Daejeon dumpling restaurant with clear kalguksu broth: Yongja 1

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch: location, parking, and lunchtime waiting

Yongja 1 in Gwanpyeong-dong, Daejeon, is right next to Lotte Mart, so it’s easy to get to.

You can park in front of the restaurant, but all the spaces may be taken at peak times. Street parking is possible too, so keep that in mind!

At Yongja 1, you need to write down your name for the waitlist by hand. You also write your menu order first. I visited around noon, but the wait was so long that I popped over to Lotte Mart for a bit—and by the time I came back, everyone had gone!

A spotless interior and self-service bar

The interior at Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch is absolutely spotless!

There were quite a few diners when we visited, so I couldn’t take many table photos. There’s a mix of two- and four-person tables, mostly four-person ones, plus some six-person tables!

The self-service bar is set up on one side, where you can get more of the basic sides: kimchi and onion. The kimchi is geotjeori (fresh kimchi), and it is seriously delicious! We had to put our chopsticks down because my husband and I thought we’d be full before the food arrived... haha.

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch is famous for its dumplings! They steam them right here, and honestly, it’s one of those flavors you have to try to understand. There are high chairs in front of this area too!

One tiny downside: the restroom is outside...? Other than that, everything was perfect. You have to go outside and enter a password, so definitely remember it!

A menu centered on kalguksu and dumplings

The menu at Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch is simpler than you might expect! Kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), dumpling soup, and dumplings are the main items, with kongguksu (cold soy milk noodles) in summer. Since it was our first visit, we ordered these three to try the basics!

• Kalmandoo-guk (knife-cut noodle soup with dumplings)
• Bibim kalguksu (spicy mixed knife-cut noodles)
• Steamed dumplings

A full spread, starting with spicy fresh kimchi

Geotjeori as a side dish

The side dishes came out first, including geotjeori....!! As I mentioned above, this was seriously delicious. It had that generous hit of red pepper flakes, with wonderful spicy, savory flavor.

Finally, all the dishes were out! I’ll share my thoughts on each one.

Steamed dumplings with clouds of steam

The steamed dumplings are ₩9,000. When they serve them, they lift the lid right at the table, and the moment it opens, steam and a delicious aroma waft right out~.

There are eight dumplings on a plate—such a good price, right? While we were there, several people even took dumplings to go. Each one was enormous, too; even my big-eater husband was surprised.

They totally passed the taste test!!! They were packed with a mashed tofu filling that had a little spice to it, completely my style. The wrapper was moderately thick, and these king-sized dumplings were too big to eat in one bite.

The fact that even we big eaters had leftovers to pack up says it all... Takeout containers are available at the self-service bar! They were so good even after reheating them in the microwave at home! I’m already planning another visit just for these!

Kalmandoo-guk with a clean, clear broth

The kalmandoo-guk is ₩10,000 and comes with three dumplings on top of the kalguksu.

The kalmandoo-guk is generously topped with sesame salt, shredded seaweed, and chives, and together with the clean broth, the savory flavor is explosive!!!

They say the broth is simmered with nine ingredients, including dried pollock heads, kelp, and green onion, and wow... it really is so clean-tasting. The noodles are made in-house and are thin rather than thick. That made them a great match for the clear broth.

Chewy, sweet-and-tangy bibim kalguksu

The bibim kalguksu is ₩10,000. It also comes with regular kalguksu broth. My husband ordered it, and he praised the broth as soon as he tasted it~.

The bibim kalguksu noodles were chewier and thicker than the regular kalguksu noodles. The sauce had just the right amount of spice, so I think kids could enjoy it too, and it went so well with the lettuce—it was the ultimate sweet-and-tangy bite. My husband ordered it, but I kept stealing about three chopstickfuls myself, haha.

Visit tips

Yongja 1 is already such a popular spot that a wait is basically unavoidable at peak times. If you hate waiting, I recommend going early or late for a more relaxed visit. Rather than ordering only kalguksu, definitely, definitely add the dumplings too! Takeout containers are available at the self-service bar, so even if you have leftovers, you can feel a little more at ease~!