Songdo Yeonsu chicken kalguksu and dak-gomtang for malbok: Eonyang Dak

This summer has felt unusually brutal. Worn out by the heat, I went looking for a hearty meal to help me recover, and with malbok — the last of Korea's dog days — coming up, I decided samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) sounded right, which is how I ended up here.

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch

What kind of restaurant is Eonyang Dak Kalguksu in Songdo 1-gongu?

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch is a well-known Korean restaurant in Songdo 1-gongu serving chicken kalguksu, dak-gomtang, jjimdak (braised chicken), and more.

There's a parking lot entrance right next to the restaurant, and parking is free.

The dining room had a wood-toned interior — spacious and clean. It felt bright and comfortable overall, and the tables were spaced generously, so eating never felt cramped.

There are bar-style seats for solo diners as well as tables for groups, so the place works equally well for eating alone, a family meal out, or a gathering.

Menu and ordering: chicken kalguksu 11,000 won, dak-gomtang 11,000 won

The menu includes chicken kalguksu, dak-gomtang, chewy mandu (dumplings), spicy jjimdak, soy-sauce jjimdak, boiled meat platter, and more.

You order using the tablet set up at each table.

I considered chogye guksu (cold noodles in chilled broth) given the heat, but since malbok was coming up and I wanted a proper recovery meal, we ordered chicken kalguksu for ₩11,000 and dak-gomtang for ₩11,000.

Self-serve bar: kimchi made fresh daily and a spicy version

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch has a separate self-serve bar where you help yourself to side dishes.

The self-serve bar has pickled radish, kimchi, and sauce ready to go.

What's unusual is that the kimchi is made fresh in-house every day, and alongside the regular version there's a separate spicy kimchi. It's a nice touch being able to pick whichever suits your taste. Curious how each would taste, we decided to try both.

The spicy kimchi felt pretty hot at first, but the more we ate, the more that sharp heat worked with both the kalguksu and the gomtang, making it hard to stop reaching for it.

How fast does the food arrive?

The aged noodles at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch are boiled in fresh batches every 15 minutes, so how quickly your order comes out apparently depends on the timing.

Our timing was good — by the time we'd brought the kimchi back to the table, our order was already ready.

Chicken kalguksu: half a chicken with house-made aged noodles

Chicken kalguksu is the signature dish here — Eonyang-style knife-cut noodles topped with a large half chicken.

The bowl itself was huge, sized to fit half a whole chicken. Piled high, the dish looked hearty just to look at.

The chicken had clearly been simmered a long time — it was so tender the bones practically fell off when I lifted it slightly.

Not dry at all — moist and clean-tasting.

The kalguksu noodles at Eonyang Dak are apparently hand-kneaded in-house and aged for a day before use.

Maybe that's why the noodles had such a chewy, springy bite.

I was told that if you like your kalguksu spicy and sharp, mixing in the sauce and kimchi makes it even better, so we followed the advice and tried it.

Stirring in the sauce and kimchi added a sharp, spicy kick that deepened the broth's flavor even more. It cut through any richness and kept things clean, so we happily finished it right down to the last spoonful of broth.

Dak-gomtang: perilla-based broth with the rice already stirred in

Dak-gomtang combines a savory perilla-based chicken broth with half a chicken and warm rice.

The broth looked rich just from the color. It tasted clean but deep, drawing out the chicken's flavor without being overpowering — mild and clean enough for anyone, young or old, to enjoy.

Again, a big, tender half chicken was included.

The dak-gomtang came with rice already mixed into the soup, which made it even more filling.

The mild dak-gomtang paired so well with the kimchi that I never got tired of it, right to the last bite.

How was it as a malbok stamina meal?

Without any heavy seasoning, you really get to taste the chicken itself, which made it a good fit for a filling meal on a day worn down by the heat. I came here hoping to soothe a body tired out by this unusually harsh summer, and after finishing a warm, hearty meal, I felt glad I'd made the trip. The jjimdak on the menu looked good too, so I'd like to come back next time to try that.

How to get to Eonyang Dak Kalguksu in Songdo

• Address: 160-15 Haedoji-ro, 1st floor, units 129-132, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea (toward the back gate of the Songdo 1-gongu food mart)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:30)
• Parking: Free parking in the lot next to the restaurant