Hyanggyo-ro kalguksu restaurant in Suwon: kal-nakji for three, Daseon
In short
Daseon Kalguksu Main Branch is a 25-year-old kalguksu (knife-cut noodle) restaurant on Hyanggyo-ro in Paldal-gu, Suwon, near Suwon Station. Three spice-shy diners — the writer, her mother and her sister — ordered the Daseon kal-nakji (knife-cut noodles with octopus) at the basic Shin Ramyun spice level with the brothy option, added a plate of boiled pork, and got a portion so large the three of them expected leftovers, with plump octopus throughout. For a group that can't handle heat and wants a local Suwon lunch, the basic-spice kal-nakji at Daseon Kalguksu is the answer.
Good to know
- Address
- 43-1 Maesan-ro 2-ga, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi
- Hours
- 10:30–22:00
- Break time
- 15:30–17:00
- Closed
- No regular closing day (check Naver Place for public holidays)
- Takeout
- Available for all menu items
- Kal-nakji options
- Choose the spice level and brothy or thick
as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026
- Address: 경기 수원시 팔달구 매산로2가 43-1
- Hours: 10:30–22:00 (break time 15:30–17:00)
- Closed: none (check the place listing for holidays)
Where is Daseon Kalguksu Main Branch in Suwon?
I went to Daseon Kalguksu, a Suwon lunch spot loved by locals! I'd heard their kal-nakji (knife-cut noodles with octopus) comes in a huge, delicious portion, so my mom, my sister and I rushed over :) It's a restaurant with a whopping 25 years of history, and it even has drinking-snack menus — how could I not be excited?
Inside Daseon Kalguksu: seating and the lunch crowd
The inside was great for groups of 2-4, and it seems word has gotten out that it's a Suwon lunch spot — a few tables were already filled :) A 25-year-old favorite where you can go from lunch to evening drinking snacks near Suwon Station in one visit...
Daseon Kalguksu menu: kal-nakji spice levels and broth choice
You can choose the spice level for kal-nakji, plus brothy or thick, and pairing it with the boiled pork plate is a perfect match, haha. Daseon Kalguksu offers takeout for every item on the menu!
This is going to be so good...
What three of us ordered: basic spice, brothy kal-nakji
We ordered a combo that was just right for three people. If you want it good and spicy, you can go for the spicy option, but note that spice-wimps can't handle it!^^ *I won't stop you if you want to try it though, go for it if you dare~lol We're all spice-wimps, so we ordered the mild Shin Ramyun spice level. And kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) really needs some broth to taste right, so we went with the brothy option~!
The default banchan (side dishes) — mu-saengchae (spicy radish salad) and geotjeori (fresh kimchi salad)! Essential sides with kalguksu, right? Honestly it'd feel wrong without them. And the salted shrimp is the dipping sauce for the boiled pork...
The barley rice that arrives first at Daseon Kalguksu
A bowl of barley rice topped with mu-saengchae arrives right away. Why is barley rice so good, lol — I love that feeling of the barley grains rolling around in your mouth :) Getting something like this before the kalguksu makes the meal feel so much more filling!
It'd be fine plain, but I drizzled on some gochujang (red chili paste) to make it even tastier!
Plate of boiled pork on a bed of chives, tender and soft
The boiled pork plate arrived before the kal-nakji!!! It came with chives laid underneath, which was great to eat together.
Tender, soft boiled pork with no gamey smell at all — a simple lunch of kalguksu and this pork near Suwon Station should leave you perfectly full.
Enjoy it plain for a while, then take a bite topped with geotjeori and chives, and pair it with the barley rice — seriously... it's the best. This lunch is so filling!!! Total heaven, lol. If you're not eating it this way, you're missing out;
Daseon kal-nakji arrives: plump octopus and enough for three with leftovers
Finally!!!! The main dish, dasen kal-nakji, arrived. Even from the photos in the place listing I thought it'd come in a really big bowl. And wow... it came out in a huge dish, and looking at that fiery red broth made me swallow hard... it kind of made me want a drink even at lunchtime.
No need to explain how well kalguksu goes with boiled pork~ it's a done deal. Ordering the dasen kal-nakji is great, but each person ordering their own kalguksu and topping it with pork or mandu (dumplings) together seemed like a good idea too? With clams and plump octopus in there, it's packed with good stuff!!!
There were so many chewy, springy kalguksu noodles in there... At first glance I thought two orders of dasen kal-nakji would be plenty for the three of us. But somehow, the portion was so overwhelming it seemed like we'd have leftovers!
It was pretty fun fishing out the plump chunks of octopus scattered throughout. And since it was the mild spice level, even spice-wimps could eat without worry, which was so nice :>
For spice-wimps, ordering the mild spice level was just right — the dasen kal-nakji!!!
Scooping out some kalguksu and eating it with the boiled pork worked so well — the mild spice and seasoning on the kal-nakji meant you could just eat the pork plain alongside it, and it was such a great, delicious match :)
If you're looking for a real local Suwon lunch spot to visit with a group, why not head to Daseon Kalguksu and properly boil up some kal-nakji!? Anyone up for the spicy challenge? hahaha
