Yongin Korean restaurant for white-broth kalguksu: Jangwongap

How close is it to Giheung Lotte Outlet, and what was parking like?

After stopping by Giheung Lotte Outlet on the weekend, I ate with my family at Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch (장원갑칼국수 용인기흥점). It was 1.4 km away when I searched from the outlet in navigation, so we arrived quickly.

There was parking for about 40 cars. We found an empty spot when we arrived around 6 p.m., but the lot was nearly full. We entered the restaurant without waiting, though most seats were occupied.

What should you order when dining with a child?

We ordered four servings of shabu kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) at ₩12,000 per person. The meal moves from beef, vegetables, and mushrooms to kalguksu and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) perilla-oil fried rice. We chose the white broth from the red, white, and mala broth options to share with our child.

Other menu items listed in the original post included chadol minari-ssam shabu kalguksu, with beef brisket and minari wraps, at ₩15,500 per person; live abalone and beef brisket shabu kalguksu at ₩22,000; and basic meat-free kalguksu at ₩10,000.

It was a hot day, so I was glad to find cold ice water ready. The shabu kalguksu came in a large pot with plenty of vegetables and mushrooms, and my family also said the portion was generous.

Uiseong garlic kimchi was served as a side dish. We were told that the noodles' texture changes depending on how long they cook, and were given an hourglass to help judge the time.

While the broth came to a boil, we waited for the ingredients to cook. Even uncooked, the fresh noodles had an impressive stretchy chew.

What did my child who does not eat many vegetables have?

For my kindergarten-aged child, they provided baby rice with seaweed, and gave us plenty of seaweed too. Since my child does not eat many vegetables, we also added whole shrimp wontons/dumplings for shabu at ₩7,000.

There were plenty of high chairs, and the self-service corner had children's spoons and forks. A microwave also seemed convenient for warming baby food. At the self-service corner, we could get Uiseong garlic kimchi, wasabi, chili peppers, and broth, and pack leftover pajeon (scallion pancake) ourselves.

In what order did we eat the shabu kalguksu, and how did it taste?

How were the vegetables, wontons, and beef?

We started with the vegetables and mushrooms. I mixed the individually packaged wasabi into soy sauce and dipped the mushrooms and minari (water celery) in it, which brought out the mushrooms' chewiness and the fragrance of the minari.

The whole shrimp wontons and dumplings cooked quickly because their wrappers were thin. Each wonton contained one whole shrimp and had a good savory flavor. I also served some wontons and dumplings to my child.

Next, the cooked beef was clean-tasting and nutty. It went well with both wasabi soy sauce and Uiseong garlic kimchi. The kimchi was moderately spicy, so I went back for more.

What was the texture of the kalguksu noodles?

After the vegetables and beef, we cooked the kalguksu. The cooked noodles were soft yet chewy, and I remember their cheese-like stretchiness.

The springiness I noticed in the fresh noodles remained after cooking. Choosing the white broth also made it easy to share the kalguksu with my child.

How did we eat the final fried rice?

After the beef and kalguksu, we requested fried rice. It was stir-fried with seaweed flakes, kkakdugi, vegetables, and a drizzle of perilla oil.

We were already fairly full, but I kept reaching for it because of the nutty perilla-oil flavor. It also went well topped with the remaining Uiseong garlic kimchi.

What desserts were available after the meal?

The dessert corner had several types of rice crackers, misutgaru (multigrain powder) slush, instant coffee, and Americano.

We also tried the misutgaru slush with partially frozen ice, then finished the meal sitting down with rice crackers.

This time, we had shabu kalguksu at ₩12,000 per person, eating from the beef through the fried rice and then enjoying dessert. The baby rice and white broth made dining with a child convenient. However, the seats and parking lot were nearly full during our visit, and there were more customers around 6:30 to 7 p.m.