Rainy-day kalguksu with coffee on the way out in Pyeongtaek: Goryeo

A rainy-day lunch at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu in Bijeon-dong, Pyeongtaek

Looking for somewhere to grab lunch with my husband on a rainy day, I stumbled on a real broth spot — one where even the ingredients are different from the rest. That's how we ended up at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu in Bijeon-dong. No parking worries either — there's a lot on site, so we parked with zero hassle.

Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu runs on a same-day-produced, same-day-cooked principle. Hours are 10:30–21:00 with last order at 20:00, making it a great lunchtime kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) spot. The boiled pork is made only twice a day, at 10am and 4pm, so depending on your timing you get it at its freshest. Note that a lunch visit means you're eating the batch boiled at 10am.

What's on the self-bar at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu

The interior was quite spacious, and we were seated toward the back. Each table area has its own self-bar, so you never have to walk far — very convenient. The self-bar had cabbage-radish pickle, aged kimchi, chili paste and peppers, plus kalguksu broth for endless refills of that delicious soup.

Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu menu and set options

The menu was really varied, with 2-person, 3-person, and 4-person set options, so no matter how many people you're with, you can work your way through the whole menu — I really liked that.

Kids get a free bowl of rice, and the seasonal fried rice is free too!!! That free menu really shows the owner's generosity. They also sell dansul (sweet rice drink), which I'd love to try next time. Takeout is available too, so you can grab kalguksu, bibim noodles, or mandu to go — nice touch.

How do you eat mulchong kalguksu properly?

• Step 1: fish out the clams
• Step 2: add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes
• Step 3: empty the pot (remove clam shell pieces)
• Step 4: make the seasonal fried rice

Just follow these steps! It's the perfect order for a satisfying, well-rounded meal.

Each table had spoons, chopsticks, and wet wipes ready, plus all the basic tableware. And the domestic kimchi came out right away — the moment I saw it, I just knew: this place was going to be amazing...!!!

What comes in the 2-person set

The 2-person set came with one serving of kalguksu, napa cabbage mandu, and pear-leaf herbal pork. The combination complements itself so well that you don't need to add anything else — it's already a filling spread. Is this really just one serving!!! I was shocked at how many clams there were.

The pear-leaf herbal pork came out sitting on a tealight warmer, so we could enjoy it warm right down to the last piece — such a thoughtful touch from the owner haha. Even the seaweed alone was amazing!!!

On top of that, the seasonal fried rice — made with Pyeongtaek Super Awning Koshihikari rice — comes free, and you can finish the meal by tossing the fluffy rice in the broth, which meant the 2-person set alone was a fully satisfying meal. If you want more, you can get free refills, so you can eat as much as you like.

For the kalguksu, you fish out the clams first and then add the noodles — but let's keep them aside for now!! The noodles looked soft and really delicious. Since they're house-made noodles, I was even more excited to try them.

The napa cabbage mandu (dumplings) is wrapped in napa cabbage instead of a flour wrapper, which was notable for how light it felt on the stomach afterward. That feeling of "this probably won't make me gain weight"!!! You cut the napa cabbage mandu in half and pop it in your mouth — moist and really tasty as a cabbage wrap.

Why the dongjuk clam broth tastes different

The heart of Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu is, without a doubt, its broth made from dongjuk clams shipped directly from Gochang, North Jeolla Province. Dongjuk clams are known to be rich in iron and amino acids and good for fighting fatigue, and unlike your typical clam kalguksu, the broth's umami layers were far thicker and the aftertaste much cleaner!!! They also use mussels delivered same-day from Tongyeong to round off the finish of the soup even more cleanly — a real point of difference, apparently!!!

To let the broth develop even more depth, let's eat the mandu first, shall we~ haha. Munching on the halved cabbage kimchi mandu.

The kalguksu simmered in dongjuk clam broth had a soup that was rich yet clean. The broth... it was really, really good. Especially with the rain falling, I found myself craving makgeolli (rice wine) so much, hahaha.

If you're looking for clam kalguksu in Pyeongtaek, it's worth checking both the depth of the broth and where the ingredients come from. Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu checks its tank freshness every morning and personally balances the broth's salinity and umami day by day to keep the taste consistent — I could confidently recommend this to anyone hunting for the best kalguksu in Pyeongtaek. No wonder the group seating was packed, and customers kept coming even well after lunch hour.

Kalguksu time: the 5-minute sand timer

Now that we'd fully enjoyed the broth, it was on to the kalguksu we'd been waiting for~ Fish out more of the clams and add in the noodles. And since we'd finished the broth, time for a refill~

Once the noodles go in, you flip the 5-minute hourglass on the table to cook them. The idea is to enjoy the clams first, then add the house-made noodles and flip the hourglass — and the 5-minute wait, rather than being boring, actually built anticipation. I could feel that every single ingredient here had a reason behind it.

Fried rice time: the free seasonal fried rice

I can't believe how packed the 2-person set is — genuinely tearing up. After eating the noodles properly, finishing with fried rice is basically a cheat code, right?ㅠㅠ The free seasonal fried rice kept the fluffy texture of the Pyeongtaek Koshihikari rice alive, and tossing it in the broth made me want another whole bowl — free refills were available, but I was way too full ㅠㅠ!!! In the end both of us walked out completely stuffed.

The napa cabbage mandu felt completely different from the flour-wrapped mandu I'd had at other kalguksu places before — it wasn't heavy at all, so I felt no bloating after the meal. The radish kimchi served alongside the pear-leaf herbal pork was also really tasty, and being able to eat it warm and moist right down to the last piece paired beautifully with the clam broth. From the moment the owner showed us to our seats to explaining how to use the hourglass, that kindness stuck with me as much as the food did.

Dining room, parking and the verdict on Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu

Bijeon-dong is a neighborhood where parking isn't easy at lunchtime, so I was always worried about it before visiting, but Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu has its own parking space right by the restaurant, so there was no hassle at all. That said, seats can fill up fast during the lunch peak, so I'd recommend arriving with a bit of buffer time!!

The owner's philosophy of beopgochangsin (法古創新) — adding scientific detail on top of the roots of traditional Korean food — didn't feel like a mere marketing line; it came through in the choice of ingredients, the cooking method, and the layout of the space. I was especially struck by how even the restroom was decorated with warm lighting — such thoughtful attention to detail!! Women especially appreciate a clean restroom, and details like this made it feel like a great spot for family gatherings too.

On the way out, there's even a complete coffee service!!! They had ice too, so I could enjoy a proper iced Americano before leaving. Instant coffee mix is also available, and they thoughtfully had sugar ready too haha.

On top of all that, Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu also has dansul, sikhye (sweet rice punch), and barley tea all ready to go. If you're hunting for the best kalguksu in Pyeongtaek, I'd strongly recommend Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, standing out both for where its ingredients come from and for its philosophy on cooking!!! If you've got a lunch date in Bijeon-dong, try the 2-person set for a hearty meal~~