Daejeon Korean restaurant for kimchi dumplings: Yongja 1

I was heading to Daejeon Hyundai Outlet and wanted to grab dinner too, so I looked up a good nearby spot and found this place! I visited Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch, which is famous for kalguksu in Gwanpyeong-dong :)

Actually, I used to go often to Yongja 1's branch in Bokdae-dong, Cheongju, so I was excited at the thought of having kimchi dumplings again after so long. When did one open in Gwanpyeong-dong too!!! Yongja 1 has great kalguksu, but 🌟I personally remember it as a great dumpling spot too!🌟

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch: visit details and atmosphere

You can park in front of the restaurant or along the side street. Looking at the exterior, you might not immediately think it is a kalguksu place, right?!

There was also a waiting-list area by the entrance, so it seems lunch can get quite busy. We visited around 6 p.m. for dinner and luckily got in right away with no wait :)

The interior is neatly done in wood tones, and the tables are fairly well spaced, so it is nice for a relaxed meal without worrying about the table next to you.

There is a separate self-service station with pickled peppers and seasoned chili peppers! Add a little to your dumpling soup or kalguksu for some spicy warmth, depending on your taste :) You can also pack up leftover dumplings yourself!

Ordering kalguksu and dumplings

As you would expect from a kalguksu favorite, the menu is very simply made up of kalguksu, dumpling soup, and dumplings.

• Bibim kalguksu ₩10,000
• Kalmandu-guk ₩10,000
• Steamed dumplings ₩9,000

This is what we ordered >.<

They first brought us fresh geotjeori (lightly seasoned fresh kimchi) and pickled onions. Yongja 1 uses house-made noodles! The noodle-making area in the middle of the restaurant really catches your eye 👀

With a noodle machine and flour set up right in the middle of the restaurant, you can tell this is a place that truly makes its noodles from scratch. It was neatly tidied up when I visited in the evening, but seeing the machine sitting there somehow felt like proof of those house-made noodles ✨

Kalmandu-guk: clean broth and chewy noodles

The kalguksu comes topped with three kimchi dumplings.

The broth is mild and clean overall, but as the minced meat topping mixes in, it gives the soup a slightly richer flavor (•̀ᴗ-ღ). It has a different appeal from the usual seafood kalguksu!

And perhaps because they are house-made, the noodles are wonderfully chewy. More than anything, there are quite a lot of noodles too!!!

Kalguksu is just best with fresh kimchi, of course :)

And if you want your broth to have a little more kick, add peppers from the self-service bar!! Haha. For reference, kalguksu is ₩9,000, while kalmandu-guk is ₩10,000! For just ₩1,000 more, you get three dumplings, so dumpling lovers should get the kalmandu-guk!!!!!

Bibim kalguksu: sweet, spicy flavor

Bibim kalguksu comes with a separate bowl of broth, and it is the same broth used in the kalmandu-guk haha. The noodles arrive already mixed with sauce, topped with lettuce, kimchi, and minced meat. Rather than eating it as soon as it arrives, I recommend mixing in all the ingredients first!

Rather than the tangy flavor of a typical bibim-guksu, the sauce leaned more sweet and spicy. You get little bites of kimchi topping throughout, and its crisp texture is the real kick 👍🏻✨ When you get some minced meat too, a nutty richness comes through, so it is much tastier to eat everything together than just the noodles.

Since the bibim kalguksu noodles are rinsed in cold water, they are even bouncier than the noodles in the kalmandu-guk! It has a charm quite different from hot soup kalguksu, so if two people visit, it would be nice to order one of each and share ˃ᴗ˂

The kimchi steamed dumplings were delicious pan-fried the next day too

The biggest reason I came back to Yongja 1 after so long, haha: kimchi steamed dumplings! The order comes with eight kimchi dumplings. They are the same dumplings as in the kalmandu-guk, but because these are steamed, the wrappers look even more satisfyingly chewy haha. Some people said kimchi dumplings are spicy, but even I, a total lightweight with spice, could enjoy them >.<

The outer wrapper is chewy while the filling is moist and soft, so each bite feels like it just slips right down!

They are delicious with a little pepper seasoning from the self-service station, and adding pickled onion softens the kimchi dumplings' spicy flavor a bit—so good 💗 I just kept reaching for more, haha.

Every menu item at Yongja 1 comes in such~ generous portions. We had forgotten that fact after not visiting for so long...,

In the end, we packed up the leftover dumplings ourselves, haha. The takeaway containers are separated into options for four or fewer and four or more, so keep that in mind if you are packing leftovers! The next morning, I lightly pan-fried the remaining dumplings. So insanely good haha. Dumplings really are delicious even reheated the next day, haha.

• Chewy kalguksu noodles made in-house
• Mild yet rich kalmandu-guk broth with minced meat topping
• Sweet and spicy bibim kalguksu with crisp kimchi topping
• Chewy dumpling wrappers with moist kimchi filling
• Generous portions across the menu, from kalguksu to dumplings
• If you love dumplings, I recommend the kalmandu-guk + steamed dumpling combination!
• Leftover dumplings can be packed up yourself

It was so nice to return to Yongja 1 after a long time and find that it had opened in Gwanpyeong-dong too, haha. Considering prices these days, the food is not overly expensive and the portions are generous, making it a great place for a filling meal! It is also conveniently located for a meal before or after shopping at Daejeon Hyundai Outlet, so I recommend Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch if you are looking for a good restaurant near the outlet or in Gwanpyeong-dong ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ

After such a filling dinner, we headed to Daejeon Hyundai Outlet, and the sunset was so pretty that I felt happy right to the end 🫶🏻💗