Bucheon noodle shop with single-portion kongguksu and sikhye: Jakdong

How did I find Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu?

Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu (작동홍두깨칼국수) is a kongguksu and kalguksu restaurant in Jakdong, Bucheon. It shares a parking lot with a nearby restaurant that my husband and I visit when we crave boril gulbi (barley-aged dried yellow croaker). Every time we went there I thought, "I really have to try Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu one of these days," and I've finally made it!

When I want a proper bowl of kongguksu in Bucheon, this is where I go: Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu.

Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu Bucheon Main Branch: location, hours, parking

• Address: 63 Gilju-ro 560beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: daily 10:30–21:00
• Amenities: takeout, group seating, Wi-Fi, separate men's and women's restrooms
• Parking: available

As the weather got warmer, I kept thinking about cold kongguksu.

So this time I headed over to Jakdong to try a place with a big reputation as a Bucheon kongguksu spot.

Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu is already well known by word of mouth for its kalguksu and kongguksu, so I had high expectations. After visiting in person, I immediately understood why people call it a kongguksu hotspot.

Is there a wait at Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu?

There can be a wait, so there's a Catch Table waiting-list kiosk at the entrance. The restaurant was also featured in the clam kalguksu segment of the TV show Live Tonight (생방송오늘저녁), episode 2223, on March 20, 2024.

They sell little snacks in front of the counter, too. Even though we came outside the usual lunch rush, the restaurant was full of customers.

Can you order kongguksu and kalguksu as single portions?

Yes, you can order kalguksu and kongguksu one portion each. Honestly, this was the thing I liked most.

Many places require a minimum of two servings for dishes like clam kalguksu, so being able to order single portions here was great. It meant we could taste both the kalguksu and the kongguksu.

We ordered one kalguksu and one kongguksu. Kimchi comes as the basic side dish, and the kimchi turned out to be a treat of its own.

It goes well with the kalguksu, and it also pairs surprisingly well with the kongguksu, so my chopsticks kept going back for more.

How does the kongguksu taste? (₩13,000 per person)

The kongguksu is ₩13,000 per person, and the broth is really rich and thick. It looked nutty even at first sight, and with the first bite I thought, "Okay, this place is the real deal."

There's no artificial taste, and the natural nuttiness of the soybeans really comes through, so calling it a kongguksu hotspot fits perfectly. The noodles are chewy and soak up the broth, so you just keep eating.

Free barley rice on the side

Another charm of Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu: the complimentary barley rice! It comes in a small bowl, and mixing it with gochujang (red chili paste) and vegetables makes something simple but really tasty.

It whets your appetite while you wait and works like a little specialty dish, which made me even happier with the meal.

How do you cook the clam kalguksu for one? (₩11,000 per person)

The clam kalguksu is ₩11,000 per person, and the table has detailed instructions for boiling it. For a single portion, they told us you only need one turn of the sand timer. Since we'd had kongguksu, kalguksu couldn't be skipped, right?

Maybe because the noodles are rolled out with a hongdukkkae (wooden rolling pin), the texture is lively, and the broth tasted clean yet deep.

The single portion of clam kalguksu was bigger than I expected.

I think they use dried sea squirt (mideodeok), because the texture was springy and tastier than fresh sea squirt. The kalguksu isn't spicy or harsh, so it was easy to eat, and it has a different charm from the kongguksu. I was glad we ordered both.

Finishing the meal with sikhye

After the meal, we ordered a cold sikhye (sweet rice punch) too. It was a sweet but clean finish, and it made the meal really satisfying.

On a hot day, having a bowl of kongguksu and then sikhye felt like proper healing. All in all, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for kongguksu in Bucheon.

Why I recommend Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu for kongguksu in Bucheon

Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu is a worthy kongguksu spot, and you can enjoy its kalguksu too, so you have more choices. Add the free barley rice and the value is great and the satisfaction high.

If you're looking for a good kongguksu place in Jakdong, I think it's worth stopping by.

I'd love to come back again next time myself.