Noodle or rice at a Songdo 1-gongu Korean restaurant: Eonyang Dak

Songdo 1-gongu restaurant recommendation: Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch, a Korean restaurant known for chicken kalguksu and chicken gomtang.

Today I want to introduce a place that comes to mind whenever I want a warm, filling meal in Songdo. This time I went looking for a Songdo 1-gongu restaurant and found Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch.

On days when the weather cools down or you're craving hot soup, dishes like kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) or gomtang (rice and meat soup) that combine broth, noodles, and rice really hit the spot. Chicken kalguksu in particular is different from regular kalguksu since it's topped with chicken, making a single bowl quite filling on its own. Since Eonyang Dak Kalguksu's signature dish is, as the name suggests, chicken kalguksu, I ordered both chicken kalguksu and chicken gomtang this time.

Looking for Korean comfort food in Songdo 1-gongu

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch is a Korean restaurant on Haedoji-ro in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, in Songdo 1-gongu. Songdo has all sorts of restaurants, but sometimes you just want something mild and warm rather than spicy or strong-flavored.

That's especially true when eating with family or dining solo — you look for something easy on the stomach. Kalguksu or gomtang tends to be a pretty solid choice in that case. This time, while searching for Korean food in Songdo 1-gongu, I ended up at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch.

Looking at the menu, they had chicken gomtang alongside chicken kalguksu, so it seemed like an easy pick whether you're visiting with a noodle person or a rice person. I ordered chicken kalguksu, and chicken gomtang to share.

The menu

Chicken kalguksu

Chicken kalguksu, the signature dish at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu

After ordering, the piping hot chicken kalguksu arrived pretty quickly. The first thing that caught my eye was, of course, the chicken. Half a chicken — practically the size of the bowl itself — plopped right on top of the Eonyang-style noodles!

Usually when you think of chicken kalguksu, you picture shredded chicken bits or a few small pieces scattered on top. Here, half a chicken sits on top in one big piece, so it looks hearty right from the start.

The broth had a savory aroma like chicken simmered for a long time, and I liked being able to eat the noodles and chicken together. At first I wasn't sure how to tackle such a big piece of chicken, but once I picked the meat off and ate it with the noodles, it naturally came together into one satisfying bowl.

Eating the chicken and the knife-cut noodles together

Chicken kalguksu really tastes best when you eat the chicken along with the noodles rather than just the noodles alone. Take a chopstick-full of noodles, add a little chicken, and you get the soft texture of the noodles together with the clean, plain flavor of the chicken. The chicken was good either picked apart and placed on top of the noodles, or eaten on its own.

The broth pairs well with the noodles too, so before you know it, you keep going back for more. Kalguksu is one of those foods that tastes best hot, so there was something enjoyable about eating it while steam was still rising off the bowl. Eating the noodles with the broth made for a warm, filling meal.

Why we added a chicken gomtang to the order

This time I also ordered chicken gomtang along with the kalguksu. If chicken kalguksu is a dish built around the noodles, chicken gomtang is better suited to people who love warm broth and rice.

The chicken gomtang also comes with half a chicken, so the portion is generous. It also comes with warm rice, which is great for either pouring the broth over the rice or eating the chicken together with it.

Nutty chicken gomtang made with perilla seed

Tasting the chicken gomtang broth, the first thing I noticed was a nutty flavor. The perilla-based chicken broth pairs well with the half chicken and the warm rice. The distinct nuttiness of the perilla added to the broth gave it a different feel from a typical clear chicken gomtang.

A spoonful of hot broth, a spoonful of rice, and some chicken on the side make for a pretty filling meal. Especially if you're a rice person, I felt like chicken gomtang might suit you better than chicken kalguksu.

Chicken gomtang tastes best with the warm rice

I picked the chicken in the gomtang apart into bite-sized pieces and ate it with the rice. Placing the chicken on top of the rice and adding a little broth gives you a taste that's both light and nutty. Pouring the broth over the rice worked well, and eating the rice and broth separately was also good.

Above all, having warm broth and rice together made for a satisfying, filling feeling. It has a different appeal from eating noodles like kalguksu, so next time I visit, I think I'll have a hard time deciding which one to order.

When you want a warm Korean soup in Songdo 1-gongu

Trying both chicken kalguksu and chicken gomtang at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch, the two dishes felt similar yet had their own distinct appeal. Chicken kalguksu suits people who want to enjoy noodles and chicken together, while chicken gomtang suits people who want a filling meal of warm broth and rice.

What stood out was that both dishes come with half a chicken, so ordering just one bowl still gets you a generous amount of chicken. If you usually like kalguksu, go for the chicken kalguksu; if you like rice, go for the chicken gomtang — either way the choice isn't hard.

Does Eonyang Dak Kalguksu work for a family meal?

When looking for Korean food, matching everyone's preferences matters, but since kalguksu and gomtang are both familiar dishes, there wasn't much pressure in choosing.

Especially as the weather turns chilly, hot soup dishes come to mind, and being able to eat chicken along with it makes for a filling meal. When deciding what to eat out in Songdo, this felt like a good option for a day when you want warm soup rather than something spicy or intense.

Noodles or rice: choosing at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch

For this meal, I ordered chicken kalguksu and chicken gomtang together. The chicken kalguksu was fun to eat with its big half chicken and knife-cut noodles, while the chicken gomtang, with its nutty perilla-based broth and warm rice, made for a filling meal.

Personally, I liked that both dishes are soup-based and can be enjoyed warm. In particular, seeing a whole half chicken placed on top of the kalguksu made the dish look generous from the moment it arrived.

If you're looking for Korean food in Songdo 1-gongu, or if today's one of those days when you just want warm broth with rice or noodles, chicken kalguksu or chicken gomtang at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch is worth considering.

• If you like noodles, go for the chicken kalguksu
• If you like rice, go for the chicken gomtang

It's a good combo for picking based on preference :) Next time I visit, I think I'll be debating which of these two dishes to order again. Keep this in mind when you're looking for a filling meal in Songdo.