Chogye bibim guksu with icy broth at 3pm, Songdo: Eonyang Dak Kalguksu

Chogye guksu is the dish that always comes to mind in summer. Slurping noodles in a tangy, chilled broth really takes the edge off the heat. I'd had it somewhere before and it left an impression, but I couldn't quite remember the name of the place. Just as I was craving it again, the chance came around at the tail end of summer. I'd gone to meet my sister after a while, and she mentioned a great noodle place — and this was it.

I went in just expecting chicken kalguksu, but they actually had chogye guksu, the exact thing I'd been craving!! I was so happy to see it. My sister said she'd been here before.

A 3pm visit: waiting and break time

We went well past lunchtime, after 3pm, and luckily there was no break time, so we could eat right away. If we'd gone right at lunch hour, we probably would have had to wait.

If you want to eat at a relaxed pace and avoid the busy hours, visiting around 3pm is worth considering. Parking was available right in front of the restaurant with plenty of space, so it wasn't a hassle at all.

Chogye guksu vs. chogye bibim guksu: which one?

I'd had chogye guksu before, but this was my first time with chogye bibim guksu. Bottom line — both were delicious. The soup version has a clean, tangy-sweet broth that goes down easy, while the bibim (mixed) version has a rich sauce that's not too sharp, and I kept going back for more.

Chewy, aged noodles close to milmyeon — the standout

What impressed me most here was the noodles. Instead of the usual thin or medium wheat noodles, they use aged noodles with a texture close to milmyeon (wheat noodles). There's even a slight chewy bounce reminiscent of jjolmyeon, so if I had to compare, I'd say they're closer to milmyeon than somyeon. Thanks to that springy, chewy texture, the noodles alone were satisfying. I've had chogye guksu-style dishes many times, but it's rare for the noodles themselves to leave such an impression.

The side dishes deserve credit too: two kinds of kimchi and danmuji

The side dishes are spicy kimchi, non-spicy kimchi, and danmuji (pickled radish) — three in all. The non-spicy kimchi had a strong nutty flavor, and the spicy kimchi was spicy yet deeply savory, so my chopsticks kept reaching for it. I don't usually go for side dishes much when eating noodles, but this place was an exception. The kimchi was so well made that eating it alongside the noodles doubled the fun.

The icy broth that comes with chogye bibim guksu

If you order chogye bibim guksu, you get a separate bowl of broth with ice slush in it. I tried pouring it in little by little as I mixed the noodles, and that turned out to be another special touch. As the thick bibim sauce meets the broth, the consistency softens and the flavor gets even more refreshing. The soup version is delicious in its own right, but mixing the bibim noodles this way has its own distinct charm.

A restaurant my noodle-loving sister introduced me to

I found this place thanks to my sister, whom I hadn't seen in a while, and it turned out to be a satisfying meal in both noodles and side dishes. If you like chogye guksu-style dishes, the noodles alone are reason enough to visit. Add in the fact that we went late and still had no wait, plus the easy parking, and overall it was a stress-free lunch spot. My sister said the other menu items are good too, so next time I think I'll try something besides chogye guksu.

• Menu: Chogye bibim guksu ₩11,500 / Chogye guksu ₩11,000
• Parking: Available right in front of the restaurant, plenty of space
• Break time: None