodles and then going right back for more broth. It's the kind of dish that would come to mind on a chilly day or whenever you're craving something spicy and warming. Rather than being aggressively hot, it had that distinctive savory, deep jang flavor, which I really enjoyed haha.

Clam kalguksu or jang kalguksu: which should you order?

The plain-broth version here comes as clam kalguksu. The broth was clean and refreshing, offering a totally different appeal from the jang version. The clean flavor drawn out from the clams kept me coming back for more broth, and the light broth with chewy noodles went down easily, no heaviness at all.~~ If you like a rich, spicy flavor, go for the jang kalguksu; if you prefer a clean, refreshing broth, go for the clam kalguksu. I'd actually recommend ordering both together and comparing them!

Mixed pancake platter: shrimp, zucchini and beef pancakes

Lastly, we also ordered the mixed pancake platter. It came with shrimp pancake, zucchini pancake, and beef pancake (yukjeon). Since each is made with a different ingredient, it was fun picking through all three. The shrimp pancake had a clean, light shrimp flavor, and the zucchini pancake had a soft, moist texture I liked. The beef pancake in particular paired the savory richness of the meat with the pancake's soft texture, making it a great match with the kalguksu. Adding these pancakes to the warm noodle soup made for a really satisfying, filling meal!

Is Daseon Kalguksu in Seocho worth a visit?

Overall, with dumplings, jang kalguksu, clam kalguksu, and the mixed pancake platter, the menu was varied enough that it felt like a great place to visit with a few people and share dishes. You can pick between the rich, spicy jang kalguksu and the clean, refreshing clam kalguksu depending on your mood, and with the barley rice and self-serve bar on top, it's a place I'd want to come back to whenever I want a really filling meal!