Yeoju IC dakgalbi brunch on the road to Sokcho: Seorak Makguksu

On the road from Yeoju IC to Sokcho: why Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi

On the way to a trip to Sokcho, we wanted a hearty meal before lunchtime, so we stopped at Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch (설악막국수 춘천닭갈비 여주IC점). I was looking for somewhere to eat near Yeoju IC, and since you can have dakgalbi and makguksu together here, we went in.

The location is also handy if you're heading to the Yeoju outlets or Namyeoju CC, so I think it's a useful reference for anyone searching for dakgalbi in Yeoju.

Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch: location, hours and parking

The restaurant is right in front of Yeoju IC, so it's very easy to get to, and it's a 5-minute drive from Yeoju Premium Outlets, which makes it a good stop before or after shopping.

• Address: 483 Sejong-ro, Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Hours: daily 11:30–21:30, break time 15:30–16:30
• Closed: every Tuesday
• Facilities: group seating, takeout, reservations, Wi-Fi, separate men's and women's restrooms, high chairs, pets allowed (carrier required), private hire available
• Parking: free parking in front of the restaurant

The parking lot is a dedicated one right in front of the restaurant, which was convenient even on a rainy day.

If you're after real charcoal flavor in Yeoju, this one place pretty much settles the question.

Why we stopped here for brunch on the road trip

Getting to Sokcho by car takes quite a while, right? You get hungry not long after setting out, and if you wait until you arrive, the meal can end up very late, so we decided to eat brunch first. Being at Yeoju IC, it was easy to stop on the way through, and it felt like no hassle to get back on the road afterward.

If you're looking for dakgalbi near the Yeoju outlets or searching for dakgalbi near Namyeoju CC, I think it fits your route well too.

A big restaurant seating about 100, busy even early on a Sunday

Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch is a large restaurant that can seat around 100 people.

The seating is spacious, so it works for family meals and group dinners alike. It's a comfortable place in Yeoju, and I liked that when you need a filling meal mid-trip, you can have dakgalbi and makguksu together.

I was surprised by how many customers there were this early on a Sunday. It seems this place is already well known for dakgalbi in Yeoju.

The owner loves golf, so golfers' caps and hats he wore as a spectator at tournaments serve as interior decorations.

Side dishes: yeolmu kimchi you'll want to mix into rice, and icy dongchimi

The basic side dishes at Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch were simple and mostly vegetables, but the dongchimi (radish water kimchi) with ice floating in it was tasty, and the yeolmu kimchi (young summer radish kimchi) was even better, so good that I wanted to mix it into a bowl of rice. It was so tasty that I went back to the self-service corner for more.

Charcoal spicy and soy dakgalbi: menu and prices

The charcoal looked like good quality, real charcoal. It's become the season when you start to crave something warm. The charcoal spicy dakgalbi and charcoal soy dakgalbi are grilled over real charcoal, not gas, and the key is the smoky flavor and juiciness that fill your mouth.

• Charcoal spicy dakgalbi ₩16,000
• Charcoal soy dakgalbi ₩16,000
• Bibim makguksu (spicy mixed noodles) ₩10,000
• Pine nut broth makguksu ₩10,000
• Buckwheat jeonbyeong (buckwheat crepe rolls) ₩9,000
• Buckwheat pheasant dumplings ₩9,000
• Buckwheat kimchi dumplings ₩9,000
• Doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) ₩4,000
• Steamed rice ₩1,000
• Rice cake add-on ₩2,000

Almost all the main ingredients at Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch are domestic. I don't think many places use domestic chili powder these days, but here the chicken, rice, cabbage and chili powder are all Korean, which made it taste even better. They use premium Yeoju rice. I'm sure the rice is delicious too, but we skipped it this time..

Just looking at the photos of spicy and soy charcoal dakgalbi on the wall makes my mouth water.

First order is a minimum of 2 portions, about 10 minutes after pre-grilling

The first order at Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch must be at least 2 portions. The chicken comes pre-grilled, which takes about 10 minutes, so you just wait a little. We ordered one portion of charcoal spicy dakgalbi at ₩16,000 and one of soy dakgalbi at ₩16,000.

Self-service corner

Extra side dishes are self-service. The corner had dongchimi, lettuce, cabbage, yeolmu kimchi, seasoned radish strips and more, all kept clean and tidy.

One portion each of spicy and soy dakgalbi: how did they taste?

Rather than eating just one flavor, we ordered one portion each of charcoal spicy dakgalbi and soy dakgalbi, and it was nice to share and taste both. The spicy one is what you eat expecting that hot, sweet seasoning, while the soy dakgalbi had a milder, salty-savory flavor that's different from the spicy one.

Even though it's all dakgalbi, the mood changes with the seasoning, so alternating between them never got boring. There were rice cakes in it too, and as a big rice cake fan I was thrilled. haha

It's a hearty dish for the road, and I felt we'd picked well for brunch.

There's also a Naver receipt review event and a takeout discount event, so keep that in mind.

Pine nut broth makguksu with the dakgalbi, ₩10,000

At Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yeoju IC Branch, we ordered pine nut broth makguksu for ₩10,000 to go with the dakgalbi. Cold pine nut broth makguksu is one of those treats that blows the heat away. When you're eating dakgalbi, you end up wanting some makguksu alongside, don't you?

The cold pine nut broth makguksu went well with the dakgalbi, and the pine nuts added a nutty richness. Alternating between warm dakgalbi and cold noodles was a great combination. We didn't try them, but the buckwheat jeonbyeong, pheasant dumplings and kimchi dumplings sound delicious too.

A filling meal on the way to Sokcho, kept warm to the end on a second-tier grill plate

We tasted both the charcoal spicy and soy dakgalbi and rounded it off with pine nut broth makguksu, a really full meal.

Filling up before starting the Sokcho trip made the rest of the drive much more comfortable. A staff member grilled the chicken nicely and thoughtfully placed it on the upper tier of the grill plate, so it didn't burn and stayed warm. It's a good place to stop if you're looking for a meal around Yeoju IC, or craving dakgalbi near the Yeoju outlets or Namyeoju CC.

For anyone looking for dakgalbi in Yeoju, I'd recommend enjoying dakgalbi and pine nut broth makguksu together as a road trip brunch.

There's also a discount event for coming with children, so check it out and take advantage. After the meal, we had a coffee too.