Korean restaurant in Pyeongtaek for kalguksu and dumplings: Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu

Where is Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, and is parking available?

Craving kalguksu, I visited Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu (고려물총칼국수) in Bijeon-dong, Pyeongtaek. The address is 1F, 730 Pyeongnam-ro, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. I could use the building parking lot for free, and the listed hours were daily from 10:30 to 21:00.

What is the interior like for group meals?

The interior was clean and spacious. There were several four-person tables with plenty of space between them, and I saw groups dining there. Group visits, takeout, and reservations were listed as available.

The self-service bar had cabbage and radish pickles, kimchi, chili peppers, soy sauce with wasabi, and chojang (Korean vinegar chili sauce). Coffee was also available.

What comes with the two-person set?

The menu included snowflake black soybean kongkalguksu (soybean noodle soup), Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, perilla oil goldongmyeon (mixed noodles), spicy mixed goldongmyeon, napa cabbage dumplings, pear-leaf herbal boiled pork, and mulchong-tang (clam soup). Set menus were available for two to four people.

I ordered the two-person set. It came with one serving of kalguksu or goldongmyeon, plus napa cabbage dumplings and pear-leaf herbal boiled pork; I chose the Mulchong Kalguksu for the noodle dish.

They said the kimchi is made in-house using only Korean ingredients. It was moderately seasoned and went well with the kalguksu. They also said the cabbage and radish pickles are made fresh each morning; they were crisp and tangy, making them a good accompaniment to the boiled pork.

What is the order for eating Mulchong Kalguksu?

The meal was designed to be finished in stages: eat the clams first, cook the noodles, then finish with fried rice. The posted instructions were as follows.

• Because the clams arrive cooked, once the broth is boiling vigorously, remove them all to a small plate.
• After eating the clams, add the noodles to the boiling broth and cook for five minutes. Turn over the hourglass on the table to time it.
• After finishing the kalguksu, transfer every last bit of broth into an empty bowl. The instructions noted that clam fragments may remain.
• Add one ladleful of broth to the prepared fried rice and stir-fry it.

How did the clam broth and kalguksu noodles taste?

They said the clam soup contains dongjuk clams from Gochang and mussels from Tongyeong. It arrived cooked from the kitchen, so it was easy to eat, and even for one serving, the amount of clams and mussels felt generous.

The clam meat was plump and satisfying to chew. I did not bite into any sand during my meal, and the broth was clean and refreshing without a fishy taste.

They said the kalguksu noodles are made in-house from dough prepared every morning. After cooking them for five minutes as instructed, the noodles were chewy and springy. I liked their texture enough that I would have wanted extra noodles if I had not already been full.

The dishes were not heavily seasoned overall, which suited my preference for mild flavors. The kalguksu also went well topped with kimchi or eaten with clam meat.

How were the boiled pork and napa cabbage dumplings in the set?

They said the pear-leaf herbal boiled pork is made with Korean grade-one five-layer pork belly boiled with Pyeongtaek pear-tree leaves. I did not notice any unpleasant meat odor when eating it.

The sauce, said to contain pear-leaf powder, was salty and savory. The boiled pork was also good with the pickled radish served alongside it.

They said the napa cabbage dumplings are made with Korean napa cabbage selected at the market each morning.

It was my first time trying napa cabbage dumplings. They were generously filled, and the cabbage was crisp and lightly sweet.

Can you finish with fried rice after the kalguksu?

At the time of my visit, Four Seasons fried rice was served free of charge. It came with Pyeongtaek Super Oning Koshihikari rice, seasonal vegetables, kimchi, and seaweed flakes. The sesame oil made it nutty, and it was a nice way to finish after the clam soup and kalguksu.