Seocho kalguksu house after drinks: kalnakji and big dumplings, Daseon

Why I picked Daseon Kalguksu near Gyodae Station for a second round

Daseon Kalguksu (다선칼국수) Gyodae branch is a seafood kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) place near Gyodae Station that's supposedly been around for 25 years. My friends and I had been drinking in Gyodae and were looking for a good second-round spot... and you always crave a spicy, hot broth for round two, right? So we went to Daseon Kalguksu, a noodle place with tons of reviews!

Since it was just a second round, we kept it simple and ordered kalnakji (spicy octopus noodle soup) and dumplings, and for the price, both portions were kind of insane.. Long story short, I really want to recommend Daseon Kalguksu :)

• Address: 69 Banpo-daero 26-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (1st and 2nd floors)
• Weekdays 11:00 - 23:30 (last order 23:00)
• Weekends 11:00 - 22:00 (last order 21:30)
• No break time

What are the seats and atmosphere like on a Friday evening?

We went a little after 8 p.m. on a Friday, and maybe because it has two floors, there were quite a few seats available. It has an old-school, long-running-restaurant feel, but it seems neatly kept.

The thing that made it feel like a legit local favorite was how many middle-aged guys were there, haha

Is the kalnakji broth very spicy?

The kalnakji broth is seriously spicy, but not so spicy that you can't eat it. It's not that sharp chili-powder kind of heat.

There's a sweetness underneath that comes from the seafood, so after one spoonful the aftertaste is refreshing. Whole clams go in, and they seem to hold the whole broth together.

They pile roasted seaweed flakes on top, and as they dissolve into the broth it gets nutty. Pick out a clam and eat it: no fishy smell at all, just salty and sweet.

The noodles have a handmade kalguksu texture. So good ㅠㅠ the broth just keeps going down.

The octopus and noodle texture in the kalnakji

See the octopus in the kalnakji? Plump and properly chewy. The legs go in whole, so when you pop one in your mouth it bounces around.

Octopus gets tough when it's boiled too long, right? But Daseon cooks it just right, and the more you chew, the sweeter it gets.

The noodles aren't thin; they're on the thick side, so instead of slurping you get a firm, satisfying chew. There's no floury smell at all, and they soak up the broth really well.

Dumplings for ₩8,000: how big are they?

The dumplings at Daseon Kalguksu are ₩8,000 and you get six. But the size is crazy big... how is this ₩8,000..? Each one is almost the size of my palm. Meat and kimchi dumplings come mixed, served piping hot in the steamer.

I thought the wrapper would be thick, but it's chewy, and the filling is so packed you can't eat one in a single bite. The meat ones burst with juice when you bite in, and the kimchi ones have a nice spicy kick. Just dip lightly in soy sauce and you're done.

Free barley rice and seasoned radish

Oh, and Daseon Kalguksu gives you barley rice for free too. It comes in a bowl, and if you top it with the radish and mix it into the kalnakji broth, it's the real deal. After finishing the noodles and then adding rice, my stomach was bursting but I couldn't stop, haha

They bring another plate of the seasoned radish (musaengchae) separately, tangy and crunchy. Grab a bite between spoonfuls of the spicy broth and your mouth feels totally refreshed. The kimchi was well fermented too, which went nicely with the dumplings.

Verdict: great value, and three of us still left food behind

The bowls at Daseon Kalguksu are honestly almost the size of my face. The portions say it all, right?.. Kalnakji is ₩15,000 per person and dumplings ₩8,000, and the three of us couldn't finish and left food behind ㅜㅜ I should have asked for takeout... The value is kind of crazy.

Spicy broth, chewy octopus, thick noodles, big dumplings. Honestly, I couldn't find anything to complain about. I think it's a perfect place to come for a second round after drinks at night. I'm definitely going again!