Garak-dong chicken noodle spot with high chairs: Hanyang Dak Kalguksu

We went out to Seoul with the kids on a weekend and wanted something hot and filling, so we stopped by Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch. Hanyang Dak Kalguksu is a chicken noodle soup (dak kalguksu) restaurant in Garak-dong, Songpa, close to Gyeongchal Hospital. It's a good one to know if you're looking for restaurants around Garak-dong or Garak Market.

Most importantly, visiting with the kids, they had everything from a baby chair to baby dishware ready, and you could even ask for broth with less seasoning — a solid choice for a family meal out.

• ✔️Hanyang Dak Kalguksu
• ⏰11:00 – 21:00
• 🎁Takeout available
• 💳Zero Pay accepted

What Hanyang Dak Kalguksu in Garak-dong looks like inside

The Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch had a clean, comfortable overall atmosphere. We walked in with the kids on a weekend afternoon and it felt like an easy space to eat in.

Visiting with the kids on a weekend, the restaurant was clean and comfortable throughout.

And for a family with kids, a baby chair is a surprisingly big deal! Hanyang Dak Kalguksu had one ready, which made eating with the kids much easier.

👧Is Hanyang Dak Kalguksu good to visit with kids?

Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch had baby spoons, forks, and even a plate ready at the self-bar. With a baby chair too, sitting down and eating with two kids wasn't much of a hassle.

When I go out to eat with the kids, taste matters, but I always check the kids' dishware, chair, and how salty the food is too. Here, the self-bar had baby spoons, forks, and even a plate ready.

They also had signage saying you can ask staff for broth without added seasoning, which is worth knowing if you're visiting with a kid.

How spicy is the kimchi at Hanyang Dak Kalguksu?

The kimchi at Hanyang Dak Kalguksu is made in-house daily according to the signage, and you help yourself to kimchi and pickled radish at the self-bar. There were two kinds of kimchi ready — regular spicy and mild.

A lot of people really care about the kimchi at a kalguksu place, right? (That's exactly me...) They had signage saying the kimchi is made in-house every day, and you help yourself to as much kimchi and pickled radish as you want at the self-bar.

• ✔️Regular spicy kimchi
• ✔️Mild kimchi

But the regular kimchi here is genuinely spicy. Even I, who loves spicy food, found it quite hot, and my spice-averse husband took one bite and immediately said, "I can't eat this" haha. The mild kimchi, on the other hand, is a flavor anyone can comfortably enjoy, so I'd recommend it if you can't handle heat.

Hanyang Dak Kalguksu menu: what we ordered

At Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch, our family ordered three things: Hanyang Dak Kalguksu, Spicy Dak Kalguksu, and Dak Gomtang. Let's check the menu board and the origin labeling sign too!

• ✔️Hanyang Dak Kalguksu
• ✔️Spicy Dak Kalguksu
• ✔️Dak Gomtang

🍜How to eat Hanyang Dak Kalguksu at its best

The restaurant also had a sign explaining how to enjoy the chicken noodle soup even more. And then, finally, our whole order showed up at once!

With all three bowls set down together, it made for a pretty hearty weekend family meal, don't you think?

Tasting the Hanyang Dak Kalguksu near Garak Market

Let's start with the Hanyang Dak Kalguksu my husband ordered. I tried a spoonful of the broth and from the first taste it was quite rich yet clean.

You can definitely taste the deep flavor characteristic of chicken broth, but there was no strong lingering MSG-like aftertaste. Of course, since it's a restaurant broth, I can't say for certain there's zero seasoning, but from what I tasted, the impression was strongly of a clean broth without any harsh, lingering aftertaste.

The noodles go well with the broth, and with chicken in it too, one bowl leaves you quite full.

🌶How hot is the Spicy Dak Kalguksu?

Second up, the Spicy Dak Kalguksu with green onion garnish! With the heat added, it has a distinctly different mood from the regular version. If you like a spicy, tangy broth, this one will suit you well, and switching between the two, I felt each had its own charm. But if you're with kids, I'd recommend the regular Dak Kalguksu!

Kids don't need to go for the spicy option — the plain, mild Dak Kalguksu works better for them.

🐔Dak Gomtang, piled with glass noodles and chicken

The third dish was Dak Gomtang (chicken bone soup). Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch's version had glass noodles and chicken in it, good for spooning up together with the broth.

With hot broth and chicken in it, it had a different kind of heartiness from the kalguksu.

👧The Dak Gomtang the kids finished off

The most satisfying part of this meal for me was that the kids really ate the Dak Gomtang well. I fed them a spoonful, and they savored it, chewing away — then they started picking up their own spoons haha.

It wasn't just one bite and done — they kept picking up their spoons and eating on their own! When the kids eat well, that's the best thing for a mom. Especially since food that's too salty or strong-flavored makes me hesitant to feed the kids, being able to request less-seasoned broth here was something worth noting for a visit with kids.

💡Looking for a Garak-dong kalguksu restaurant to eat at with kids?

If you're looking for a Garak-dong restaurant with a menu you can eat with kids, having visited myself with the kids, Hanyang Dak Kalguksu made for a pretty comfortable meal.

• ✔️Baby chair available
• ✔️Baby spoon and fork ready
• ✔️Unsalted broth available on request
• ✔️Regular Dak Kalguksu has a mild flavor kids can eat well
• ✔️Mild kimchi prepared separately
• ✔️Self-bar in operation

Above all, what I liked most was that the kids genuinely ate so well.

🍬Candy to finish the meal

After a satisfying meal, the kids each grabbed a candy on the way out to finish things off.

After visiting with the kids on a weekend and each having a hearty bowl of hot dak kalguksu, personally what stuck with me most was the rich, deep chicken broth flavor, and above all, I was satisfied that the kids ate so well. That said, the regular kimchi is really spicy, so if you're sensitive to heat, I'd recommend choosing the mild kimchi.

If you're looking for Garak-dong restaurants or Garak Market restaurants and want a kalguksu place you can comfortably eat with kids, Hanyang Dak Kalguksu Main Branch is worth considering.