Terrace bar near Gyodae Station for whelk and soju: Daseon Kalguksu

Daseon Kalguksu near Gyodae Station is a Korean bar. It's got basically every great Korean drinking-food menu item — bossam, yeonpotang (spicy octopus soup), gapojingeo sukhoe (blanched cuttlefish), whelk sashimi, clam soup, yukjeon (beef pancakes), assorted jeon, shrimp jeon, kalguksu, even nakji (octopus).

• Bossam (medium) ₩28,000
• Kalguksu ₩10,000
• Whelk sashimi ₩25,000

The pork was tender, the noodles were refreshing, and the whelk sashimi was crisp yet soft — I ate well, in short. I've written this up in order: photos of the food I ate, then the menu, then the interior. Location and hours are at the very bottom.

What side dishes come with the meal?

Here's what we ordered.

The mu-saengchae (radish salad) and kimchi were seasoned right in the middle — not bland, not too spicy — and paired perfectly with both the noodles and the pork.

The chili peppers and lettuce were fresh, nothing to complain about.

Seeing the garlic tops trimmed off made me think right away: this place does things properly. Places that bother trimming garlic stems usually take hygiene seriously and the food's usually good too.

The yeolmu barley bibimbap that comes with kalguksu orders. Genuinely delicious — I could've eaten a whole bowl of just that.

Bossam (medium), 28,000 won: boiled pork belly

Daseon's medium bossam is ₩28,000 and plenty for two people. It sits on a steamer the whole meal, so it stays warm.

They use pork belly for the boiled pork rather than front or hind leg, which made it even more tender and clean-tasting. At this quality, ₩28,000 is fair. If it had been leg meat at this price and portion, I'd say burn the place down — but no, it's forgiven.

Not over-seasoned, boiled fresh so the pork's natural flavor came through — a clean-tasting boil, basically.

Great with kimchi and a shot of soju. Since it's steamed, it stayed warm the whole time and never got sticky or clumpy — very convenient.

What does the 25,000 won whelk sashimi taste like?

The whelk sashimi at Daseon, a Korean bar near Gyodae Station, is ₩25,000. Having seafood alongside soju is always a great idea. It's slightly softer and lighter than abalone sashimi, but still very good — I really enjoyed it.

This was the first dish to disappear — not a single piece left. This is the kind of whelk that sometimes shows up in instant abalone porridge instead of actual abalone... but even so, whelk is one of the more delicious sea shellfish, right up there with abalone.

Sliced thick, so there's a good chew to it — don't worry. Served with perilla oil and sesame seeds sprinkled on top, nutty and chewy in a really good way.

Kalguksu for 10,000 won: how many clams?

Daseon's kalguksu is ₩10,000. Sprinkled with a bit of seaweed, giving off traditional-market-kalguksu vibes. But it's loaded with clams — you just don't notice at first because they aren't fished out separately.

There were over 10 clams packed into the noodles. No grit, well-degritted, so I could eat with confidence. Maybe I just got lucky, but every single one was plump and tasty.

No underdone noodles here, cooked just right. And how do I put this — kind of a manly flavor? The noodles weren't soft, they had a firmer, more assertive bite — a real man's texture??? Anyway, that's the vibe. The broth was clear and refreshing.

Mixing in bossam kimchi and chives to taste, then twirling them into the noodles — every bite was deeply satisfying.

Honestly, the whelk sashimi at Gyodae's Daseon Kalguksu is something I'd want to order again. Just this plus a bowl of kalguksu with soju would be the perfect easy meal.

The 2nd-floor open-air terrace tables

Daseon Kalguksu, the Korean bar near Gyodae Station, has open-air terrace seating on the 2nd floor, as shown in the photo. Sitting there in the evening should feel nice and cool — as long as there aren't any smokers hanging around out front, the air should be pleasant too.

The place looks really breezy and open. About as classically Korean-bar as it gets — just looking at the menu tells you that.

This is the 2nd-floor terrace I mentioned in the title.

There are open-air bars near Gyodae Station, but a 2nd-floor terrace like this is a first for me too. If I'm eating here and cigarette smoke drifts up from below, I should be forgiven for throwing a beer bottle at whoever's head it lands on.

1st floor or 2nd floor: which is better for drinks?

These are photos of Daseon's 1st floor. The place is pretty big, so you can pick whatever seat you like.

This is clearly the lunch menu.

A makgeolli (rice wine) set — bossam, assorted jeon, and whelk mixed with chives. Apparently that's one of the best sellers at Daseon.

This is the 2nd floor.

Honestly, the 2nd floor has a better vibe for drinking.

Daseon Kalguksu menu and prices

The menu at Daseon Kalguksu, the Korean bar near Gyodae Station.

First up, the basic meat menu — bossam.

These are meal-menu items, but they'd work fine as side dishes while drinking too. There's spicy jang kalguksu for a fiery hangover cure with soju, plus some simple dumplings.

Seafood anju (drinking snacks) menu — gapojingeo sukhoe, spicy stir-fried octopus, yeonpotang, spicy clam soup. The yeonpotang here is apparently super popular. Someone other than me should try it and write a review.

Interesting find: beef sirloin jeon for ₩25,000. Such an unusual menu item. If any of you have a rich neighbor, please have them order me two.

Drinks range from premium Korean liquor to soju.

Pretty much every soju you'd want is here — especially, the whole Jinro lineup. Next time I'll definitely order the yeonpotang. Daseon Kalguksu near Gyodae Station — I was fully satisfied, atmosphere and food both!

How to get there and opening hours

Daseon Kalguksu, the Korean bar near Gyodae Station, sits close to Exit 14. Open every day, 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Reservations can be made by phone. The place is spacious, so it'd work well for a group dinner too!