Korean restaurant in Yongin for chewy shabu kalguksu: Jangwongap

Where is this Yongin kalguksu restaurant, and what was parking like?

While in Yongin to visit the Korean Folk Village, I went to Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch (장원갑칼국수 용인기흥점) for kalguksu, a fitting choice for a rainy day. The restaurant is on the first floor at 90 Gomae-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin, and parking spaces were plentiful during my visit.

I was looking forward to its dense yet soft handmade noodles, which are kneaded by hand after being made in-house. I was curious about the texture of the noodles themselves, not just the broth.

What were the atmosphere and amenities like?

The hours listed in the original post are 10:30 AM to 9 PM. The exterior, with its large windows, looked clean, and the bright lighting and tidy interior caught my eye. The restaurant also introduced ingredients used not only for the noodles but for its kimchi, including garlic, dried pollock, and anchovies.

There were also snacks prepared to eat after the meal or while waiting.

Even though I visited late in the evening, there were still quite a few diners inside.

What kalguksu and side dishes are available?

There were four kalguksu options: the signature beef brisket and minari wrap shabu kalguksu, live abalone and brisket shabu kalguksu, shabu kalguksu, and a basic meatless kalguksu. Side dishes included whole-shrimp seafood pajeon (scallion pancake) and bibim mandu (fried dumplings mixed with vegetables and sauce).

Additional items included whole-shrimp wontons, mandu, a brisket-and-minari assortment, a sirloin, mushroom, and minari assortment, plus extra brisket, sirloin, mushrooms, and minari.

How do you eat the shabu kalguksu?

The instructions said to set the induction burner to level 7 and bring the broth to a boil, then briefly cook the beef, mushrooms, and minari and eat them first with soy sauce. Next, add the kalguksu noodles and cook them for five minutes, then finish with perilla-oil kkakdugi fried rice.

The self-service station was conveniently and neatly stocked with extra side dishes, takeaway containers, and tableware.

How were the handmade noodles and spicy shabu kalguksu?

The kalguksu noodles arrived neatly arranged in a wooden bowl. Because they are thick noodles, the restaurant described the changing texture by cooking time as “noodle omakase.” I also liked the accompanying kimchi, which was moderately salted with a good texture and seasoning.

We ordered the spicy shabu kalguksu because we were craving a spicy broth. It came piled high with mushrooms and minari, along with sirloin.

I briefly cooked the sirloin first and dipped it in wasabi soy sauce. Since the kalguksu was what I had been most looking forward to that day, I added the noodles straight after the shabu.

I usually prefer bibim guksu and makguksu to kalguksu or udon, but I liked these noodles because they were chewy yet soft. Their texture made me understand why they are called “cheese noodles.” My husband, who likes kalguksu, also said both the broth and noodles were good, and he was especially pleased with the noodles.

How did we eat the bibim mandu and seafood pajeon?

The bibim mandu came with a mixed sauce flavored with peaches from Jochiwon. I also liked its neat presentation. At first, I ate the dumplings with vegetables, but when I followed my husband's suggestion to soak the fried dumplings well in the sauce and mix them with the vegetables, they tasted even better.

The whole-shrimp seafood pajeon was so generous with shrimp that it felt as though there was more shrimp than scallion, and it also contained tender squid. I liked that the chili chips on top cut through the richness, but they were too spicy for my child. If eating with a child, it would be better to ask for the chili chips to be left off when ordering.

Was the final fried rice suitable for a child?

We finished with the complimentary perilla-oil kkakdugi fried rice. It contained kkakdugi and minari, and the more it cooked, the more fragrant and nutty the rich perilla oil became. The fried rice was not spicy, so my child ate it well too.

The chewy yet soft handmade noodles were what I remembered most from this meal. With shabu, bibim mandu, whole-shrimp seafood pajeon, and fried rice, I was also happy with the range of dishes.